GEOG2205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mercantilism, Mass Production, Feudalism
Week 1
Rebecca Myers
Week 1 - Economic Growth and Uneven Development
Evolution of the capitalist economy
Capitalisation: process whereby capital-intensive inputs such as technology are deployed by
large firms and replace labour intensive methods associated with smaller scale production.
14th- 16th
century
Feudalism
- Economic organisation based on mode of
production
- Hierarchical social structure
- Surplus products taken by hierarchy
- Lords allocate land ownership
16th-18th century
Mercantilism
- Wealth measured in gold/silver
- Trade = economic growth
- Regulation and government protection
18th-19th century
Industrialisation
- Large scale manufacturing
- Mechanisation
- Division of labour
- A population movement from rural to urban
- Transportation capabilities increase
- Rise of the steam engine
1940-1970s
Fordism
- Mass production, mass consumption
- Specialisation, fragmentation, routinisation
- Aeas eae hus fo poduts. Eg.
Detroit for cars
1980s →
Post-Fordism
- Flexible specialisation
- Increase communication and technology
- Globalisation allows disaggregation of
Chandlers 3 pillars (design, management and
production)
- New international division of labour
Capitalism caused by changing spatial divisions of labour
• Traditionally regional/territorial spatial division
• Globalisatio → futioal sepaatio (spatially liked ut ot o-located), changing
structure of commodity chains
Uneven development
• Different places demonstrate quantitatively different levels of economic
performance/development
• Neoclassical economics
• supply, demand, equilibrium
• Mobility of firms and labour
• Should oe toads spatial euiliiu oegee
Marxian view of uneven development
• Contradicts capitalism
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