ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY RESEARCH GROUP
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 1998
Welcome
This is the last issue of 1998. As if to reinforce how active the
Research Group is at present, this newsletter contains reviews from
two events Group members were involved in organising. It also
profiles the forthcoming RGS/IBG Annual Conference in January 1999.
The sessions to be convened by the EGRG in Leicester received a good
response and the session outlines are included in this newsletter.
This newsletter also contains a call to members who are interested in
becoming involved in the Research Group. A number of positions,
including that of the Secretary, are up for election. The Group
continues to develop in a positive way, but relies on academics being
willing to commit time and energy to organising events. All those
leaving the board have contributed to the Group's recent advances and
it is to be hoped their successors make a similar contribution.
Research Group Committee
This year there are 5 posts up for grabs: the posts of Secretary,
Policy officer, 2 Undergraduate conference officers, and Research
profile officer, in addition to the two postgraduate positions.
Anyone wishing to stand for election should contact Adam Tickell
(University of Southampton) on 01703 595 496 or at
[log in to unmask] by 13th November in the first instance. All
candidates should have a seconder, who must be a member of the
Economic Geography Research Group.
EGRG Seminar on 'Institutions and Governance' July 3 1998,
Department of Geography UCL
Helen Lawton Smith (Centre for Local Economic Development, Coventry
University) writes, For those of you not fortunate enough to attend
this seminar you missed a first rate event. It was an intimate,
intellectually stimulating event. The four excellent papers worked
very well together, bringing different perspectives on the central
theme. From the tenor of the questions it was clear that people's
brains were excited by the ideas in each paper and by the connections
they were making between them.
Ash Amin began with a paper entitled: An institutionalist perspective
on regional development'. John Lovering followed this with, 'Is
policy leading theory? the new regulations and the regional
governance'. John had some reservations about Ash's view of the world
while pointing out the strengths of his analysis. John's central theme
was the current intellectual crisis and practical crisis of regional
economic development. His phrase 'Vulgar New Regionalism' has already
entered the lexicon of academic discourse.
After lunch Stan Metcalfe brought evolutionary theory to life with his
paper on 'Endogenous growth and the innovation process: why
institutions matter'. His paper covered four themes (i) economic
growth - the problem of endogeneity, (ii) innovation systems as
devices for the growth of knowledge, (iii) evolutionary processes and
(iv) local specificities. We can only hope that Professor Metcalfe can
be persuaded to write up his presentation and publish it. Jane Wills
gave the final presentation on 'Agents of 'bottom up' convergence in
Europe? The political-economy of European Works Councils'. This
contribution was not only important and interesting in itself but it
also provided the focus of how the concepts discussed in the preceding
papers could be applied to the real world.
The EGRG Committee would like to thank the speakers for their
contributions, Ray Hudson for his sterling job in chairing the seminar
and Professor Peter Wood for hosting the event.
Postgraduate Symposium, September 1998, Manchester.
Dan Mansfield (University of Manchester) writes, the annual
postgraduate symposium continues to be a success. This year there were
eight papers by participants from Oxford, Southampton, Coventry and
Manchester, and several other participants from Coventry, Southampton
and Portsmouth who came just to 'enjoy' the papers. The only
disappointment was that five geography departments provided all of the
participants and that some of the other 'strong' economic geography
departments around the country were not represented. The now
traditional format of the afternoon session, followed by a meal out
and then more papers in the morning was adhered to and by the end of
the final morning everyone seemed to agree that the whole event had
been worthwhile. Also, those who had not given a paper felt that,
after being at the symposium, they could have done so. Professor
Global Shift even turned up to put his tuppence worth in.
The first paper of the conference was given by Markus Hassler
(University of Manchester). Markus highlighted how the economic
turmoil in the region had differing effects on the export and domestic
markets and the various firms, which operate in those markets.
Philippe Le Billon's (University of Oxford) presentation focused on
the timber commodity chain in Cambodia and how this natural resource
plays an important role in the redistribution of social power and
processes of violent conflicts peace and reconstruction. Next came
Eleanor Chye (University of Oxford) who explained an implicit part of
Singaporean culture, that of gift giving, familial ties and
remuneration. The finale of the first day was a discussion of the
Thrift and Olds paper from 1996, 'Refiguring the economic in economic
geography'. Adam Holden (University of Manchester) had the unenviable
task of providing his thoughts of the paper and then stimulating
debate within the group. Manchester's abnormally hot weather was
against him, unfortunately, and by about five o'clock every body was
wilting and ready to retire to the pub.
The second morning was brought to life by an 'informal discussion
hosted by Paul Kent'. Paul, only just beginning his first year at
either Southampton or QMW, gave an entertaining presentation on the
background to his research on the Steel Partnership Training
Initiative, and how he intends to go about it. He didn't give us quite
'The Full Monty' though. Second up was Andrew Lincoln (University of
Southampton) who developed on his recent fieldwork in Canada to
present a paper on the impact and implications on labour-sponsored
investment funds and employee ownership in that part of North America
and the possibilities for the UK. Rupert Waters (Coventry University)
outlined his research proposal on the scientific labour markets in
Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire, and the relationship between different
scales in creating the dynamism of this sector. After the much needed
coffee break, Dan Mansfield (University of Manchester), outlined the
emerging results of his recent fieldwork in London on the Private
Finance Initiative. His paper drew out the concentration of PFI
projects in the south-east of England and showed how PFI appears to be
a very ad hoc policy measure with both short-term and long-term issues
for both the government and the firms that operate the projects. The
final paper was presented by Paul Bennett (University of Oxford) and
discussed the environmental and insurance risk in shipping and its
regulation. The paper drew on Ulrich Beck's contention that modern,
industrially produced risks have undermined the risk calculus that
underpins compensation and regulation by the state and insurers.
In conclusion, all the participants agreed that the informal
atmosphere at these sessions is beneficial and is a good place to
learn the ropes of presenting. Hopefully the new faces this year will
be back next year and a few more can be encouraged to make the
journey.
Postgraduate awards
As outlined previously, in response to continued funding cuts for
postgraduate research, and a general desire to support postgraduate
awards, the EGRG are introducing a series of awards for postgraduates
and contract researchers of equivalent status. The awards will be
granted annually and are as follows: (1) Best conference paper in
economic geography A prize of stlg50 will be awarded for the best paper
in economic geography (broadly defined) presented by a research
student or contract researcher of equivalent status at any session
during the annual meeting of the RGS-IBG. A written paper will have
to be taken to conference. This prize is open to anybody at a UK
institution, irrespective of membership of the EGRG or RGS-IBG and
notification of intention to apply needs to be made to the Secretary
of the EGRG by 30th November each year. Papers may sent to the
Secretary before conference or given to the any member of the group's
committee during conference. (2) Best paper published in a refereed
academic journal. A prize of stlg50 will be awarded for the best paper
in economic geography (broadly defined) published in a refereed
academic journal by a research student or contract researcher of
equivalent status or by a PhD graduate who obtained their doctorate
less than two years before publication (so as to allow for the
time-lags inherent in the publication cycle). This prize is open to
anybody at a UK institution, irrespective of membership of the EGRG or
RGS-IBG and submissions, including a short biography and the submitted
paper, must be made to the Secretary of the EGRG by 30th November each
year. (3) EGRG Travel Awards Three annual EGRG Travel Awards of stlg100
each to provide additional support for giving a paper at a conference
outside the UK will also be provided. These will allocated on a
competitive basis and only be available to research students and
contract researchers of equivalent status who are members of the EGRG.
Priority will be given to people who have not attended an
international conference in the previous year. Applications must be
made to the Secretary by 30th November and a written copy of the paper
submitted prior to the Research Group's annual meeting.
The names of Prize and Travel Award winners will be published in the
EGRG's newsletter and appear in the Group's annual report in Area.
EGRG Working Paper Series
The Economic Geography Research Group has launched a Working Paper
Series to promote the research activities of the Group. The Series
features theoretically-informed and/or empirically-original research
on topics in economic geography. The first paper in the series is by
Karen Bakker (University of Oxford) 'Yorkshire water and Yorkshire's
water: flows of water/capital in the drought of 1995'. The series is
an opportunity for researchers to expose their current research ideas
to wider audience. Contributions from postgraduates are especially
welcome. Submit as an e-mail attachment completed manuscripts to the
Series Editor, Andy Jonas, [log in to unmask] Submissions
should conform to the following guidelines: typed (1.5 or double
spaced) in Word 6.0 (or equivalent), between 5000 and 8000 words, with
name, contact address, e-mail, paper title, abstract (short) and
references. Table and figures can be included and must be sent in
Windows Bitmap (bmp) format. Tables must conform to Word 6.0
protocol. The papers will be published at a price of stlg15 and can be
downloaded at no extra charge from the EGRG website. Papers published
as EGRG Working Papers can be submitted to journals in the normal way.
Current research
Inconspicuous consumption: second hand exchange in conventional city
spaces Louise Crewe (University of Nottingham) and Nicky Gregson
(University of Sheffield) This research builds upon our recently
completed ESRC project on car boot sales and alternative spaces of
contemporary consumption. The project will provide the first in-depth
theoretical and empirical study of second hand retailing and exchange.
The project will chart the development of second hand retailing in
Britain through a detailed investigation of two spaces of second-hand
retailing and consumption: retro/vintage clothes shops an, charity
shops. Through detailed questionnaire, interview and participant
observation work in charity and retro shops in a range of British
cities, the project will explore the ways in which the second-hand
market is being reconstituted as it shifts from a geography confined
to marginal spaces to highly visible economic and cultural phenomenon.
We will explore how and why consumers participate in the second hand
market, including the importance of the brand, thrift,
unpredictability, authenticity, fashionability and skill in explaining
such activities. The project will address the attractions of
purchasing second-hand commodities which are invested with histories
and geographies and which involve complex rituals of transformation
through, for example, repair, restoration and alteration. Finally,
the project will evaluate the connections between conventional
retailing and second-hand exchange, thus contributing to ongoing
debates about retailing, regulation and urban development. The
project will culminate in a book on contemporary consumption entitled
'Second Hand Worlds' in which we combine this research with our
recently completed research on car boot sales.
EGRG newsletter on the web
Information regarding Committee members and the activities of the EGRG
can be found on the Group's web page at the following address:
http:\\www.soton.ac.uk/~egrg Anyone wanting to disseminate information
to Group members can do so through the electronic mailbase, which can
be accessed at [log in to unmask]
Any questions?
If you have any questions about the research group's activities, or
suggestions for the future, please contact the Secretary, Adam
Tickell, at the following address: Professor A Tickell Department of
Geography University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ Tel.: 01703
595 496 For those of you who don't know the EGRG newsletter is edited
and produced by Kevin Ward at that 'Barcelona of the North',
Manchester. If you have any material, comments or general information
that you wish to share please send it to the following address:
School of Geography University of Manchester Manchester M13 9PL or as
text or window 6.0 file via e-mail at [log in to unmask]
RGS-IBG ANNUAL CONFERENCE
LEICESTER 99
Outlined below are the sessions in Leicester99, either organised by
the Economic Geography Research Group or in which they are involved.
The Pre-millennial Workplace:
New geographies of employment
Convenors: Christian Berndt, Andy Cumbers and Jane Wills
Module 1: Globalisation and spaces of resistance
Chair: Jane Wills, Queen Mary, University of London
Globalisation, networking and the Liverpool dock dispute 1995-8:
military particularism and global ambition, Peter Waterman (ISS, The
Hague)
Rescaling solidarity politics: trade unions in a globalising
pharmaceutical industry, Christian Zeller (Universitaet Hamburg)
Organising the scale of labour regulation: community based labour
organising in Australia and the US, Jessica Walsh (University of
Melbourne)
Module 2: European geographies of labour market exchange
Chair Christian Berndt, Katholische Univeritaet Eichstaett
Fragmentation and social differentiation of urban labour markets in
a wealthy environment: the case of Hamburg, Juergen Ossenbruegge
(Universitaet Hamburg)
Mass unemployment, labour market restructuring and 'post-communist'
transition: employment and non-employment on the eastern periphery of
Europe, Adrian Smith (University of Sussex)
Class mobilisation and spatial scale: labour market and welfare
restructuring in Denmark and Britain, David Etherington (University
of Huddersfield) and Martin Jones (University of Wales)
Module 3: New forms of work organisation
Chair: Jane Pollard (University of Birmingham)
Workplace change and social outcomes in the pharmaceutical industry,
Mia Gray (University of Cambridge)
The re-organisation of working-time in the re-working of the
organisation, Damian Grimshaw (UMIST), Kevin Ward (University of
Manchester), Jill Rubery (UMIST) and Huw Beynon (University of
Manchester)
Flexible working: a means of reconciling work and family life or a
new form or precariousness, Diane Perrons (London School of
Economics)
Module 4: The future of work
Chair: Andy Cumbers (University of Aberdeen)
Insecurity in work and welfare: towards a transatlantic model of
labour regulation? Jamie Peck (University of Manchester) and Nikolas
Theodore (University of Illinois)
The reregulation of capital-labour relations in the Ruhr area:
implications for the 'German Model'? Christian Berndt (Katholische
Universitaet Eichstaett)
The new inequality: the price of capitalism's flexible fix, Ron
Martin (University of Cambridge) and Peter Sunley (University of
Edinburgh)
Britain and the Euro: A panel discussion
Convenors: Adam Tickell and Jamie Peck
Chair: Adam Tickell (University of Southampton)
Participants: Gordon L Clark (University of Oxford) Ray Hudson
(University of Durham) Alan Simpson MP (House of Commons)
Name of speaker to be confirmed (European Commission)
Re-forming or re-placing the welfare state? A panel discussion
Convenors: Adam Tickell and Jamie Peck
Chair: Steven Pinch (University of Southampton)
Participants: Ash Amin (University of Durham) Jim McCormick
(Scottish Council Federation and formerly IPPR) Jamie Peck
(University of Manchester) Nikolas Theodore (University of Illinois
at Chicago)
The Political Economy of Britain at the Millennium
Convenors: Adam Tickell and Gordon MacLeod
Module 1: The State
Chair: Adam Tickell (University of Southampton)
The British road to a Schumpeterian postnational regime, Bob Jessop
(University of Lancaster)
tba, Kevin Morgan (University of Wales) .
The city, the mayor and the state, Mark Goodwin and Gordon MacLeod
(University of Wales)
Regional development banks in Britain, Ron Martin (University of
Cambridge) and Peter Sunley (University of Edinburgh)
Module 2: The Economy
Chair: Gordon MacLeod (University of Wales)
The geography of venture capital investments in the UK in the 1990s:
a case of greater regional inequality? Colin Mason (University of
Southampton)
The political economy and regional implications of energy policy in
Britain, David Sadler (University of Durham)
The branch-plant economy, Mike Crone (Northern Ireland Economic
Research Centre)
Social exclusion in rural Britain, Lorna Philip and Mark Shucksmith
(University of Aberdeen)
Economic Geography Research Group (EGRG):
Postgraduate Research in Economic Geography
Thursday, 7 January 1999
14.20-15.50 - Session 1: Postgraduate Research into the Millennium
Chair: Daniel Mansfield, University of Manchester
Sally Randles (University of Manchester) Competition versus nested -
interdependency in scale relations.
Andrew Lincoln (University of Southampton) Working People's Money At
Work: The Role of Labour-Sponsored Investment Funds in Canadian
Regional Development
Paul Bennett (University of Oxford) Mutual environmental risk: moral
economy in corporate insurance clubs
Adam Holden (University of Manchester) Re-building the
entrepreneurial city: Manchester as a local state project
16.20-17.50 - Session 2: Postgraduate Research into the Millennium
Chair: Andrew Lincoln, University of Southampton
Suzanne Martin (University of Aberdeen) Constructing Environmental
Responsibilities: Perspectives on environmental transport policy and
attempts to reduce car use.
Daniel Mansfield (University of Manchester) Private Funding
Inevitable? A Geo-economic Analysis of the Private Finance
Initiative.
Juliet Cox (University of Southampton) Franchising: The Geography of
a New Organisational Form
Markus Hassler (University of Manchester) Economic Crisis in
Indonesia and the Impact on the Clothing Industry
address: International Centre for Labour Studies and
School of Geography
3rd Floor
Williamson Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
tel no: 0161 275 2505 (general office)
0161 275 4482 (direct line)
"I speak through my clothes" (Eco, 1973).
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