Commodity Chains and World Cities - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1444335871 ISBN 13: 9781444335873

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010

Synopsis

Transnational spatial relations offer a key point from which to study the geographies of contemporary globalization. This book assesses the possible cross-fertilization between two of the most notable analytical frameworks - the world city network framework and the global commodity chain framework.

• Transnational spatial relations have become a key analytical lens through which to study the geographies of contemporary globalization
• Brings together contributions of key researchers from different backgrounds and different parts of the world
• Offers a set of original approaches to the study of the networked geography of globalization

About this title

About the Author

Ben Derudder is Professor of Human Geography at Ghent University. He is also Associate Director of the Globalization and World Cities research group and network (GaWC). His research focuses on the conceptualization and empirical analysis of transnational urban networks, the importance of business travel in the space economy, and the impact of the globalization of transport and production on urban development.

Frank Witlox is Professor of Economic Geography at Ghent University. He is also Associate Director of the Globalization and World Cities group and network (GaWC), and a visiting professor at the Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp (ITMMA). His research focuses on transport economics and geography, city logistics, world cities and globalization, and urban planning.

From the Back Cover

Transnational spatial relations offer a key point from which to study the geographies of contemporary globalization. This book assesses the possible cross-fertilization between two of the most notable analytical frameworks in this area: the world city network (WCN) framework, in which researchers have studied the emergence of a globalized urban system; and secondly, the global commodity chain (GCC) framework, in which researchers have scrutinized the interconnected functions, operations and transactions through which specific goods are produced, distributed and consumed in a globalized economy.

Both literatures have emerged as critiques of conventional, state-centric social science interpretations of their subject matters, and they both propose what might be called ‘global network alternatives’. Bringing together contributions of key researchers from human geography, economics, and sociology, the editors take advantage of this parallel to investigate how both models may benefit from each other.

Both literatures have emerged as critiques of conventional, state-centric social science interpretations of their subject matters, and they both propose what might be called ‘global network alternatives’. Bringing together contributions of key researchers from human geography, economics, and sociology, the editors take advantage of this parallel to investigate how both models may benefit from each other.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1444335871
• ISBN 13: 9781444335873
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 210
• Editor: Derudder Ben