AP Human Geography Unit 7 Review Notes

Lecture Summary

In today's session, Coach Fishbein reviewed Unit 7 for the AP Human Geography, focusing on industrial and economic development. He discussed the historical impacts of the industrial revolution, contemporary economic sectors, and introduced several theories relevant to industrial and economic geography, such as Rostow's Stages of Economic Growth and Wallerstein's World Systems Theory. Insights on gender roles in economic development, economic restructuring, global trade, and sustainable practices were also shed light upon.

The Industrial Revolution and its Impacts

• Demographic Transition Model:

  • Stage 1: High birth and death rates (agricultural society).
  • Industrialization led to urbanization and decreased necessity for large families as death rates dropped.
  • Stages 2 and 3: Significant population growth and transition to urban living.

• Social Changes:

  • Significant expansion of the middle class post-industrial revolution.
  • Increased opportunities for wealth creation stimulated colonial and imperial activities for raw materials.

• Urbanization: More people moving to cities for industrial jobs, shifted economic focus from agricultural to industrial.

Economic Sectors

• Primary Sector: Involves extraction of raw materials (e.g., mining, agriculture).
• Secondary Sector: Processes raw materials into finished goods (manufacturing).
• Tertiary Sector: Service-oriented jobs (e.g., education, health).
• Quaternary Sector: Involves information technology and knowledge-based services.
• Quinary Sector: Top-level decision makers (e.g., CEOs, senior government officials).

Global Economic Transitions (Case Study: United Kingdom and Japan)

• Transition from primary to tertiary sectors demonstrated with historical employment data.
• Faster growth of service industries compared to manufacturing.

Economic Theories and Models

1. Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth:

   • Describes progression from a traditional society to a high mass consumption economy.

2. Wallerstein's World Systems Theory:

   • Divides world nations into core, semi-periphery, and periphery based on economic dominance.
   • Core countries dominate global economics and politics, exploiting periphery and semi-periphery regions.

3. Dependency Theory:

   • Expounds on how peripheral and semi-peripheral countries remain economically dependent on core countries.

4. Least Cost Theory (Alfred Weber):

   • Focuses on minimizing costs when deciding factory locations. Differentiates between bulk-gaining and bulk-reducing industries regarding proximity to markets or raw material sources.

Development Indicators

• Economic Indicators: GDP, GNP, GNI, income distribution, sectoral structure.
• Social Indicators: Literacy rates, health access, fertility rates, child mortality rates.
• Inequalities and Development: Gender roles, employment, income disparities impact overall development.

Gender and Development

• Gender roles significantly influence economic development.
• Gender equality in employment and decision-making processes contributes to more comprehensive economic growth.

Modern Economic Issues

• Global Trade and Neoliberalism: Advocacy for free trade to bolster economic growth worldwide.
• Economic Restructuring: Shift from manufacturing to service-oriented economies, often involves outsourcing jobs to countries with cheaper labor.
• Sustainable Development Goals (UN): Address economic, social, and environmental sustainability globally to combat challenges like climate change and inequality.

Conclusion

These concepts reflect the interconnectedness of geographic, economic, and social factors in shaping human development patterns globally. Understanding these ideas equips students not just for the AP exam, but for thoughtful engagement as global citizens.