• Professor (School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)

telephone: 01413302291
email: Andrew.Cumbers@glasgow.ac.uk

My dominant research interest is with the problem of uneven development in capitalist societies from a geographical political economy perspective. I am concerned with the spatial and social inequalities and injustices perpetuated by capitalism and the search for more egalitarian and democratic alternatives. forms of politics and economic development. Having lived and worked in South Wales, the North East of England and Scotland, I have a longstanding interest in the problems facing the UK’s old industrial cities and regions, particularly the consequences of economic restructuring and the changing nature of work and employment. Empirically - since PhD days - I have also been concerned with the political economy of oil, especially in the relations between multinationals, the state and local economies who 'suffer' or 'experience' oil development.

My research has also become increasingly concerned with various dimension of global economic and political integration. One strand of this involves exploring how actors at the level of the nation state (governments, trade unions and firms) are responding and having their social relations reconfigured. Another is to explore the emergence of resistance to neo-liberal forms of globalisation and alternative strategies that help to revive a socialist politics.

Conceptually, my work is concerned with combining insights from the non-orthodox Marxist traditions of political economy with more agency-oriented accounts derived from institutional and evolutionary economics and economic sociology. This have involved contributing to the development of an 'open Marxism in geography' and an 'evolutionary political economic geography' with Danny MacKinnon, Andy Pike, Robert McMaster, Gesa Helms and others from the 'Scottish and Newcastle School'.

I am one of the four Managing Editors for the journal Urban Studies and have served on the editorial board of Work Employment and Society.

I am also one of the convenors of the Alternative Economic Strategy network.

I grew up in South Wales, worked and lived in Durham, London, Cambridge, Boston, LA, Aberdeen and Edinburgh before settling in Glasgow.

Current research

My most recent work (2010) has included a Joseph Rowntree funded research project (with others in the Political Economy group at Glasgow) into the implications of globalisation for communities in the UK, exploring themes of connection, disconnection and empowerment.

Recent work in the regional development field (2007-9) involves an ESRC funded project with Kean Birch: 'Beyond Clusters: Biotechnology Commodity Chains and Less Favoured Regions'.

I am currently writing a book on public ownership and economic democracy for Zed publishers.

My most recent work (2010) has included a Joseph Rowntree funded research project (with others in the Political Economy group at Glasgow) into the implications of globalisation for communities in the UK, exploring themes of connection, disconnection and empowerment.

Recent work in the regional development field (2007-9) involves an ESRC funded project with Kean Birch: 'Beyond Clusters: Biotechnology Commodity Chains and Less Favoured Regions'.

I teach in the fields of economic and political geography, contributing to the second year course 'Globalisation and Localisation', as well as running an option module at Honours level 'Uneven Development and the Global Economy'. I also teach on the Department's MRes in Human Geography.

Current postgraduate students

• John Crossan (PhD candidate)
• Aaron Franks (PhD candidate)
• Robin Jamieson(MRes candidate)

I teach in the fields of economic and political geography, contributing to the second year course 'Globalisation and Localisation', as well as running an option module at Honours level 'Uneven Development and the Global Economy'. I also teach on the Department's MRes in Human Geography.