1. Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory
Definition: Theory developed by Immanuel Wallerstein that explains the emergence of a core, periphery and semiperiphery in terms of economic and political connections first established at the beginning of exploration in the late 15th century and maintained through increased economic access up until the present.
Core Countries with strong economies with large economic productivity, high per capita GDP. Seen as the MDCs of the world
Semiperiphery The newly industrialized countries with median standards of living, such as Chile, Brazil, India, China and Indonesia. They offer their citizens relatively diverse economic opportunities but also have extreme gaps between rich and poor.
Periphery Countries that have low levels of economic productivity, low per capita incomes and generally low standards of living. They world economic periphery includes Africa (not S. Africa), parts of S. America and Asia

2. Core-Periphery Model

3. MACKINDER’S HEARTLAND THEORY AND SPYKMAN’S RIMLAND THEORY

4. MACKINDER’S HEARTLAND THEORY AND SPYKMAN’S RIMLAND THEORY
Mackinder believed that a landbased power, not a seabased power, would ultimately rule the world. He believed that Eurasia was the most important area in the world containing a “pivot area” extending from Eastern Europe to eastern Siberia. The “pivot area” became known as the Heartland.
Who rules East Europe rules the Heartland.
Who rules the Heartland rules the World Island.
Who rules the World Island rules the World.
Rimland Theory
Spykman believed the Eurasia rim, not its heart, held the key to global power. He parodied Mackinder:
Who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia
Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world.
Spykman saw a divided rimland as a key to the world’s balance of power. Todaythe rimland includes Western Europe and China

5. Gravity Model
When used geographically, the words 'bodies' and 'masses' are replaced by 'locations' and 'importance' respectively, where importance can be measured in terms of population numbers, gross domestic product, or another appropriate variables. The gravity model of migration is therefore based upon the idea that as the importance of one or both of the location increases, there will also be an increase in movement between them. The farther apart the two locations are, however, the movement between them will be less. This phenomenon is known as distance decay.
The gravity model was expanded by William J. Reilly in 1931 into Reilly's law of retail gravitation to calculate the breaking point between two places where customers will be drawn to one or another of two competing commercial centers.
Opponents of the gravity model explain that it can not be confirmed scientifically, that it's only based on observation. They also state that the gravity model is an unfair method of predicting movement because its biased toward historic ties and toward the largest population centers. Thus, it can be used to perpetuate the status quo.

7. Bid Rent Theory
Bid-rent curves show the variations in rent different users are willing to pay for land at different distances from some peak point of accessibility and visibility in the market, often the CBD. Because transportation costs increase as you move away from the market (often the CBD), rents usually decrease as distance increases from the market. Importantly, different types of land use (commercial retail, industrial, agriculture, housing) generate different bid-rent curves. Bid-rent curves explain the series of concentric rings of land use found in the concentric zone model.

8. Bid Rent Theory

9. Esther Boserup’s Model
Malthus: food production increases arithmetically, whereas human reproduction increases geometrically (doubling each generation); despite checks on population (e.g., plague, famine) there would continue to be starvation.

10. Esther Boserup’s Model
In 1965, Boserup discussed that population growth stimulates intensification in agricultural development (stimulates technology) … rather than being increased by agricultural output (Malthus upside- down); the rate of food supply may vary but never reaches its carrying capacity because as it approaches the threshold, an invention or development increases food supply, however, the depletion of nutrients creates diminishing returns.

11. Rostow’s “modernization” Model

13. Core-Domain-Sphere Model (D.W. Meinig)