Module GEOG2561: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Department: Geography

GEOG2561: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To develop with students their understanding of key approaches, issues, theories and debates in social and cultural geography
• Students will be introduced to different ways of understanding 'culture' and 'the social', and to the changing ways in which geographers have approached cultural and social issues
• They will become familiar with a number of the key themes and theories around which recent geographical work has been focused, and the particular philosophical, methodological and political debates surrounding the doing of social and cultural geography

Content

• The module will involve a core set of introductory lectures on culture, society and geography to run each year. These will introduce some key current themes and debates in social and cultural geography:
• Social Landscape, Politics and Identities
• Postcolonial Cultural Geographies
• Non-Representational Geographies
• Geographies of Embodiment
• Representational and Symbolic Landscapes
• Geographies of Race & Racism

Learning Outcomes

• Students are expected to be able to: Demonstrate understanding of key approaches, theories and debates in social and cultural geography
• Critically assess and debate a number of the current questions facing social and cultural geography
• Demonstrate appreciation of the spatialities of social and cultural phenomena, and of competing explanations for these
• Show a detailed understanding of selected areas of social / cultural geographical research through extended reading

• Understand and synthesise some key literatures in social and cultural geography
• Demonstrate detailed understanding of key issues covered by the module

• Demonstrate information management skills, including gathering information from a range of bibliographic and electronic sources
• Demonstrate a range of communication skills, including planning an effective and well argued essay, and developing ideas in written work
• Demonstrate skills of critical assessment and analysis in relation to key literatures and debates

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching and Learning: Background information and key concepts will be introduced in lectures
• In seminars, students will develop and demonstrate more detailed understanding and their skills of critical assessment, through presenting to the class
• In their independent learning, including reading widely, students will deepen their understanding of different perspectives and explanations - seminar preparation and time set for reading in the course will also encourage this
• Assessment: Researching the seminar presentation, and receiving formative feedback, will contribute to learning outcomes as above
• The essay will allow students to demonstrate independent learning, as well as detailed understanding of specific topics and debates
• The exam will allow students to demonstrate broader understanding of the subject and to put together substantiated arguments

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

In line with Board of Studies policy for all Level 2 optional modules, formative assessment is provided through formative feedback on summative coursework In addition written feedback will be given on one formative essay plan

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University