This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)
Module GEOG3581: TERRITORY AND GEOPOLITICS
Department: Geography
GEOG3581: TERRITORY AND GEOPOLITICS
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Not available in 2010/2011 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Any Level 1 or level 2 GEOG module.
Corequisites
- NONE
Excluded Combinations
- NONE
Aims
- To enable students to learn about the relationship between territory and geopolitics in a variety of contexts.
- To provide historical and theoretical background to the understanding of territorial issues and contemporary geopolitics
- To rpovide students with an understanding of contemporary disputes and agreements concerning territory, borders and geopolitics
Content
- Concepts of territory
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Rome
- The Middle Ages
- The Renaissance
- Early Modern Europe
- Birth of the Nation-State
- Colonialism
- Borders, Frontiers and the Politics of Map-Making
- Geopolitics:
- The Birth of Modern Geography and the Birth of Geopolitics
- Mackinder, Mahan and Imperial Geopolitics
- German Geopolitics and the idea of Mitteleuropa
- Cold-War Geopolitics
- The "new geopoliticians" of the New World Order: Fukuyama and Huntington
- The Geopolitics of Security and Surveillance
- Terror and Territory
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Demonstrate an understanding of the notion of territory and contemporary geopolitics
- Demonstrate knowledge of a range of territorial issues, their representation, and their influence on politics
- Use case study material effectively in relation to learning outcomes 1 and 2
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures will provide necessary breadth of coverage, overview and study guide required by the aims and objectives. These will be supported by additional reading lists, which will enable the student to build on information provided in the lectures
- Seminar discussions following the lectures will provide students opportunity to discuss and develop ideas covered in the lectures
- Presentations will allow students to demonstrate their knowledge with reference to particular disputes or agreements over territory and geopolitics, as well as improve key skills
- The 1.5 hour unseen examination will enable students to demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate the historical development of the notion of territory, some contemporary issues surrounding territory and geopolitics and demonstrate their knowledge of case studies
- The essay will enable the students to examine and to write about an issue of interest to them in depth
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 15 | weekly | 1.5 | 25.50 | |
| Tutorials | 3 | termly | 1 | 3 | Yes |
| Seminars | 15 | weekly | 0.5 | 7.50 | Yes |
| Student Preparation & Reading Time | 164 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50% | Coursework Essay | 5 x sides A4 | 100% | None |
| Examination | 50% | Unseen Examination | 1.5 hour | 100% | None |
Formative Assessment
3 x sides A4 word analysis of a contempoary geopolitical issue
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.