Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module GEOG3571: VISUAL CULTURE, MEDIA AND THE POLITICS OF PLACE
Department: Geography
GEOG3571: VISUAL CULTURE, MEDIA AND THE POLITICS OF PLACE
| Type | Open | Level | 3 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Not available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- Any Level 1 or level 2 GEOG module.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None.
Aims
- To explore geographies of the media and of visual culture in order to expand students' knowledge and understanding of the politics of representation in the construction of places.
- To enhance students' grasp of different theoretical approaches to the analysis of media and visual culture.
- To promote critical reflection on the cultural geographies of identity, globalization and geopolitics.
Content
- Theoretical Approaches to Media and Visual Culture: Marxism, Frankfurt School, Structuralism and Post-Structuralism, Cultural Studies, Discourse Analysis, Post-Colonial and Feminist Critiques
- Analysing Representations: content analysis of international issues in the news, discursive analysis of place representations, geopolitical imaginations, advertising and the representation of 'other' cultures and places, contested meanings: audience research
- Media, Culture and Identity: constructions of identity and difference in visual culture and media
- Globalisation and the Media: brief history of media production, the rise of global media networks, national and international regulation of the media market, impact of advertising, case studies (CNN, Reuters, News Corporation)
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Application of different theoretical approaches to the analysis of media and visual culture
- critically discuss the political dimensions of cultural production and consumption
Subject-specific Skills:
- construct discursive analyses of visual and media representations of geographical issues
- demonstrate the role of media and visual culture in constructions of place and identity
Key Skills:
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures will be used to impart basic facts and information necessary to fulfil the aims of this course. Concepts introduced in lectures will be explored in more depth in seminars. Group work skills will be developed in a practical project, the results of which students present in a seminar talk that constitutes the formative assessment. Students ability to interpret and apply theoretical concepts will be tested through an examination and in an essay.'
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 14 | weekly | 1.5 | 21 | |
| Seminar | 4 | Term 1, 2 | 2 | 8 | ■ |
| Practical | ■ | ||||
| Reading & Preparation time | 171 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: End of module Examination | Component Weighting: 50% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Examination | 1.5h | 100% | None |
| Component: Essay | Component Weighting: 50% | ||
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Essay | 5 x sides A4 | 50% | None |
Formative Assessment:
Seminar presentations, with written feedback
■ 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