Courses : Syllabi : 102
Geography 102 Principles of Cultural Geography
Instructor
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to cultural geography by exploring pressing global issues including environmental decline, population growth, food security, economic crises, migration, identity politics, war and urbanization. In an increasingly globalized world, these issues have impacts upon all of our lives, whether we live in San Diego, Bogotá, Mumbai or Tokyo. By exploring these topics through the lens of cultural geography, we will uncover how spatial interconnections and geographical interdependence shape the world as we know it. We will further understand how individual actions at the local scale have social, cultural and environmental impacts around the world.
Prerequisites
None
Grading
Your grade in this course will be based on the following elements:
- Two short papers: 30% (15% each)
- Two Exams: 60% (30% each)
- Class participation: 10%
You will be responsible for all material covered in the lectures, readings, tutorials, class discussions and videos. Exam One will be based on Parts I & II of the course, while Exam Two will be based on Parts III & IV. No make-up exams will be given.
No extensions will be given on papers. All papers must be turned in during class on the due dates. Emailed papers will not be accepted. Late assignments will be penalized at twenty percent per day. After assignments have been graded and returned, you’ll have one week to dispute grades. Beyond this, grade modification will not be possible.
Attendance and participation at all scheduled classes should go without saying. A small portion of your grade will come from randomly assigned in-class exercises. If you miss an in-class exercise, you forfeit the grade. Please note that this class is not designed for memorization and regurgitation. Rather, in this class, I want you to think critically about how the issues we discuss affect your lives outside and beyond university life.
Books and Materials
Knox, Paul and Sallie Marston. Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Access to a good atlas and keeping up to date on the news and current events will assist you with this course.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week One Part I |
Intro to class Principles of Cultural Geography |
| Week Two | Principles of Cultural Geography (cont) Globalization |
| Week Three | Globalization (cont) Commodity Chains |
| Week Four Part II |
World Population Growth |
| Week Five | Nature and Society Paper One |
| Week Six | Agriculture and Global Food Crisis |
| Week Seven | Exam Review Exam One |
| Week Eight Part III |
Movement and Migration |
| Week Nine | Movie - Mi Familia |
| Week Ten | Migration Culture and Globalization |
| Week Eleven | Culture and Globalization (cont) |
| Week Twelve Part IV |
Nations, States and Borders Urbanization Paper Two |
| Week Thirteen | Urbanization (cont) |
| Week Fourteen | Postmodern Cities and Global Urbanism |
| Week Fifteen | Exam Review Exam Two |