Geographies of Place, Identity and Culture
| Module title | Geographies of Place, Identity and Culture |
|---|---|
| Module code | GEO1105 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Sam Kinsley (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 245 |
|---|
Module description
This module provides a critical review of contemporary geographical debates related to concepts of place, identity and culture. The focus throughout the module is to reflect on key debates about how place and culture interconnect in various ways, and the ways in which these interconnections impact on everyday aspects of social identity, belonging and exclusion, taken-for-granted representations of cultural meaning, and the performances of everyday life. The module guides you through this by exploring significant themes in contemporary human geography.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will provide you with an overview of debates concerning how to think geographically about contemporary issues through the lens of the more personal and experiential world that might be considered as everyday life. It provides you with a sound knowledge of the key processes shaping how we understand place, identity and culture, and a range of intellectual perspectives used to explain and evaluate those processes. It provides you with critical introductions to how human geographers have developed these ideas in the context of three core themes:
- popular culture
- memory and place
- identity and exclusion.
The module seeks to develop the following graduate attributes:
- Independent working through summative and formative reading and writing assessments.
- Articulating concepts and evidence in order to develop reasoned arguments through written assessments.
- Advanced writing skills through individual assessment essay.
- The topics taught on this module draw on the research expertise of module staff.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Outline key concepts used in the analysis of places, identities and aspects of culture, thereby translating abstract human geography concepts into the practical experiences of everyday life and vice versa
- 2. Discuss key ideas from a range of themes in human geography, including empire, exclusion, history, identity, and popular culture
- 3. Apply key spatial concepts to the analysis of selected issues concerning culture, identity and place
- 4. Explain how places and landscapes are socially constructed and should be regarded within their political and cultural context
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Discuss the contested and provisional nature of knowledge and understanding
- 6. Analyse and synthesise information and recognise relevance
- 7. Develop a sustained and reasoned argument
- 8. Recognise the difference between synthesised textbook knowledge and primary knowledge derived from research journals
- 9. Differentiate between conceptual and empirical knowledge
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 10. Communicate ideas in writing in a coherent and reasoned manner
- 11. Interpret qualitative and quantitative information
- 12. Undertake independent study using appropriate literature
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Popular culture
- Memory and place
- Identity and exclusion
- Exam preparation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Preparation and reading for lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | 58 | Preparation and reading for exam |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class-based examination question exercise | 1 hour | All | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100 | 90 minutes | All | Exam feedback form |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination | All | August Ref/Def |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to sit a further examination. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin (eds) (2014) Introducing Human Geographies (London; Routledge, 3rd Edition).
- D.Gregory, R, Johnston, G. Pratt, M. Watts and S. Whatmore (eds) (2009) Dictionary of Human Geography, 5th Edition (Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/05/2009 |
| Last revision date | 16/01/2020 |
