Cultural and Historical Geography
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| GEOG2017 | Geography | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- GEOG2017
- School
- Geography
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module introduces students to cultural and historical geography, helping them reflect on the legacies of colonialism, travel and exploration, and the cultural turn in the subdisciplines. The course is structured around three blocks each of which explores Britain’s relationship with three world regions (for instance, Europe, South Asia and the Artic) and three intellectual approaches (for instance, ways of seeing, postcolonialism and nature/culture).
Recurring interests include:
- The development of cultural and historical geography as sub-disciplines.
- The key thematic areas of contemporary cultural and historical geography, including landscape, identity, culture, power and knowledge.
- The need to decolonise geography, in terms of lived places and the discipline.
- The theoretical underpinnings of cultural and historical geography.
- The links between cultural and historical geography and other fields of enquiry in the humanities and social sciences.
- The methods and sources used in cultural and historical geographical research, including archives, texts and images, and field study.
- The work of key figures from the sub-disciplines past and present.
Target Students
Only available to Year 2 students.
Classes
Teaching will take place through lectures, engagement sessions and seminars as required.
Assessment
- 50% Coursework: 2,000 words.
- 50% Electronic Exam (2-hour): Electronic Exam.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The module introduces students to the sub-disciplines of cultural and historical geography, covering both empirical and theoretical issues. Students are given a grounding in the contribution of geography to cultural and historical study, and the module thus provides a foundation for specialist modules and dissertation research within the School of Geography. On completion of the module students will have a clear conception of cultural and historical geography as fields of enquiry, the ability to connect theoretical discussion with empirical case studies, and a clear appreciation of the methods and sources required for such work.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and Understanding
- Comprehension of cultural and historical geography as fields of enquiry.
- Application of theoretical approaches in cultural and historical geography to empirical case studies.
- Understanding of the methods and sources available to achieve research goals in cultural and historical geography.
b. Intellectual Skills
- Critical thinking in the geographical study of culture and history.
- Appreciation of the contested nature of geographical knowledge.
c. Professional Practical Skills
- Appreciation and understanding of the diversity of methods and sources available for study in cultural and historical geography.
d. Transferable Skills
- Independent study to achieve understanding of a specific intellectual field.
- Communication of geographical ideas through written means.