Dynamic Human Worlds: Society, Culture, Economy module (GE21001)

This module covers key sub-disciplines in human geography. You will explore different social, cultural, and political issues in the contemporary world. Economic Geography explores issues of globalisation, inequality, and mobility.

Social geography concerns itself with the theme of ‘place, community, and identity’. By exploring this topic, you will address issues such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender from spatial perspectives.

Cultural geography deals with the issue of ‘representation’. It explores how the past and present world can be ‘read’ through images, maps, and texts.

Political geography concentrates on power, identity, and representation. You will explore topics such as, colonialism, nationalism, citizenship, and social inclusion in specific places. A series of workshops are held, including local fieldwork in Dundee.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn about contemporary human geography. Your learning will specifically focus on issues of power and inequality
• establish connections between theories from economics, politics, cultural, and social geography. You will use real-world examples from each
• develop your skills in geographical analysis and presentation. These will be transferable to other disciplines and non-academic spheres

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• assess issues of power and inequality, and how these relate to human geography
• understand how various unequal relationships shape economic and political geographies at different levels. You will be able to appreciate how individuals, organisations, and governments respond to changing concepts of citizenship and community through geographic strategies
• apply concepts and theories of cultural geography to themes such as:
  • urban change (past and present)
  • mapping
  • global social processes
• understand how people come together and compete for certain areas. You will appreciate how geography helps us understand, question, and interact with important parts of everyday life
• use your geographical skills to investigate issues through fieldwork or online research
• present geographical ideas and information in written and visual formats

Assignments / assessment

• individual media report (50%)
• group presentation (50%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

• three lectures per week (except for reading week 6 and presentation week 9)
• workshops in weeks 3, 7, 8 and 11