Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2017-2018 (archived)

Module GEOG2561: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Department: Geography

GEOG2561: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

Type Open Level 2 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2017/18 Module Cap Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To develop understanding of contemporary social and cultural issues
  • To introduce the changing ways in which geographers have approached social and cultural issues
  • To develop with students their understanding of key approaches, issues, theories and debates in social and cultural geography

Content

  • The module will involve a core set of lectures which will introduce key current themes and debates in social and cultural geography. These may include, for example:
  • Geographies of class
  • Geographies of (dis)ability
  • Geographies of sexuality
  • Geographies of race

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Students are expected to be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of key approaches, theories and debates in social and cultural geography
  • Critically assess and debate a number of the current questions facing social and cultural geography
  • Demonstrate appreciation of the spatialities of social and cultural phenomena, and of competing explanations for these, and develop clear lines of argument
  • Show a detailed understanding of selected areas of social / cultural geographical research through extended reading
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Understand and synthesise some key literatures in social and cultural geography
  • Demonstrate detailed understanding of a selection of key issues covered by the module
Key Skills:
  • Demonstrate information management skills, including gathering information from a range of bibliographic and electronic sources
  • Demonstrate planning an effective and well argued essay
  • Demonstrate skills of critical assessment and analysis in relation to key literatures and debates
  • Demonstrate the development of ideas and argument in written work

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching and Learning: Background information and key concepts will be introduced in lectures
  • In seminars, students will develop and demonstrate more detailed understanding and their skills of critical assessment
  • In their independent learning, including reading widely, students will deepen their understanding of different perspectives and explanations - seminar preparation and time set for reading in the course will also encourage this
  • Assessment: Preparing an annotated bibliography, and receiving formative feedback, will help to practice the skills that lead to learning outcomes as above
  • The essay will allow students to practice and build on these literature-related and critical appraisal skills, as well as to demonstrate detailed understanding of specific topics and debates
  • The exam will allow students to demonstrate broader understanding of the subject, to put together substantiated arguments, and to connect themes across the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 15 weekly 2 hours 30
Seminars 4 2 in Term 1; 2 in Term 2 1 hour 4
Preparation and Reading 166
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Exam Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
unseen exam 2 hours 100%
Component: Essay Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
essay 5 x sides A4 100%

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment is provided through written individual and generic feedback on an annotated bibliography. Feedback is also given on summative coursework that will help students in exam preparation.


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