Module GG1023: Introduction to Geography III
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Module Co-ordinator: Dr MacLaran (amclaran@tcd.ie)
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This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the development of the discipline of Geography, its philosophical bases and methodological practices, and to introduce them to a number of the key elements of human geography with which they will deal in greater depth in later years. It is divided into three sections.
The first provides an introduction to the evolution of the discipline of geography within the development of rational scientific modes of enquiry. The second focuses on global urbanisation and its problems. The third element provides some geographic perspectives on the political process in the developing world and the processes generating variations and changes in levels of human well-being. The globalisation of democracy in recent decades is reviewed, and nationalism and conflict patterns throughout the world are explored in greater detail. Students are expected to be aware of current issues and debates in order to participate in class discussions.
Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
• Describe the evolution of the discipline with respect to the philosophical bases which have contributed to its development, the range and changing character of methodological approaches and the foci of geographical enquiry;
• Recognise the problems associated with defining urban areas and the different cultural definitions of what is understood by the term ‘urban’;
• Describe the main theories which attempt to explain the appearance of the first urban settlements;
• Identify how urbanisation occurs, why urbanisation is a global phenomenon and recognise the forces underlying the growth of urban settlements;
• Identify the structural and personal influences on migration from rural to urban areas;
• Explain the economic and cultural factors differentiating European urbanisation in the nineteenth century from contemporary urbanisation in the Third World;
• Describe ‘primacy’ in urban hierarchies and explain the reasons why such distributions may arise;
• Describe the nature of housing problems in Third-World cities and evaluate the range of policies which have been adopted to address them;
• Explain the impact of global forces on local areas and evaluate the underlying reasons for the intense spatial inequalities which can result.
Module Breakdown: Contact Hours (Lectures = 40hrs; Tutorials = 4hrs); Additional Input
(Tutorial Preparation = 48hrs; Other Reading = 80 hrs; Essays/Projects = 86 hrs). TOTAL = 250 hrs.
Key texts:
Section 1
Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M., Shaw, D. & Sidaway An Introduction to human Geography.
(Pearson, Harlow, 2008)
Knox, P.L. & Marston, S.A. Human Geography – places and regionas in global context. (Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2007)
Johnston, R.J., Taylor, P.J. & Watts, M.J. Geographies of Global Change. (Blackwell, Oxford, 2002)
Massey, D. & Allen, J. (eds.): Geography Matters (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1984)
Section 2
Clark, D.: Urban World, Global City (Routledge, 1996)
Dwyer, D.J. People and Housing in Third-World Cities. (Longman, Harlow, 1979)
Knox, P.L.: (1994) Urbanization: an Introduction to Urban Geography (Prentice Hall )
Section 3
Dicken, P. (2003) Global Shift (Sage, London)
Held, D. (ed.) (2004) A Globalizing World? Culture, Economics, Politics. (Routledge, London)
Johnston, R.J., Taylor, P. & Watts, M. (2002) Geographies of Global Change. (Blackwell, Oxford)
Knox, P., Agnew, J. (1998): The Geography of the World Economy, (Arnold, London)
Lee, R. & Wills, J. (1997) Geographies of Economies. (Arnold, London)
Perrons, D. (2004) Globalization and Social Change. (Routledge, London)
Potter, R., Binns, T., Elliott, J. and Smith, D. (1999) Geographies of Development (Addison Wesley Longman, Harlow).
Assessment: Course work (100%)
Files available to download (internal access only)
Introduction to Knowledge and Geography
Lecture 1: [Knowledge (not available to download)]
Lecture 2: [History of Geography]
Lecture 3: [Philosophical Basis]
Urbanisation
Lecture 4: [Urban Introduction]
Lecture 5: [Urbanisation]
Lecture 6: [C19 UK Cities]
Lecture 7: [Third-World]
Lecture 8: [UK & TW]