Histories and Philosophies of Human Geography
Module code: GY2410
This module introduces you to theoretical and practical issues within contemporary geography. This includes the various traditions of modern geographical thought and describes their continuing influence over how geographical knowledges are produced.
Clearly-themed lectures introduce the disciplinary development of human geography within historical and philosophical contexts. Your preparation for dissertation research, later in year 2, is supported with weekly seminars which take a variety of forms: practical (e.g. mapping) exercises, discussion/reading groups, group research projects and social media/hashtag surveys. You'll experience the breadth of theoretical and methodological approaches which inform contemporary geographical practice, and develop a disciplinary awareness of the concrete skills concerned with evidence-gathering and analysis.
The module places particular emphasis on what it means to make geographical claims, but looks beyond the traditional boundaries of the geographical discipline to trace recent engagements with feminist and post-/decolonial thought.
Topics covered
- Geographies of exploration and adventure
- Regional and early cultural geographies
- Environmental determinism and environmental possibilism
- Geography’s 'Quantitative Revolution'
- Critical geography’s roots: Marx and Foucault
- Feminist and queer theory in geography
- Post-/decolonial geographies and critical race theory
- Nonhuman/inhuman geographies
- Postmodern and experimental geographies