Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

Presentation

Introduction to the spatial effects of the globalizing forces of the economy and its impact in different environments, societies, and cultures.

This course focuses on several complex and often interrelated environmental issues, beginning with a discussion of global climate change and the role of greenhouse gases in other environmental problems, including deforestation, ozone depletion, and the health of the world's oceans.

This course explores also the different representations of the world, from the naturalistic point of view to the contemporary discourses about landscapes, conservation and land management, sustainability from a geographical perspective. To do so it reviews key concepts in geography and analyze its meaning, through history and its evolution. The clashing and blending of cultures caused by globalization and the new technologies that profoundly alter human environmental experience suggest new geographical narratives and representations that are explored here by a multidisciplinary point of view. The main goal of the course is to introduce students to various perspectives, both representing different modes of examining the depth and complexity of human meaning attached to landscapes and embedded in the spaces and places of modern life, focusing in some activities like tourism, local rural development or city branding. The topics covered range widely and include interpretations of the historic relationship between nature and culture, space, place, and landscape in literature and the visual arts, philosophical reflections on geographical knowledge and cultural imagination. The classes will combine thematic and regional approaches as well as some in-depth case studies.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Express themselves with criteria about topics tackled in the course verbally and in written form.

• Be familiar with some of the most relevant environmental conflicts on the Nature Society relationship

• Recognize the key actors on these topics both at the political level and the academic level.

Sustainable Development Goals

All the course is built around the SDG, two of the final modules and exercices will on this particular topic

Prerequisites

None

Contents

Contents

I. Introduction:

Introduction: course description, required work and methods of assessment.

Introduction to some key Concepts: Nature, Development, Sustainability, Space, Place, Local, and Global

Reading:

1. Kristen A. Hite and John L . Seitz  2016 Chap 6 and 7 The Environment: Part I and II Global Issues. An Introduction.   London: wiley Blackwell pp. 190-243

II. Nature as a Concept.

Origins of the idea of Biodiversity. Protection, conservation, management of natural resources, protected areas and local development.  Global and Local Environmental Problems

Reading:

2. Sally Eden 2013 "Global and local environmental problems" in in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.432­-447

3. Bruce Brau, 2016 “Nature” in N. Castree D. Demeritt et al. ed. A Companion of Environmental Geography London: Wiley Blackwell pp.19-36

SEMINAR 1. PLANET: The concept of Nature and Environment. Regions and Landscapes. Landscape Values. 

III. Development Theories. Nature as a resource

Growth versus Development. The geographies of development. Theories of Development: Classical and neoclassical Economics, Neoliberalism. The Kutznets Curve. Critical Theories. The Limits of Growth and the Environment. The Anthropocene

Reading:

4. Katie D. Willis 2009 Chap.21 Development: Critical Approaches in Human Geography in Nicholas j. Clifford et al. ed. Key Concepts in Geography. London: Sage pp.365-376

SEMINAR 2. PROSPERITY. Local and Global Environmental Impacts/Risks and Hazards

IV.. Environment and Environmental Theories

The human and the physical Environment. Environmental theories.  Bioregionalism. Conservation. Deep Ecology. Gaia theory. The tragedy of the the commons. Biodiversity. Environmental Movements.

Reading:

5. Robert Inkpen 2009 "Development: Sustainability and Physical Geography" in Nicholas J. Clifford, Sarah L. Holloway, Stephen P. Rice and Gill Valentine ed. Key Concepts in Geography 2nd Edition London: SAGE pp.378­391

SEMINAR 3. PEACE. Environmental Justice.

V. Environmental Hazards and Risks

Global Threats : Ozone Layer Depletion, Desertification, Deforestation, Loss of Biodiversity, Disposal of Wastes, Pollution, Global Warming, Acid Rain, Natural resource depletion, Overpopulation, Waste DIsposal

Local Impacts: Waste, Water, Air Emissions,  Spills, Biodiversity, Conservation partnerships

Reading:

6. Nick Middleton 2019 Chap 2. The Human Environment  and Chap 3. Sustainable Development in The Global Casino. An Introduction to environmental issues. London: Routledge. pp.25-65 SEMINAR 4. PEOPLE. Development, Sustainability and population. 

SEMINAR 4. PEOPLE. Issues of population growth and overpopulation.

VI. The Concept of Sustainability

The political nature of socio-ecological processes that produce environmental degradation, poverty and injustice. The political nature of unsustainability.

Linking growth, development and the Environment. The UN Earth Summits and the Brundtland Report: our Common Future

Reading: 

7. World Commission on Environment and Development 1987. PART I Chap 1 and 2 Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. “The Brundtland Report” pp. 1-22

   https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

SEMINAR 5. PARTNERSHIP. COVID19 and its Geopolitics.

VII. Global Environmental Governance.

Agenda 21, UN 2015 Millennium Goals, UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

The UNEP; United Nations Environment Programme.

The UNDP, United Nations Development Programme-

MEAs (Multilateral environmental agreements). 

Reading: 

8. United Nations 2000. United Nations Millennium Declaration. 

9. Adil Najam, Mihaela Papa, Nadaa Taiyab 2006 Introduction, Chap. 1 and 2. Global Environmental Governance. A Reform Agenda. Winnipeg Canada: International Institute for sustainable Development. Free Internet Resource: https://www.iisd.org/pdf/2006/geg.pdf

10. Kristina Tamm Hallström and Magnus Boström 2015 Forest Stewardship Council  in in Frank L.Lechner and John Boli ed. The Globalization Reader. London:  Wiley Blackwell pp.531-537

11. Rajendra K. Pachauri 2015 Speech of the IPCC Chairman Rajendra K. Pachauri, at the opening session of the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland. in Frank L.Lechner and John Boli ed. The Globalization Reader. London:  Wiley Blackwell pp-538-541

VIII. Sustainable Development Goals

The 5 Principles of the SDG; People, Planet, Partnership, Peace, Prosperity

The 17 SDG Goals. Global, National and Subnational Agendas. 

12. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

13. Diana Liverman 2018 Geographic perspectives and Development Goals: Constructive engagements and critical perspectives on the MDGs and the SDgs Dialogues in Human Geography Vol.8(2) 168-185

IX. The Future Goals. Alternative Futures. 

14. Kofi A. Annan 2000 We the Peoples. The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century. New York: United Nations.

15. Kristen A. Hite and John L . Seitz  2016 Chap9 Alternative Futures Global Issues. An Introduction.   London: wiley Blackwell pp. 268-288

Teaching Methods

Teaching Methods

This course will be a combination of lectures classes and discussion based on the readings. Students' participation in class (10% final Grade) ​is essential and it will be assessed. Class participation will be asses by both face to face and online activities and by their participation on moodle forums and tasks.

Students are expected to have an active role in the class, participating in class discussions and fulfilling the required work for each session (readings and other possible materials such as films and documentaries as stated).

Readings will be assigned in each class one week ahead.

Assigned students should present a short summary and/or presentation on each paper assigned.

Each students should do at least one of this presentations during the course to get the class participation grade.  

SEMINARS.

There will be 5 seminars connected to the general topic of the course. Most of the seminars will have a group paper, or small research project or presentation. 

There will be 5 topics related to the 5 principles of the SDGs: People, Planet, Partnership, Prosperity and Peace. For each one we explore different realities and different techniques of analysis. Attendance to the seminar is mandatory.

Evaluation

Evaluation

Method of assessment:

• Final Exam: Key concepts and the discussion of certain texts: (35 % of the grade)

• Seminars: (45% of the grade; 15% each).

  • There will be four seminars the final grade will be based on the average of the three best graded exercises)

Late submissions will be penalized (10% of the grade per week)

• Readings presentations: (10% of the grade)

• Class participation (10%)

Retake:

In order to be able to access a second assessment call students should have handed on TIME the reports of at least one of the seminars; and have a grade of at least 4 out of 10 on the final exam. 

Second assessment will based on  the following distribution:

• Final Exam: Key concepts and the discussion of certain texts: (30 % of the grade)

• Three reports out of the four seminars (15% each)

maximum grade for students on the second grade could not be higher that 7 out of 10.

Bibliography and information resources

Mandatory readings:

• Castree; Noel  2013 Making Sense of Nature Chap.2 Representing Nature London:Routledge

• Capel, Horacio 2006 La Morfología de las Ciudades (Vol.1): Sociedad, Cultura y Paisaje Urbano​ Cap.7 El Jardín como espacio natural o el hombre imita a la naturaleza. Barcelona: Ediciones del Serbal

• Cosgrove, Denis E. 1998 Chap. 1. The Idea of Landscape Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press pp.13­38

• Creswell, Tim  2005 Chap.35 Place in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.485­494

• Cresswell; Tim 2015 Chap. 4 Thinking About Regions Geographic Thought. A Critical Introduction Oxford: Wiley­Blackwell pp.58­79

• Eden, Sally 2013 "Global and local environmental problems" in in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.432­447

• Harvey, David 1996 Chap.7 Valuing Nature in Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference London:Blackwell pp.150­176

• Harvey, David 2006 Space as a Keyword in Noel Castree and Derek Gregory ed. David Harvey. A Critical Reader London: Blackwell pp.270­293

• Inkpen,Robert  2009 "Development: Sustainability and Physical Geography" in Nicholas J. Clifford, Sarah L. Holloway, Stephen P. Rice and Gill Valentine ed. Key Concepts in Geography 2nd Edition London: SAGE pp.378­391

• Massey, Doreen  1991 A Global Sense of Place Marxism Today​ June 1991

• Sauer, Carl O. 1925. The morphology of landscape. University of California Publications in Geography 2: 19­54.

• Smith, Susan J.  2005 Chap.2 Society and Space in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.18­34

• Smith, Neil 2008 3rd Edition Chap. 3 The Production of Space. Uneven Development Athens: University of Georgia Press

• Whatmore, Sarah 2014 "Nature and Human Geography" in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.152­16

Informació del Pla Docent

Presentació

Introduction to the spatial effects of the globalizing forces of the economy and its impact in different environments, societies, and cultures.

This course focuses on several complex and often interrelated environmental issues, beggining with a discussion of global climate change and the role of greenhouse gases in other ennvironmental problems, including deforestatuon, ozone depletion, and the health of the world's oceans.

This course explores also the different representations of the world, from the naturalistic point of view to the contemporary discourses about landscapes, conservation and land management, sustainability from a geographical perspective. To do so it reviews key concepts in geography and analyze its meaning, through history and its evolution. The clashing and blending of cultures caused by globalization and the new technologies that profoundly alter human environmental experience suggest new geographical narratives and representations that are explored here by a multidisciplinary point of view. The main goal of the course is to introduce students to various perspectives, both representing different modes of examining the depth and complexity of human meaning attached to landscapes and embedded in the spaces and places of modern life, focusing in some activities like tourism, local rural development or city­branding. The topics covered range widely and include interpretations of the historic relationship between nature and culture, space, place, and landscape in literature and the visual arts, philosophical reflections on geographical knowledge and cultural imagination. The classes will combine thematic and regional approaches as well as some in-depth case studies.

Competències associades

This course will introduce the learner how to improve the following skills:

• Describe a wide range of global phenomena affecting world population from a transdisciplinary perspective

• Analyze global phenomena from a local-global dialectic

• Build a comprehensive knowledge by reviewing the conceptual and methodological foundations of the different disciplines that constitute a global knowledge

• Reflect critically on globalization and its challenges based on ethical, cultural, environmental, human rights issues, gender and social justice.

• Recognize the cultural, religious and values ​​for understanding, managing and undertaking conflicts rising from the different faces of global diversity.

• Analyze and find solutions to global problems using different methodologies coming form wide array of disciplines, and more specifically those that are part of the Global Studies degree.

Resultats de l'aprenentatge

By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Express themselves with criteria about topics tackled in the course verbally and in written form.

• Be familiar with some of the most relevant environmental conflicts on the Nature Society relationship

• Recognize the key actors on these topics both at the political level and the academic level.

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible

All the course is built around the SDG, two of the final modules and exercices will on this particular topic

Prerequisits

NONE

Continguts

1. Introduction:

Introduction: course description, required work and methods of assessment. Nature, culture and landscape: stereotypes.

Introduction to some key Concepts in Geography: Nature, Regions, Landscapes, Space, Place, Local, Global

Reading:

● Sarah Whatmore, 2014 "Nature and Human Geography" in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.152­163

● Noel Castree 2013 Making Sense of Nature Chap.2 Representing Nature London:Routledge

2. Nature as a Concept:

Origins of the idea of Biodiversity. Protection, conservation, management of natural resources, protected areas and local development.

Development and Sustainability as integrated concepts: Economy, Environment and Society

Reading:

● Sally Eden 2013 "Global and local environmental problems" in in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.432­447

● Robert Inkpen 2009 "Development: Sustainability and Physical Geography" in Nicholas J. Clifford, Sarah L. Holloway, Stephen P. Rice and Gill Valentine ed. Key Concepts in Geography 2nd Edition London: SAGE pp.378­391

● David Harvey 1996 Chap.7 Valuing Nature in Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference London:Blackwell pp.150­176

3. Framing Nature: Regions, Landscapes and Gardens:

3.1 Region The fundamental concept in geography.

The origins of the concept. European and American approaches.

The French School of Regional Geography and its influence in Catalonia and Spain New Critical Regional Geographies

Reading:

● Tim Cresswell 2015 Chap. 4 Thinking About Regions Geographic Thought. A Critical Introduction Oxford: Wiley­Blackwell pp.58­79

3.2.Landscape Landscape concept, origin and geographical perspectives.

The main definitions and approaches: cultural geography, classic geography, integrative approaches, aesthetic perspective, and landscape ecology.

The European Landscape Convention.

Landscape issues: conservation, management and intervention. Landscape values.

Experiences and qualifications: proximity, sublime, emblematic, nostalgic landscape, patrimonial, touristic resource, generic, typical. Landscape indicators.

Readings:

● Sauer, Carl O. 1925. The morphology of landscape. University of California Publications in Geography 2: 19­54. (en español)

● Denis E. Cosgrove 1998 Chap. 1. The Idea of Landscape Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press pp.13­38

3.3.Garden,

A cultural history of gardens. Gardens in time and space

Readings:

● Horacio Capel 2006 La Morfología de las Ciudades (Vol.1): Sociedad, Cultura y Paisaje Urbano​ Cap.7 El Jardín como espacio natural o el hombre imita a la naturaleza. Barcelona: Ediciones del Serbal

4. Beyond the Nature/Culture division: Space and Place:

4.1. Place The origins of the concept.

The chorological / descriptive approach

The Humanistic approach in Geography.A phenomenological approach of Place

Place: Location, Locale and Sense of Place.

Place and Identity

The Social Production of Place

A global sense of place / out of place

Readings:

● Tim Creswell 2005 Chap.35 Place in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.485­494

● Gillian Rose 1995 Place and identity: a sense of place in Doreen Massey and Pat Jess ed. A Place in the World? Oxford: Oxford University Press and Open University pp. 87­133

● Doreen Massey 1991 A Global Sense of Place Marxism Today​ June 1991 4.2. Space Reading

● David Harvey 2006 Space as a Keyword in Noel Castree and Derek Gregory ed. David Harvey. A Critical Reader London: Blackwell pp.270­293

● Susan J. Smith 2005 Chap.2 Society and Space in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.18­34

● Neil Smith 2008 3rd Edition Chap. 3 The Production of Space. Uneven Development Athens: University of Georgia Press

Metodologia docent

Students' participation in class (10% final Grade) ​is essential and it will be assessed.

Students are expected to have an active role in the class, participating in class discussions and fulfilling the required work for each session (readings and other possible materials such as films and documentaries as stated).

Readings will be assigned in each class one week ahead.

Assigned students should present a short summary and/or presentation on each paper assigned.

Each students should do at least one of this presentations during the course to get the class participation grade.  

SEMINARS.

Two individual paper + one group research project​

The individual papers will be submitted in hard copy and also sent through moodle platform to the professor. 

One of the papers will be on Nature (25%),

Students will also have to develop in group (2-­3 students) a short research project​ around the concept of Landscape (30%).

*Late Submissions will be penalized with 10% of the grade of the paper per week.

Course Workload:​ readings, lectures, exams, guest lectures, field work...

Methods of Instruction: ​Each session will be divided in two: Professor will give during the first 50 minutes specific information and readings to use during the rest of the class.

So, this class has a seminar session format. Students will have to collaborate if they want to have the Attendance and Participation 10%.

Avaluació

Method of assessment:

• Final Exam: Key concepts and the discussion of certain texts: (35 % of the grade)

• Seminars: (45% of the grade; 15% each).

  • There will be four seminars the final grade will be based on the average of the three best graded exercises)

  • Late submisions of the reports will be penalized (10% of the grade per week)

• Readings presentations: (10% of the grade)

• Class participation (10%)

Second Call:

In order to be able to access a second assessment call students should have handed on TIME the reports of at least one of the seminars; and have a grade of at least 4 out of 10 on the final exam. 

Second assessment will based on  the following distribution:

• Final Exam: Key concepts and the discussion of certain texts: (30 % of the grade)

• Three reports out of the four seminars (15% each)

maximum grade for students on the second grade could not be higher that 7 out of 10.

Bibliografia i recursos d'informació

Mandatory readings:

• Castree; Noel  2013 Making Sense of Nature Chap.2 Representing Nature London:Routledge

• Capel, Horacio 2006 La Morfología de las Ciudades (Vol.1): Sociedad, Cultura y Paisaje Urbano​ Cap.7 El Jardín como espacio natural o el hombre imita a la naturaleza. Barcelona: Ediciones del Serbal

• Cosgrove, Denis E. 1998 Chap. 1. The Idea of Landscape Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press pp.13­38

• Creswell, Tim  2005 Chap.35 Place in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.485­494

• Cresswell; Tim 2015 Chap. 4 Thinking About Regions Geographic Thought. A Critical Introduction Oxford: Wiley­Blackwell pp.58­79

• Eden, Sally 2013 "Global and local environmental problems" in in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.432­447

• Harvey, David 1996 Chap.7 Valuing Nature in Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference London:Blackwell pp.150­176

• Harvey, David 2006 Space as a Keyword in Noel Castree and Derek Gregory ed. David Harvey. A Critical Reader London: Blackwell pp.270­293

• Inkpen,Robert  2009 "Development: Sustainability and Physical Geography" in Nicholas J. Clifford, Sarah L. Holloway, Stephen P. Rice and Gill Valentine ed. Key Concepts in Geography 2nd Edition London: SAGE pp.378­391

• Massey, Doreen  1991 A Global Sense of Place Marxism Today​ June 1991

• Sauer, Carl O. 1925. The morphology of landscape. University of California Publications in Geography 2: 19­54.

• Smith, Susan J.  2005 Chap.2 Society and Space in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies 2nd Edition. Abingdon, Oxon. Hodder Arnold pp.18­34

• Smith, Neil 2008 3rd Edition Chap. 3 The Production of Space. Uneven Development Athens: University of Georgia Press

• Whatmore, Sarah 2014 "Nature and Human Geography" in Paul Cloke, Philip Crang and Mark Goodwin ed. Introducing Human Geographies, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge pp.152­16