Culture, Identity and Place

Module Provider: Geography and Environmental Science
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2016/7

Summary module description:
The module discusses key concepts and approaches to the study of culture, identity and place and relates these to global processes of socio-cultural change. It explores how people in different places and contexts are represented and how they may contest and resist dominant representations.

Aims:
To develop students? knowledge and understanding of the theoretical approaches and empirical concerns of the study of culture, identity and place.

Assessable learning outcomes:
On completion of this module it is expected that a student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate key concepts and theoretical approaches to the study of culture, identity
and place and the relationships between them
- Evaluate how places and spaces are represented by different social groups
- Explore how such representations can be contested, resisted and transformed
- Examine the ways that the cultural politics of identity and place are expressed and experienced in predominantly the global North
- Articulate arguments relating to these issues in a coursework assignment.

Additional outcomes:
The module aims to encourage the development of skills of critical reading and the presentation of arguments. This will be achieved principally through the lecture material, small group discussions and by students? carrying out the reading linked to each topic.

Outline content:
The module will discuss key concepts and theoretical approaches to the study of culture, identity and place and relate these to global processes of social change. The lectures will explore the relationships between culture, place and identity and the ways in which people?s experiences of these are represented, contested and resisted. Topics covered include: gender, place and space; geographies of sexualities; bodies, disability and illness; migration and transnationalism; geographies of care; families, communities and place, social exclusion and youth transitions. The issues and debates will be explored with reference to a range of theoretical approaches and studies of socio-cultural processes of identity formation, cultural politics, social movements and citizenship in predominantly the global North.

Global context:
This module is global in focus, analysing processes of socio-cultural change, identity politics and discourses predominantly from the global North and using a diverse range of case study examples.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Eight two-hour lectures and two seminars, which include small group and class discussions of articles, visual stimuli and video extracts, accompanied by directed reading.

Contact hours:
Lectures 18
Seminars 2
Tutorials 1
Guided independent study 79
Total hours by term 100

Summative Assessment Methods:
Written Assignment Including Essay 100%

Other information on summative assessment:
One 3,000 word essay.

Formative assessment methods:
Students will receive feedback on their understanding of issues and development of arguments through class discussions of articles, visual stimuli and video extracts and through essay planning activities etc.

Length of examination:

Requirements for a pass:
A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:
The re-sit will be a coursework assignment in late August / September.