Geography Program, Department of Environmental Studies

Geography Program, Department of Environmental Studies

HuxleyCollege of the Environment, WWU

ENVS 204: Human Geography (4cr)

Spring 2014, TR2-3:50pm, AH 100

Instructor:David Rossiter, AH 232, 360 650 3603,

Office Hours: TR 12-2pm or by appointment

Catalogue Description

“This course explores regional patterns of population and settlement across the globe and introduces students to concepts and techniques in the spatial analysis of economic, cultural, and political organizations.”

Course Objectives

In this class, we will address the topics outlined in the catalogue description. We will do so, however, with a larger goal in mind. At the end of the quarter, students will have gained an appreciation for thinking geographically; a mode of thought that pays close attention to space, place, scale, and human-environment interactions. Students will become comfortable using these analytical frames to explore the characteristics of population distribution and migration, the nature of culture and identity, the development of political and economic systems, and the transformation of the physical environment. The overall aim is for students to develop a strong appreciation for the geographical imagination, thereby gaining an important perspective for use in analyzing social and physical phenomenon in future academic work and life beyond university.

GUR

This course is a part of the General University Requirements (GUR) program under the Social Science Category (SSC). Students in this course will make some progress towards gaining the following GUR proficiencies, with emphasis on the one in bold:

-Analyze and communicate ideas effectively in oral, written, and visual forms

-Analyze and interpret information from varied sources, including print and visual media

-Identify and analyze complex problems

-Recognize the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of participating in, and contributing as a citizen in, a diverse society

-Understand and evaluate assumptions, values, and beliefs in context of diverse local, national, and global communities

-Understand and assess the impacts of interactions among the individual, society, and the environment

Required Text

James M. Rubenstein, Contemporary Human Geography. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.FIRST OR SECOND EDITION…either will do.

Students are responsible for reading the assigned chapter(s) before each class begins. Lectures will draw on examples from the text, but not exclusively or exhaustively. We will not treat the text as THE TRUE AND FINAL WORD on what human geography is all about; rather, we will use it both as an introduction to many useful geographical concepts and practices and as an opportunity to critique the complicity of some of those concepts and practices in the institutionalization of social and ecological injustice in the modern world. Thus, reading for this course will provide both content and an opportunity to critically evaluate the transmission and reproduction of knowledge.

Canvas

This course has a Canvas site to which PowerPoint lecture slides will be posted (under “modules”) shortly before the relevant lecture. All course materials, including the syllabus and assignment instructions, will be posted to Canvas. Additionally, check the site regularly for possible announcements.

Evaluation

Quiz(April 17)

short answer; based upon first four lectures and associated chapters from text
PowerPoint lecture slides available on Canvas serve as a “study guide”
15 possible points; 15% of final grade

Mid-term test (May 8)

short answer and paragraph answer; based upon all lectures, chapters, and films covered since the beginning of the course
PowerPoint lecture slides available on Canvas serve as a “study guide”
30 possible points; 30% of final grade

Mapping Assignment (due May 27)

Interpretive mapping of selected economic geography; instructions and base map to be provided
15 possible points; 15% of final grade

Final examination (June 12)

short answer and paragraph answer; based on all lectures, chapters, and films covered since the beginning of the course
PowerPoint lecture slides available on Canvas serve as a “study guide”
40 possible points; 40% of final grade

Final Grade Calculation

Points Letter Grade

93-100 A (excellent)

90-92.5 A-

87-89.5 B+

83-86.5 B (good)

80-82.5 B-

77-79.5 C+

73-76.5 C (fair)

70-72.5 C-

63-69.5 D+

57-62.5 D (poor)

50-56.5 D-

Below 50 F

Academic Honesty

The University’s policies on academic honesty apply to this course – students are responsible for being familiar with these policies.

LECTURE SHCEDULE

April 1

Introduction

General overview and orientation

April 3

Thinking Geographically (Rubenstein chap. 1)

What is Geography?
What do Geographers study?
Key concepts, tools, and themes

April 8

Geographies of Population (Rubenstein chap. 2)

Where do people live?
In what distributions?
How does this change over time?

April 10

Geographies of Migration (Rubenstein chap. 3)

What causes individuals and groups to move?
What was the character of mass historical migrations?
What are the contemporary trends in global migration?

April 15

Geographies of Culture (Rubenstein chap. 4)

What is “culture”?
Where are cultural groups and how did they get there?
How do cultures and environments interact?

April 17 **Quiz**

Quiz

April 22

Film

April 24

Geographies of Language (Rubenstein chap. 5)

Where did languages develop; to where have they traveled?
How does language contribute to a sense of place?
What role does language play in the politics of place?

April 29

Geographies of Religion (Rubenstein chap. 6)

Where did religions develop; to where have they traveled?
How do religions shape landscapes and landscapes shape religions?
What role does religion play in territorial politics?

May 1

Geographies of Ethnicity (Rubenstein chap. 7)

What is “ethnicity”?
How have ethnicities been related to territories?
What has characterized ethnic conflict, both in the past and present?

May 6

Political Geographies (Rubenstein chap. 8)

States, sovereignty, and multi-state arrangements
Power and hegemony
Imperialism and colonialism

May 8**Midterm**

Midterm

May 13

Geographies of Development (Rubenstein chap. 9)

What is meant by development? Who measures it and how?
Why has development been “uneven” across the globe?
How might development be encouraged? Should it be?

May 15

Geographies of Agriculture (Rubenstein chap. 10)

Where and when did agriculture originate? How did it spread?
How does agriculture influence groups’ social structures?
What sorts of economic geographies has agriculture produced?

May 20

Geographies of Industries and Services, Part I (Rubenstein chap. 11)

Where, when, and why did the Industrial Revolution begin?
What social, political, and economic changes characterized the shift to an Industrial Society in the western world?

May 22

Geographies of Industries and Services, Part II (Rubenstein chap. 12)

How, when, and to where did the Industrial Revolution spread?
What is the present distribution of global industrial activity?
How is the geography of services related to industrial activity?

May 27**Mapping assignment due**

Urban Geographies (Rubenstein chap. 13)

What is “urban”?
How do urban regions develop?
How does urban form influence social interaction?

May 29

Environment and Resource Issues (Rubenstein chap. 14)

What is a “natural resource”?
How are natural resources implicated in political-economies?
Why do we distinguish “society” from “environment”?

June 3

TBD

June 5

TBD

Thursday, June 12, 1-3pm

Final Exam