GY100
Introduction to Geography
This information is for the 2023/24 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Laura Antona CKK 3.16, Dr Murray Low CKK 3.09 and Dr Meredith Whitten CKK 4.09
Dr Carolin Hulke, CKK 4.03
Availability
This course is compulsory on the BA in Geography, BSc in Economic History and Geography, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environment and Sustainable Development and BSc in Geography with Economics. This course is available on the BA in Social Anthropology and BSc in Social Anthropology. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.
Note: As with all undergraduate courses, unless a course is core on a degree programme, allocation of places is done by School on a first come, first served basis and does not allow the Department to prioritise who is accepted
Course content
This course provides students with an introduction to Geography at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳. In Michaelmas Term we will examine human geography's key concepts, including space, place, landscape, nature, globalization, mobility, society and city. In the Lent Term the course will move on to introductory sections on environmental geography and economic geography. The environmental section will trace how geography as a discipline has approached nature-society relationships, covering topics such as, the anthropocene, socio-materiality, wilderness, urban nature, and local and global environmental movements. The economic geography section will introduce students to the changing location of economic activity, inequalities within and between countries, regions and cities, and the rationale, objectives and tools of local and regional development policies in a globalizing world.
Teaching
In the Department of Geography and Environment, teaching will be delivered through a combination of classes/seminars, pre-recorded lectures, live online lectures, in-person lectures and other supplementary interactive live activities.
This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures across Autumn Term and Winter Term.
This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term and Week 6 of Winter Term
Formative coursework
Students will be expected to produce 1 piece of coursework in the WT and 2 essays in the AT and WT.
Indicative reading
Detailed reading-lists related to the different topics within the course will be provided at the start of the course. General useful texts include Clifford, N.J., S.L. Holloway, S.R. Rice and G. Valentine (eds) (2009) Key Concepts in Geography, 2nd Ed, Sage, London; Dicken, P. (2011) Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy 6th Edition Sage Publications; W.E. Murray, Geographies of globalization, 2006; Pike A., A. Rodriguez-Pose and J. Tomaney (2017) Local and regional development. London: Routledge; N. Castree (2014) Making Sense of Nature
Assessment
Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the spring exam period.
Key facts
Department: Geography and Environment
Total students 2022/23: 99
Average class size 2022/23: 17
Capped 2022/23: Yes (100)
Lecture capture used 2022/23: Yes (MT & LT)
Value: One Unit
Course selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Specialist skills