{"ModuleCode":"GE4223","ModuleTitle":"Development of Geographic Thought","Department":"Geography","ModuleDescription":"Aimed at developing a critical perspective on the nature and practice of modern geography, the module situates the development of geography within the wider context of philosophical and social change. It examines the basic nature of the discipline by considering some of the ways in which the relationship between the society and space has been theorised within geography. There are two parts to the module, each to be conducted over one semester. One component traced the history of the discipline and evaluates the different paradigms, approaches and methodological considerations which have influenced human geography including the impact of positivism, humanism, Marxism, feminism, realism and postmodernism. The second component explores the development of environmental scientific thought and practice and related philosophical issues, before examining the unity diversity of physical and human geographies through key concepts such as space, place, environment and landscape.","ModuleCredit":"5","Workload":"0-3-0-4-5.5","Prerequisite":"Cohort 2011 and before: Completed at least 80MCs, including 28MCs in GE, with a minimum CAP of 3.5 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2012 onwards: Completed at least 80MCs, including 28MCs in GE, with a minimum CAP of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2012 onwards: (BES students from both specialisations). Completed 80 MCs of NUS modules before they can read any level-4000 GE modules. Do not need to complete 28 MCs of GE modules before they can read any level-4000 GE modules. Do not need a minimum CAP of 3.20 before they can read any level-4000 GE modules.","Preclusion":"GE4101A","Types":["Module"],"CorsBiddingStats":[{"AcadYear":"2015/2016","Semester":"1","Round":"1A","Group":"Seminar-Style Module Class 1","Quota":"40","Bidders":"35","LowestBid":"1","LowestSuccessfulBid":"1","HighestBid":"1352","Faculty":"Arts & Social Sciences","StudentAcctType":"Returning Students [P]"},{"AcadYear":"2015/2016","Semester":"1","Round":"1B","Group":"Seminar-Style Module Class 1","Quota":"5","Bidders":"6","LowestBid":"1","LowestSuccessfulBid":"1","HighestBid":"1308","Faculty":"Arts & Social Sciences","StudentAcctType":"Returning Students [P]"},{"AcadYear":"2015/2016","Semester":"1","Round":"1C","Group":"Seminar-Style Module Class 1","Quota":"1","Bidders":"3","LowestBid":"1054","LowestSuccessfulBid":"1977","HighestBid":"1977","Faculty":"Arts & Social Sciences","StudentAcctType":"Returning Students 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Yeung","Email":null,"Title":null,"UserGuid":"d95a9baa-768c-4067-880b-202860e87a38","AccountType":null},"Role":"Lecturer ","Order":1,"ConsultHrs":null}],"Descriptions":[{"ID":"1e5f053b-8835-4692-be49-41f07234cfff","Title":"Learning Outcomes","Description":"Aimed at developing a critical perspective on the nature and practice of modern geography, the module situates the development of geography within the wider context of philosophical and social change. It examines the basic nature of the discipline by considering some of the ways in which the relationship between society and space has been theorized within geography. It traces the history of the discipline and evaluates the different paradigms, approaches and methodological considerations which have influenced human geography including the impact of positivism, humanism, Marxism, feminism, realism and postmodernism. Key concepts such as space, place, nature, environment and landscape will be explored.","Order":1},{"ID":"2e5f053b-8835-4692-be49-41f07234cfff","Title":"Prerequisites","Description":"Be brave.","Order":2},{"ID":"4e5f053b-8835-4692-be49-41f07234cfff","Title":"Schedule","Description":"Venue: Geography Honours Room
\nSeminar time: Thursday 2:30-5:30 pm (Starting 14 August 2014)
\nConsultation Hour: Tuesday 2-3 pm.","Order":4},{"ID":"5e5f053b-8835-4692-be49-41f07234cfff","Title":"Synopsis","Description":"S1. Introduction: Why and How to do Geog Thot? (14 August 2014)
\nWe are used to learning the development of thought in a historical narrative way. In a diverse discipline such as human geography, it is hard to find such a clear historical pathway that can be nicely summarized in the term “paradigm shift”. Instead, contemporary human geography is best characterized as a multitude comprising different strands of thought that can sometimes be traced back to the early foundation of the discipline. I have therefore chosen three such major strands of geographic thought for this module: political economy, culture and society, and nature-society. While they are presented in separate parts for heuristic and practical reasons, it is important to note that these strands of thought do not evolve in a discrete and separate manner. Their trajectories often intertwine and crossover and their practitioners intermingle (and sometimes even marry each other!). In this class, I will discuss with you how best we should learn the development of this multitude in a timely and practical manner. A learning toolkit will be shared for use throughout this module.
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\nPART ONE: POLITICAL ECONOMY
\nThis part of the module focuses on one of the most influential strands of thought in contemporary human geography. Political economy emerged as a major force by the late 1970s and fundamentally reshaped the ways in which we study geographical patterns and processes. As a powerful critique of and viable alternative to the two preceding thoughts – empiricism and positivism, political economy has since evolved from structural Marxism to realism and institutionalism. This part comprises three seminar classes and one optional tutorial session. We start by tracing the origins and evolution of political economy thought in human geography. We then evaluate the past, present, and future of political economy research in human geography. In particular, we examine the “What is Left?” debate that provides critical clues to the future of political economy in human geography. In an optional tutorial session, we discuss how political economy is practised in human geography today. Throughout this Part I, we will interrogate key concepts in socio-economic life such as social relations, spatial (re)structuring, uneven development, territorialization, institutionalization, rescaling, and relationality.
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\nS2-S3. Tracing political economy (21 and 28 August 2014)
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\nS4. Debating political economy: “What is Left?” (4 September 2014)
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\nPART TWO: CULTURE AND SOCIETY
\nThis part of the module focuses on another influential strand of contemporary geographic thought – culture and society. Parallel to the emergence of political economy during the late 1970s, human geographers began to pay significant attention to human agency, their intentions, and discursive identities. This earlier humanistic strand of culture and society not only challenged the blatant bracketing out of human actors in empiricism and spatial science, but also accorded meanings and power to human actors absent in the structuralist form of Marxism. By the late 1980s and the early 1990s, geographic thought in human geography could be described as a multitude of philosophical orientations represented by postmodernism, poststructuralism, and postcolonialism. This part comprises three seminar classes and one optional tutorial session. We start by tracing the origins and evolution of different strands of thought on culture and society in human geography. We then evaluate the past, present, and future of critical thought on culture and society in human geography. In particular, we examine the “cultural turn” debate that provides critical clues to the future of understanding culture and society in human geography. In an optional tutorial session, we discuss how geographic thought on culture and society informs geographical studies today. Throughout this Part II, we will interrogate key concepts in socio-cultural life such as imaginations, inscriptions, metaphors, discourses, identities, representations, positionality, performativity, and their relations to space, place, and geography.
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\nS5-S6. Tracing culture and society (11 and 18 September 2014)
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\nS7. Debating culture and society: “A cultural turn?” (2 October 2014) Tim Bunnell to guest-lead (to be confirmed)
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\nPART THREE: NATURE AND SOCIETY
\nThis final part focuses on perhaps the longest and most enduring tradition in Geography – nature and society. Still, this strand of geographic thought tends to be underplayed in most contemporary discussion of human geography (including Johnston and Sidaway, 2004!). From the early days of environmental determinism and regional geography, human interaction with nature has been theorized differently over time. With the rise of critical human geography since the 1970s (political economy and culture and society), nature and society have become one of the most contested terrains for geographical knowledge. The emergence of political ecology and hybrid geographies since the 1980s has firmly (re)established the agenda of human geography as a discipline concerned with the complex interfaces between nature and society. Human geographers have developed critical perspectives on the politics of our conceptions of nature and challenged us to be ethically responsible for distant (un)natural strangers and places. This part comprises three seminar classes and one optional tutorial session. We start by tracing the origins and evolution of different strands of thought on nature and society in human geography. We then evaluate the past, present, and future of critical thought on nature and society in human geography. In particular, we examine the “social construction of nature” debate that provides critical clues to the future of understanding nature and society in human geography. In an optional tutorial session, we discuss how geographic thought on nature and society informs geographical studies today. Throughout this Part III, we will interrogate key concepts in nature-society life such as power, conflicts, discourses, identities, representations, risks, vulnerability, and their relations to environment, place, and geography.
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\nS8-S9. Tracing nature and society (9 and 16 October 2014) Harvey Neo to guest-lead on 16 October (to be confirmed)
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\nS10. Debating nature and society: “the social construction of nature?” (23 October 2014)
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\nPART FOUR: PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
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\nS11. Presentations (30 October 2014)
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\nS12. Discussions and revisions (6 November 2014)","Order":5},{"ID":"8e5f053b-8835-4692-be49-41f07234cfff","Title":"Assessment","Description":"ASSESSMENT
\nTo be discussed and finalized in class.
\n60% CA: including 20% group assignment (presentation), 30% individual written assignment, 10% participation
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\n40% from closed book final examination (2 questions to be answered)
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\nASSIGNMENTS
\n------------
\nGroup presentation (20%)
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\nTopic: A philosophically informed critique of contemporary human geographical debates
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\nSteps:
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\n1. Form a group of 3 to 5 students.
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\n2. Choose one of the three themes covered in the Debating Weeks (i.e. “What is left?”, “Cultural Turn?” and “Social Construction of Nature?”).
\nNote: I may rearrange your choice to ensure a reasonable distribution of these themes.
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\n3. Choose any philosophical foundation (i.e. “isms”) taught in GE4223 and construct an in-depth critique of the geographical debate reported in the group of articles.
\nNote: I may rearrange your choice to ensure a reasonable distribution of these “isms”.
\nSome (un)useful tips from me:
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