2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

GEOG1500 Global Geopolitics, Migration and Uneven Development

20 creditsClass Size: 225

Module manager: Dr Martin Purvis
Email: m.c.purvis@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is mutually exclusive with

SLSP1150

Politics and Social Transformation

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

You will explore the geography of places and their constitution by environmental, economic, social and political processes, and in turn the influence of places on these processes. Particular attention is paid to the recent evolution of global geopolitics, states and non-state actors, nationalism, globalisation, migration, uneven development, gender, human rights, and decolonial politics. We discuss contemporary debates, global interconnections, and the geographies of difference and inequality at global, global regional and national scales.

Objectives

- to introduce students to key human geography concepts, approaches, knowledge and skills through focused study of global geo-politics, development and human mobilities
- to explore political and development geography through different learning activities and in different global contexts
- to develop key skills in reading, analysis, writing, presentation and critique of a range of academic material, individually and in groups
- to encourage students to develop as independent learners through structured activities
- to introduce concepts and themes that are developed in levels 2 and 3 to enable informed choice of module and programme options.

Learning outcomes
Students successfully completing the module will have an enhanced understanding of:

1. Contemporary debates about geopolitics, globalization, global interconnections and mobilities;

2. Geographies of difference and inequality at global, global regional and national scales;

3. The value and distinctiveness of geographical perspectives upon political, social and economic issues and processes;

4. How to access, read, synthesise and critically reflect upon academic and non-academic sources relevant to the study of geopolitics, globalization, mobility and development; to develop reasoned arguments; to communicate logically, clearly and concisely

Skills outcomes
The module is built upon the learning and teaching of core QAA geographical skills:

- abstraction and synthesis of information

- developing a reasoned argument

- assessing the merits of contrasting theories and explanations

- critically evaluating, interpreting and combining different types of geographical evidence (for example texts, imagery, archival data, maps, digitised and laboratory data)

- taking responsibility for learning and reflection upon that learning

- the concept of spatial variation

- an appreciation of temporal change

- a critical awareness of the significance of spatial and temporal scale

- distinctiveness of place

- knowledge of the main dimensions and scales of economic, social, political and environmental inequality and difference

- knowledge and critical understanding of the diverse manners of representation

- geographical knowledge and understanding

Syllabus

The module’s syllabus will be reflect the following themes:

- Geography, politics and the power of maps

- Geopolitics: from the cold war to a neo-liberal new world order

- Global culture wars

- Spaces of threat: global terror and the city

- The geopolitical significance of pandemic, war and other developments during the 2020s

- Territory and territoriality

- Why states matter

- Nations, nationalism and statehood

- Beyond the state: supra-national institutions and the world geopolitical order

- Disputing state authority

- Population movements

- Borders, visas and unequal mobilities

- Migration and development

- Fin-tech, refugee governance and techno-colonialism

- Gender, development and IR

- Geopolitics, control and resistance

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	20	1.00	20.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			170.00
Total Contact hours			30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Private Study and Independent Learning
Students will use their private study time to reinforce their own learning by devoting:
• c. 70 hours to additional reading to enhance their understanding of themes introduced in asynchronous directed sessions;
• c. 60 hours to reading and other preparation for synchronous small-group discussion sessions;
• c. 40 hours to reading and revision in preparation for the end-of-module examination.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Weekly seminars and associated formative tasks will monitor students’ understanding of the core material introduced in lectures; these small-group sessions will also provide opportunities for students to ask questions and receive formative feedback in return.

Methods of assessment

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	1 hr 30 mins	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/09/2023

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