2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

GEOG2140 Political and Development Geographies: The shaping of the world

10 creditsClass Size: 50

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

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is mutually exclusive with

GEOG2020

Political and Development Geographies

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module explores geographical perspectives on politics and development as a means of understanding the shaping of the world we inhabit. The foundations of current political systems are considered through an exploration of modernity, state-making and imperialism, posing questions about the ways in which these concepts/activities have contributed to the current state of the world. The module then explores the perspectives of both classical geopolitics and more recent developments in critical geopolitics in its exploration of the construction of power at the global scale and the contemporary contest over power (both political and economic) between leading states and state groupings.

Objectives

On completion of this module students should have acquired:

1. an understanding of key aspects of modern political geographies;
2. knowledge of the processes underpinning change in political and international development structures;
3. an appreciation of the importance of space and place in the constitution of power, institutions and global flows;
4. an understanding of global, national and local political and economic inequalities;
5. skills in identifying and evaluating literature and other information sources, and knowledge of selected techniques of information retrieval, analysis and presentation in written formats.

Learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
The dynamic nature of geographical thought and practice and the inter-relationships between the discipline and the social sciences
Spatial patterns and relationships in human phenomena at a variety of scales
The geography of places and their constitution by environmental, economic, social and political processes, and the influence of places on these processes
Contemporary debates about time-space relationships, globalization and global interconnections, and social movements
The contribution of geography to development of environmental, political, economic and cultural agendas, policies and practices

Skills outcomes
Cognitive skills
Abstraction and synthesis of information from a variety of sources
Assessment and critical evaluation of the merits of contrasting theories, explanations, policies
Critical analysis and interpretation of data and text
Developing reasoned arguments

Practical/professional skills
Collect, interpret and synthesise different types of quantitative and qualitative geographical data
Recognise the ethical issues involved in geographical debates and enquiries

Key skills
Communicate effectively (in writing, verbally and through graphical presentations)
Identify, retrieve, sort and exchange geographical information using a wide range of sources
Debate effectively recognising and respecting the viewpoints of others
Manage time and organise work effectively

Syllabus

Critical geographical perspectives on political and economic power
Modernity and politics
The evolution of the state
Imperialism & colonialism
Powers and superpowers in the contemporary world order

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			85.00
Total Contact hours			15.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

- 45 hours reading to support individual asynchronous and synchronous sessions
- 40 hours reading, bibliographical research and preparation for assessed report

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress monitoring will be through fortnightly synchronous small group discussion sessions.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2,000 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		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: 28/04/2023 14:56:05

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