GEO2145 : Social and Cultural Geography
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Raksha Pande
- Lecturer: Professor Alastair Bonnett, Dr James Riding, Professor Alison Stenning, Dr Michael Richardson, Dr Soudeh Ghaffari
- Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module has the following aims:
- to introduce students to social and cultural geographical approaches used to understand extant societal issues.
- to engage students in an appreciation of the unique perspective that a social and cultural geographical lens brings to the study of space, society, environment and culture.
- to teach them about social and cultural geography equipped conceptual terminology that will allow them to abstract out and examine real world issues in a critical and informed manner.
- to encourage them to examine empirical case studies through an intersectional and global geographical perspective.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will be organised in six teaching blocks each discussing ( but not limited to) the following themes:
I: Conceptual Foundations
II: Environment and society
III: Culture and landscape
IV: Emotions and everyday life
V: Digital spaces
VI: Our place in the world
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | This is a 2-hr introductory lecture. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 23 | 1:00 | 23:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | The workshops are timetabled as an additional hour to follow immediately after the 1-hr lecture to which the session relates. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Drop-in assessment support surgery. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 127:00 | 127:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GEO2146 | Social and Cultural Geography (Semester 1 for Exchange Students) |
| GEO2147 | Social and Cultural Geography (Semester 2 for Exchange Students) |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures introduce, develop and illustrate the theory, policy and empirical substance of the course.
Workshops provide an opportunity for lecturer-led support in critical analysis of course material.
Scheduled contact time will take the form of two assessment surgeries for discussion and clarification of guidance and Q&A about assignments in Semester 1 and Semester 2.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | M | 40 | Students will work towards annotated bibliographies in the four lecturer-led workshops which they will integrate into a literature review (1600 words) on a social and cultural geography topic of their choice. |
| Portfolio | 2 | M | 60 | Portfolio (2400 words) consisting of two pieces: 1) a 1400-word essay 2) and a 1000-word exegesis (critical interpretation) of a text other than academic monographs and journal articles. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assessments have been designed to aid student learning in an incremental way, provide choice and opportunities for independent thinking and to cover both the social and cultural geography focus of the module.
The first assessment is designed to equip students with the skill of writing a literature review related to topics covered in the module. This assessment will help build their knowledge of extant research on a chosen topic and help them develop the foundational skill of critically analysing academic texts. Part 1 of the second assessment takes forward the learning gained from the first assessment and will require students to apply it to craft an argument via the medium of essay writing. Part 2 of the second assessment will further strengthen their critical analysis skills via a focus on exegesis of a text beyond monographs and journals. The focus on the use of non-conventional academic texts (such as film, TV series, vlogs, blogs, maps, videos, newspaper articles, novels, biography, autobiography, nature writing/other non-fiction forms, poetry, music, exhibition pieces, pieces of art and/or design) will expand their writing and expression repertoire to analysing cultural artefacts.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GEO2145's Timetable