Aims

The aims of the module are to:

Evaluate the emotional dimensions of the relations between people, places and environments in everyday contexts, and the politics that shape them.

Examine a range of techniques for researching and conveying the emotional geographies of everyday life

Explore a range of everyday spaces and the emotions that animate them

Encourage students to critically reflect on their own everyday emotional geographies

Outline Of Syllabus

The first part of the module introduced students to key conceptual approaches to emotional geographies (e.g. theories of affect, embodiment, unconsciousness, emotional politics). In the second part, the focus is on everyday geographies of selected spatialities (e.g. home, the city, the university, social relationships). Throughout, we explore and practice methodologies to address emotional geographies of everyday life.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

One-hour lectures introduce students to key concepts, theories and literatures that are explored, interrogated and analysed in the more practical elements.

Two-hour seminars take place in small groups (maximum of 25 students) and draw on a combination of prior reading, students’ own experience in and outside the class, and additional materials (case studies) introduced in the class by the module leaders. The seminars normally include the following elements: 1) introductory activities helping students to tune in to the programme of the class; 2) a discussion of the set reading; 3) case studies or other external materials used to facilitate practical activities on a particular subject; 4) activities in smaller groups where students bring their own experience to work through; 5) group discussion and cool-down activities. This structure enables students to bring together ideas from the literature and their own everyday emotional experience. It also uses the carefully managed environment of the class as a source of material for understanding and learning through emotions.

As students bring their own experience as a material for reflection, confidentiality and safe environment are an important element of the learning process. Students have the right to opt out from any activity that should cause discomfort. The class agrees on a group contract during the first session to help maintain these aspects, but there will be also an emotional health and safety framework implemented throughout the course to prevent detrimental effects from working with emotions.

If students are asked to complete a preparation activity beforehand, it will be specified in the module handbook, in the class and/or on Canvas.

Students are expected to keep a learning journal throughout the module. This should reflect on all aspects of their experience in the module – moments and events, learning materials, personal development (cognitive, conative or affective), interactions – in the context of their everyday experiences. The journal itself is private and will not be shared with others (including the staff), only its summary will be used for the first assessment.

Three drop-in sessions are scheduled during the semester where students have an opportunity to discuss their module progress with the module leaders. One of these sessions is compulsory, as students receive a feedback on the draft of their first assignment here.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The required assessments directly reflect the form and content of the taught material.

A formative assessment (based on a draft section for the reflective summary) will enable students to check their developing work and module staff to reflect on student progress.

The first assessment is a presentation. The presentation should explore the emotional geographies of a chosen ‘everyday space’, connecting students’ empirical material with relevant theories and concepts. The presentation will not be followed by questions. Students will have opportunities during the semester to discuss the plans for their presentation individually with the module staff as well as collectively in the class. Presentations will be pre-recorded individual presentations but requests for alternative arrangements, such as presenting only in front of the staff, will be arranged.

The second assessment is a reflective summary of the learning journal. Students should provide a reflexive account of their personal emotional geographies, analysing their own experience in the class and beyond with references to materials from their learning journals and academic literature.