GEO2231 : London Field course (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Kean Fan Lim
- Lecturer: Dr Michael Richardson, Miss Nicola Gillies
- 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 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To provide, by means of practical field work, an understanding of the social, political and economic policies, processes and tensions associated with the (re)production of Singapore from a former British Crown Colony into a global city-state.
The module commences with a series of introductory lectures in Semester Two after which students take a residential field-course in Singapore, undertaking ethnographic work and study visits.
Outline Of Syllabus
Introductory lectures (first 4 weeks of semester 2) followed by field course (fieldwork week during the Easter vacation) which includes:
Day 1 – Arrival and Local area familiarisation
Day 2 – Global care chains: (Lucky Plaza)
Day 3 – The roots and legacies of colonial-era development: Chinatown Musuem & Little India
Day 4 – Planning for success? The social-spatial bases of developmental statism (Either Urban Redevelopment Authority or Housing Development Board, subject to availability)
Day 5 – Global eco-city?: A lecture on environmental management and regulation at the National University of Singapore/Singapore Management University, followed by an evening visit to Gardens by the Bay
Day 6 – Staff consultation and student group projects
Day 7 – Departure and return travel
Options for projects include: National identity development since 1965; local-foreign tensions in key public spaces; role of planning in driving socioeconomic transformation; the socio-spatial regulation of protests; environmental regulation in a global city
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 5 | 8:00 | 40:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 108 | 1:00 | 108:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The preliminary lectures will serve as an introduction to both Singapore and different conceptualisations of global city formation. Fieldwork will be based on study visits, guest lectures and seminars and will provide students with opportunities to explore modes of learning beyond the university. Both before and after the fieldtrip, students will be encouraged to dedicate further time to reading and development of knowledge and understanding.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | 25 | Group presentation (20 minutes) to take place on the fieldtrip |
| Essay | 2 | M | 25 | Literature review (1000 words); to be submitted prior to the fieldtrip |
| Report | 2 | M | 50 | Individual write up of group project (2000 words); to be submitted after the fieldtrip |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Before departing for Singapore, all students will be required to complete an essay (1,000 words accounting for 25%) which will include a review of relevant literature. These will cover five aspects of global city formation: political strategy, urban governance, postcolonial identities, social justice, environmental regulation. This will ground students’ experiences in the relevant literature and will help familiarise students with issues specific to certain visit days and themes that emerge during the field work.
During the fieldtrip, students will be required to work in groups to design a poster to explain their proposed research. A 20 minute oral presentation of this will account for 25% of the module. This will offer students the opportunity to develop skills in group work as well as in presenting material to the other students about issues specific to their own case studies.
During the fieldtrip, students will be required to conduct a group project on a topic generated by themselves and informed by staff consultation. As well as presenting their findings to the staff during the fieldtrip they will be required to submit a 2,000 word project report based on their group project. This will be contextualised in relevant literature and reflect upon their findings from the field and account for 50% of the module. Although reflecting their experiences of working in the group setting, this project should be written up individually, allowing students the opportunity to reflect upon the theoretical and methodological issues involved in researching specific issues in Singapore.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GEO2231's Timetable