The present course aims to offer useful tools for developing an intrinsically geographical mentality (What’s there, Why there, Why care), itself a precious aid in understanding current challenges and making more sensible choices as consumers and world citizens.

Obviously, the course cannot presume to be exhaustive – rather, it aims to provide a general picture of the themes and methodologies of cultural geography, whilst reinforcing some basic geographic notions and competencies.

Starting off from an abstract and theoretical perspective on sustainability, the course hopes to turn sustainability-minded considerations into second nature for the students.

During the course, we shall work on

-  reinforcing some key geographical categories and competencies

-  exploring examples of cultural geography in practice (which will also present useful tips on methodologies, challenges, ethics of research-making)

-  examining the multiple non-sustainable aspects of the present development models, and exploring (more) sustainable alternatives, especially – but not exlusively - in the field of tourism

-  regularly dealing with different scales (local/regional/national/international)

Knowledge and understanding

Basic understanding of themes, issues, methods of cultural geography

Applying knowledge and understanding

-  Ability to examine issues and problems according to methodologies of cultural geography, and to devise and employ appropriate arguments

-  Ability to do little specific researches, including in an interdisciplinary and project-based context

Making judgements

-  Ability to independently gather and interpret data about issues of cultural geography at various scales to critically inform judgements and decisions

Communication skills

-  Ability to express oneself in a clear and effective manner, appropriately using specific and non-specific vocabulary, and utilising different communication strategies (including images and technological tools) based on the various contexts

Learning skills

-  Ability to select sources and use literature in an autonomous and dialectical way

-  Ability to identify and process the most important information and use in in different context

-  Ability to activate and draw from external sources to cater for one’s own educational needs

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Supplementary methodological and practical tips on how to do research/design a project (via email or digital meetings)

Teaching

The course will use a variety of strategies, including:

-  slides and (short) presentations by the teacher

-  hands-on and experiential approach

-  discussions, debates on recommended literature and other issues in cultural geography

-  teamwork

-  projects

-  presentations by the students

-  small researches

Innovative teaching methods

-       Problem-based learning

-        Hands-on approach

-       Discussions, debates on curricular literature and other questions of cultural geography and sustainability

-        Team work

-        Projects

-        Mixed contact (largely prevalent) and distance learning

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Attendance

Required in order to negotiate a research topic and related reduction in course materials

Course books

Oltre il turismo. Esiste un turismo sostenibile?  Sarah Gainsforth, disponibile su www.creativecommons.org, oppure edito da Eris edizioni (6,90 euro).

Bon voyage. Per una geografia critica del turismo, Elena dell'Agnese, UTET, 2018, capp. 3 e 4 (saranno postati su Moodle in formato PDF), pp. 25-54

"Cultural Assumptions against Sustainability: an International Survey", 2006, Barbara Gambini, in Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 30:2, pp. 263-279 (il PDF sarà disponibile su Moodle)

"Religion and the environment. The outlook of Christianity", 2013, Barbara Gambini, in Dalle Marche al mondo. I percorsi di un geografo. Scritti in onore di Peris Persi, Pongetti C., Bertini A., Ugolini M. (a cura di), Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo,” pp. 209-222 (il PDF sarà disponibile su Moodle)

Cultural Geography in Practice, 2003, Alison Blunt, Pyrs Gruffudd, Jon May, Miles Ogborn, David Pinder (a cura di), Hodder Education, London,  contributi selezionati

Introduction

Knowledge is power - Using archival research to interpret state formation, 

Secondary worlds - Reading novels as geographical research, 

Home and identity - Life stories in text and in person,

Gender and mobility - Critical ethnographies of migration in Indonesia, 

Learning about labour - Combining qualitative and quantitative methods,

Selling America - Advertising, national identity and economic empire in the late nineteenth century,

The politics of memory in the urban landscape:London’s blue plaques,

Mapping worlds - Cartography and the politics of representation,

Art and urban change - Public art in urban regeneration

Gender and bodily performance in the department store,

On display - The poetics, politics and interpretation of exhibitions,

Children’s consumption of music lyrics - The Eminen phenomenon,

Deep listening - Researching music and the cartographies of sound,

Any other material posted on Moodle.

Recommended (not required, not part of exam materials - aimed at boosting competencies in English for Italian speakers; also useful in boosting competencies in Italian for English speakers): 

"Get it! Viaggio alla scoperta dell'inglese in te," 2017, Susil Edizioni; it will be shortly available at a local bookstore - more details to come

NB: in case of personal projects or research papers (to be negotiated with the teacher), the course material might be reduced.

Assessment

The final mark will consider the overall participation and production during the course, as well as performance in the final exam – see Dublin descriptors for both.

The final exam will be oral. Part of the curriculum of Cultural Geography might be substituted with a personal research or project (which is to be explicitly defined and agreed upon with the teacher and must be handed in at least two weeks prior to the exam date).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

Oltre il turismo. Esiste un turismo sostenibile?  Sarah Gainsforth, disponibile su www.creativecommons.org, oppure edito da Eris edizioni (6,90 euro).

Bon voyage. Per una geografia critica del turismo, Elena dell'Agnese, UTET, 2018, capp. 3 e 4 (saranno postati su Moodle in formato PDF), pp. 25-54

"Cultural Assumptions against Sustainability: an International Survey", 2006, Barbara Gambini, in Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 30:2, pp. 263-279 (il PDF sarà disponibile su Moodle)

"Religion and the environment. The outlook of Christianity", 2013, Barbara Gambini, in Dalle Marche al mondo. I percorsi di un geografo. Scritti in onore di Peris Persi, Pongetti C., Bertini A., Ugolini M. (a cura di), Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo,” pp. 209-222 (il PDF sarà disponibile su Moodle)

Cultural Geography in Practice, 2003, Alison Blunt, Pyrs Gruffudd, Jon May, Miles Ogborn, David Pinder (a cura di), Hodder Education, London,  contributi selezionati

Introduction

Knowledge is power - Using archival research to interpret state formation, 

Secondary worlds - Reading novels as geographical research, 

Home and identity - Life stories in text and in person,

Gender and mobility - Critical ethnographies of migration in Indonesia, 

Learning about labour - Combining qualitative and quantitative methods,

Selling America - Advertising, national identity and economic empire in the late nineteenth century,

The politics of memory in the urban landscape:London’s blue plaques,

Mapping worlds - Cartography and the politics of representation,

Art and urban change - Public art in urban regeneration

Gender and bodily performance in the department store,

On display - The poetics, politics and interpretation of exhibitions,

Children’s consumption of music lyrics - The Eminen phenomenon,

Deep listening - Researching music and the cartographies of sound,

Any other material posted on Moodle.

Recommended (not required, not part of exam materials - aimed at boosting competencies in English for Italian speakers; also useful in boosting competencies in Italian for English speakers): 

"Get it! Viaggio alla scoperta dell'inglese in te," 2017, Susil Edizioni; it will be shortly available at a local bookstore - more details to come

Assessment

The final exam might be held in Italian or English, depending on the student's decision.

Performance in the oral exam will be evaluated according to the Dublin descriptors. It will be important that the student shows she/he can process information and critically apply it to different contexts. 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.