2011-12 academic year

Current Topics in Geography (22240)

Degree/study:Grade in Humanities
Year: 3rd-4th
Term:2n
Number of ECTS credits: 5 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 125 hours
Teaching language or languages: english
Teaching Staff: Antoni Luna / Mireia Boya

1. Presentation of the subject

This course introduces the different representations of the world, from the naturalistic point of view to the contemporary discourses about landscapes, conservation and land management, cities and branding, both from a geographical perspective. The clashing and blending of cultures caused by globalization and the new technologies that profoundly alter human environmental experience suggest new geographical narratives and representations that are explored here by a multidisciplinary point of view.

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to various perspectives, both representing different modes of examining the depth and complexity of human meaning attached to landscapes and embedded in the spaces and places of modern life, focusing in some activities like tourism, local rural development or city-branding. The topics covered range widely and include interpretations of the historic relationship between nature and culture, space, place, and landscape in literature and the visual arts, philosophical reflections on geographical knowledge and cultural imagination. The classes will combine thematic and regional approaches as well as some in-depth case studies.

2. Competences to be attained

Transferable skills

Specific competences

1. Understanding and interpreting texts and other academic documents

2. Capacity for reflection and discussion

3. Oral Communication

4. Use of computing tools

5. Teamwork

6. Intercultural Skills

7. Ability to critical thinking

8. Speaking and writing

9. Ethical commitment

1. Understanding, interpretation of cartographic material and graphics

2. Interpretation of pictures and other audio-visual material

3. Spatial analysis

4. Capacity for analysis and synthesis of geographic information

5. Troubleshooting

6. Decision-making

3. Contents

Unit1: Between nature and culture: representations of the world

• Subunit 1: Origins of the idea of Biodiversity. Protection, conservation, management of natural resources, protected areas and local development

• Subunit 2: Traditional ecological knowledge and social representations of nature.

• Subunit 3: Nature's values. The pay for view approach. Nature's conservation near urban areas: from natural oasis to garden's cities.

Unit 2: Envisioning landscapes: different perspectives and approaches

• Subunit 1: Landscape concept, origin and geographical perspectives. The main definitions and approaches. The European Landscape Convention.

• Subunit 2: Landscape issues: conservation, management and intervention. Landscape values. Landscape indicators.

• Subunit 3: Sociocultural characterization of territories. Arts, media and landscape representation. Cinema and landscape. Travel stories and landscape. Publicity and landscape.

• Subunit 4: Social demand of landscape. The landscape project.

• Subunit 5: Reinterpreted landscapes, from patrimonial sites to contemporary places.

Unit 3: Tourism, territorial branding and city-marketing

• Subunit 1: Historic evolution of the landscape representation. Tourists and local population point of view. Landscape as a picture, a resource and a discourse.

• Subunit 2: Landscape as a brand. City-marketing strategies.

• Subunit 3: Rural development focused in landscape values: new touristic products, new ways of life. The slow food / slow life movement. Identities and the landscape experience.

Unit 4: Quotidian spaces and landscapes

• Subunit 1: Boundaries between city and countryside. Rurbanism.

• Subunit 2: Paths in the city. City gardens. New public spaces: immigration, gender, children and other topics in the city.

4. Assessment

Treball en grup (presentació oral i escrita), 35 %

Treball individual I: 25 %

Treball individual II: 20 %

Participació a classe i en els fòrums de debat: 20 %

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

Howard, Peter J. An introduction to landscape. Bournemouth University, UK., 2011
Cosgrove, D. and Daniels, Stephen (eds). The iconography of landscape: Essays on the Symbolic Representation, Design and Use of Past Environments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988
Berque, Augustin. El Pensamiento paisajero. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva, cop. 2009. GE42 .B7718 2009
Roger, Alain. Breve tratado del paisaje. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva, cop. 2007. GE42 .R6418 2007
Nogué, Joan. El Paisaje en la cultura contemporánea. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva, 2009. 1006630239

5.2. Complementary bibliography

5.3. Teaching resources

6. Metodology

Each session will be divided into two parts. Professor will give during the first 50 minutes specific information and readings to use during the rest of the class. So, this class has a seminar session format. Students will have to collaborate if they want to have the Attendance and Participation 10%.

7. Planning of activities

*Setmana*	*Classe plenària o seminari, continguts, activitat a l'aula*	*Activitats fora de l'aula, dates lliuraments*
Setmana 1a	Sessió 1 (10/01) Introduction: course description, required work and methods of assessment. Nature, culture and landscape: stereotypes.	Mirar el programa de l'assignatura. Dossier usuari Moodle
Setmana 1a	Sessió 2 (12/01): Tema 1. Origins of the idea of Biodiversity. Protection, conservation, management of natural resources, protected areas and local development	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading I a classe
Setmana 2a	Sessió 1 (17/01): Tema 2. Traditional ecological knowledge and social representations of nature.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 2 a classe
	Sessió 2 (19/01): Tema 3.Nature's values. The pay for view approach. Nature's conservation near urban areas: from natural oasis to garden's cities.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 3 a classe
		Sessió 3 (20/01): Visit to Collserola natural park
Setmana 3a	No hi ha classe (24/01), canvi pel 20/01
Setmana 3a	Sessió 1 (26/01): Tema 1.Landscape concept, origin and geographical perspectives. The main definitions and approaches. The European Landscape Convention.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 4 a classe
Setmana 4a	Sessió 1 (31/01): Tema 2. Landscape issues: conservation, management and intervention. Landscape values. Landscape indicators.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 5 a classe Entrega comentari sortida I
Setmana 4a	Sessió 2 (02/02): Tema 3. Sociocultural characterization of territories. Arts, media and landscape representation. Cinema and landscape. Travel stories and landscape. Publicity and landscape.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web
Setmana 5a	Sessió 1 (07/02): Tema 4. Social demand of landscape. The landscape project.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 6 a classe
	Sessió 1 (09/02): Tema 5. Reinterpreted landscapes, from patrimonial sites to contemporary places.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Comentari del reading 7 a classe
		Sessió 2 (10/02): Tema 4: Visit to the Priorat region
Setmana 6a	No hi ha classe, (14/02), canvi pel 10/02
Setmana 6a	Sessió 1 (16/02): Tema 1.Historic evolution of the landscape representation. Tourists and local population point of view. Landscape as a picture, a resource and a discourse.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web Entrega comentari sortida 2 Entrega Individual Paper I
Setmana 7a	Sessió 1 (21/02): Tema 2.Landscape as a brand. City-marketing strategies.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web
Setmana 7a	Sessió 2 (23/02): Tema 3. Rural development focused in landscape values: new touristic products, new ways of life. The slow food / slow life movement. Identities and the landscape experience	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web
Setmana 8a		Sessió 1 (28/02): Tema 2: visit to [email protected] neighborhood
	Sessió 2 (01/03): Tema 1. Boundaries between city and countryside. Rurbanism.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web
		Sessió 3 (02/03): Tema 1: visit to Delta del Llobregat park
Setmana 9a	Sessió 1 (06/03): Tema 2. Paths in the city. City gardens. New public spaces: immigration, gender, children and other topics in the city.	Lectura dels materials de la pàgina web
Setmana 9a	No hi ha classe (08/03), canvi pel 02/03
Setmana 10a	Sessió 1 (13/03): Presentacions finals
Setmana 10a	Sessió 2 (15/03): Presentacions finals