GV2CIP-Culture, Identity and Place

Module Provider: Geography and Environmental Science
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2020/1

Module Convenor: Dr Yaw Adjei-Amoako

Email: y.adjei-amoako@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The module discusses key concepts and approaches to the study of culture, identity and place and relates these to global processes of socio-cultural change. It explores how people in different places and contexts are represented and how they may contest and resist dominant representations.

Aims:

To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the theoretical approaches and empirical concerns of the study of culture, identity and place.

Assessable learning outcomes:

On completion of this module it is expected that a student will be able to:

- Critically evaluate key concepts and theoretical approaches to the study of culture, identity

and place and the relationships between them

- Evaluate how places and spaces are represented by different social groups

- Explore how such representations can be contested, resisted and transformed

- Examine the ways that the cultural politics of identity and plac e are expressed and experienced in predominantly the global North

- Articulate arguments relating to these issues in a coursework assignment.

Additional outcomes:

The module aims to encourage the development of skills of critical reading and the presentation of arguments. This will be achieved principally through the lecture material, small group discussions and by students’ carrying out the reading linked to each topic.

Outline content:

The module will discuss key concepts and theoretical approaches to the study of culture, identity and place and relate these to global processes of social change. The lectures will explore the relationships between culture, place and identity and the ways in which people’s experiences of these are represented, contested and resisted. Topics covered include: gender, place and space; geographies of sexualities; bodies, disability and illness; migration and transnationalism; geographies of care; families, communities and place, social exclusion and youth transitions. The issues and debates will be explored with reference to a range of theoretical approaches and studies of socio-cultural processes of identity formation, cultural politics, social movements and citizenship in predominantly the global North.

Global context:

This module is global in focus, analysing processes of socio-cultural change, identity politics and discourses predominantly from the global North and using a diverse range of case study examples.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

This is a 10 credit module, which means that it is intended to occupy you for 100 hours of work: lectures, background reading, seminar preparation, which include small group and class discussions of articles, visual stimuli and video extracts, preparation for and writing blogpost and essay. The workload you should expect might be as follows:



- 20 contact hours in formal teaching sessions that normally include a one 2-hour lecture each week, discussions, videos and a g uest lecture.

- 20 hours engaged in reading and note taking from ‘essential reading lists’ for each week

- 30 hours background reading for lectures/seminars

- 26 hours blogpost and essay preparation and writing

- 1 hour tutorial

- 2 hours seminars

Contact hours:

Ìý	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	18
Seminars	2
Tutorials	1
Guided independent study:	79
Ìý	Ìý	Ìý	Ìý
Total hours by term	100
Ìý	Ìý	Ìý	Ìý
Total hours for module	100

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	100

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Assignment 1: Blogpost (1000 words), 40% of module marks

Assignment 2: EssayÌý (1500 words), 60% of module marks

Formative assessment methods:

Students will receive feedback on their understanding of issues and development of arguments through class discussions of articles, visual stimuli and video extracts and through essay planning activities etc.

Penalties for late submission:

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day[1] (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at:
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:
The re-sit will be a coursework assignment in late August / September.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

4) Printing and binding: 5) Computers and devices with a particular specification

Last updated: 4 May 2020