Unit information: Philosophy, Social Theory and Geography in 2018/19

Unit name	Philosophy, Social Theory and Geography
Unit code	GEOG25110
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Joe Gerlach
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	All mandatory Year 1 Geography units
Co-requisites	N/A
School/department	School of Geographical Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

The unit situates contemporary debates in human geography within broader traditions of social theory and philosophy. In so doing, the unit addresses critical theorising in the fields of materialism, idealism, politics, ethics, and knowledge-production. The unit also examines the ways in which social scientific and geographical knowledges have been informed by debates in and across Marxism, post-structuralism, pragmatism, and feminism. The unit introduces and interrogates the work of specific philosophers and theorists, namely - but not limited to – Baruch Spinoza, Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, Karl Marx, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Donna Haraway, Jane Bennett, Frantz Fanon, Jacques Ranciere, and Henri Bergson. In each case, the aim is to explore the implications of each theorist for understanding key concepts in geography, notably; space, society, and subjectivity.

The aims of the unit are:

• To provide students with a critical awareness and understanding of key philosophers and philosophies that have been influential within Geography
• To equip students with high-level analytical skills

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this Unit students will be able to:

1. Engage in informed debate on key philosophical and methodological issues in geography and the wider social sciences;
2. Philosophise, critically, about contemporary concerns in both geography and society more broadly.

The following transferable skills are developed in this Unit:

• Written and verbal communication
• Group seminar participation
• Analytical skills

Teaching Information

Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

Assessment Information

One 5-minute individual presentation (25%); one 3,500 word essay (75%). Both assessments assess all ILOs.

Reading and References

Essential:

• Aitken, S., Valentine, G. eds. (2014) Approaches to Human Geography: Philosophies, Theories, People and Practices. Sage.
• Cresswell, T. (2013) Geographic Thought: a Critical Introduction. Wiley.
• Deleuze, G., Guattari, F. (2004) A Thousand Plateaus. Continuum.

No single book covers this course. Specific references will be attached to each lecture.