The University of Western Ontario
Department of Geography

*SAMPLE OUTLINE*
Geography 332F/G
GEOGRAPHY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

Instructor: Dr J. Hopkins
Telephone: 679-2111 Ext. 5027
Office Hours: T.B.A.
Office: Room # 2423 S.S.C.

Lecture: Two Hours Tutorial: One Hour

INTRODUCTION
The primary goal of this course is to encourage you to expand, question, and critique your conceptions about culture, cultural plurality, and the politics of space. Aside from providing you with information about cultural geography--and such contemporary social issues as race, class and gender--you will gain an appreciation for the conflicts, pleasures, problems and possibilities, that constitute the diverse social world of which you are very much an active agent. As geographers, you will learn why space matters in the quest to understand cultural conflicts within our society, how cultural geographers analyze and critique social relations among various cultural groups, and what cultural geography contributes toward explaining, and one hopes, resolving cultural/spatial conflicts.

The subject of this course is 'cultural geography,' a "subfield of human geography that [focuses] upon the patterns and interactions of human culture, both material and non-material, in relation to the natural environment" and the human organization of space.(1) Two major branches of cultural geography exist: the 'Berkeley School,' and what has been loosely termed the 'new' cultural geography. The former is a mainly American tradition of scholarship linked intimately to the work of Carl Sauer. It focuses on the range of human interventions in transforming the surface of the earth, and is thus most interested in material culture (e.g.s, buildings, farming tools, clothing). During the 1960s and 1970s, during the height of the 'quantitative revolution' interest in cultural geography declined.

During the 1980s, however, a renewed interest arose in North America and particularly in the United Kingdom, but with different theoretical assumptions, methods and subjects than those of the Berkeley School. Rather than focusing on material culture, mainly of non-modern and rural societies, the 'new' cultural geographers of the 1990s examine culture in contemporary and urban societies, and focus on non-material culture (e.g.s, attitudes, identity, ideology, power, meaning, values). How such cultural attributes are distributed spatially, how and why people are spatially included or excluded, and how the aspatial processes of economy, politics and power give rise to these cultural landscapes is of primary interest.

COURSE CONTENT
During the first few lectures an overview and critique of the Berkeley School is presented, and then a rationale for a 'new' approach to cultural geography is offered. The bulk of the course interprets and exemplifies some of the main themes that have been incorporated into this new approach: postmodernism; popular culture and consumption; gender and sexuality; race, racism and ethnicity; language and media. The final lecture links cultural geography to other emerging themes in geography and the social sciences.

The following is a brief, general outline of the themes that will, more or less, be addressed in the lectures. You must attend all of the lectures and tutorials, complete the assigned readings, and follow--if not actively participate in--the class discussions in order to successfully complete the review paper and the mid-term and final examinations.

LECTURE TOPICS (Sample)
1. Cultural Geography: An Overview, A Preview, Our Agenda
2. Themes and Examples of 'Traditional' Cultural Geography
3. The 'New' Cultural Geography: A Cultural Politics of Space
4. Postmodernism and Geography
5. Culturalism, Marxism and Cultural Materialism
6. Ideology, Hegemony, Resistance: Spatial In/Exclusion
7. Mass Culture, Popular Culture and Consumption
8. Engendering Space: Masculine and Feminine Geographies
9. Sexuality and Space
10. Race, Space and Multiculturalism
11. Media Space, Representation and Identity Politics
12. Cultural Geography: A Review, A Future Agenda

TUTORIALS
Considerable emphasis in this course is placed upon improving your skills of critical assessment. The textbook itself will prove challenging and will demonstrate, by way of example, how one might systematically critique various social issues from the critical perspective of a cultural materialist approach. The tutorials will give you an opportunity to question and discuss the lectures, readings and related issues with me and your peers. The tutorials are not lectures nor are they oral exams; they are an intellectual forum for clarification, discussion, debate and inquiry. Given the contentious nature of the topics covered and the diversity of views you will bring to these tutorials, I am confident they will prove helpful and intellectually stimulating. These are not optional. Your attendance and participation is, as with the lectures, mandatory.

Prior to most tutorials, I will provide you with a set of tasks: these may be in the form of questions from the readings, or additional material you must gather (see Tutorial Exercises handout). I may also pose questions related to issues raised in the lectures and will most certainly use this time to discuss the essay assignment and the examinations. I reserve the right to increase the number of tutorials if necessary.

TUTORIAL SCHEDULE (Sample)
1. Tips on Successful Essay Writing
2. Jackson Text Intro & Chapter #1
3. Hand out Review Essay Assignment
4. Review & Discuss Sardar and Van Loon Text
5. Jackson Text Chapters #2 & #3
6. Mid-term Examination Preparation / Submit Review Essay Topic Statement                                          MID-TERM EXAMINATION
                NO LECTURE OR TUTORIAL CONFERENCE WEEK
7. Jackson Text Chapter #4 / Return Mid-term Exams
8. Jackson Text Chapters #5 & #6
                            REVIEW ESSAY DUE MONDAY
9. Jackson Text Chapters #7 & #8 1
0. Return Review Essays / Final Examination Preparation

EVALUATION

Your evaluation is based primarily on your ability to fulfill the primary objectives of the course as evidenced in two examinations and a review essay. Emphasis in this upper-level honors geography course, and thus evaluation, is placed upon your reading, writing and critical thinking skills. The bulk of your grade, 70%, is based upon two examinations. The precise format of these tests will be explained well in advance of their sitting; these may include all or some of the following: essay questions, short answer, multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank. One 1,500 word/six typed-page review essay on a relevant topic will be worth the remaining 30% of your final course grade. More on this assignment and its method of evaluation will follow in class.

GRADES
How do I grade? I regard the mark of 'C' (60%-69%) indicative of average work, both competent and acceptable. You have completed all of the assignments and readings and demonstrated a general understanding of the course material as evidenced in the examinations, essay, and classroom. A grade of 'B' (70%-79%) reflects evidence of an above average effort and performance. Not only have you fulfilled the assignments in a more meticulous fashion, you have demonstrated a more thorough understanding of the material and gone a few extra steps beyond the average student as evidenced on the test and in your written work. An'A' (80%-89%) is reserved for outstanding effort and achievement. Exceptional diligence, a thorough knowledge of the course material, and the ability to apply and convey concepts in an effective, logical and literate fashion are clearly evident. Hard labour and exceptional effort are necessary but not, by themselves, sufficient to warrant an 'A.' An 'A+' (90%+) is extremely rare. An exceptionally outstanding performance on the examinations, and an essay demonstrating a superb command of English and a critical mind capable of synthesizing complex facts and ideas to arrive at particularly astute body of thought, will earn this prestigious grade.

READING MATERIALS
Jackson, Peter (1989). Maps of Meaning: An Introduction to Cultural Geography.
    London: Routledge.

Sardar, Ziauddin and Borin Van Loon (1997). Cultural Studies for Beginners. Cambridge: Icon Books.

There are two short text books and several journal articles that you are required to read. Both text books are available for purchase in the university book store. The Jackson text and all mandatory articles are on Heavy Reserves in D.B. Weldon Library under the course title and the instructor's name. The former work contains challenging material for an undergraduate course, so it is particularly important that you not fall behind in your readings. The tutorials are designed, in part, to help you understand this text and other readings in the context of material covered in the lectures. You are responsible for the mandatory readings and are strongly encouraged to read the optional works as your time and interest permit. These will certainly help you with the class discussions and essay assignment: they are vital for success on the examinations. The reading schedule is as follows:

Lecture # 1: Cultural Geography: An Overview, A Preview, Our Agenda
Wagner, P.L. and M.W. Mikesell (1962). 'The Themes of Cultural Geography,' in
    Readings in Cultural Geography, pp. 1-24. Chicago: University of Chicago
    Press.

Optional:
Entrikin, J. Nicholas (1984). Carl O. Sauer, Philosopher in Spite of Himself. The
    Geographical Review 74 (4), 385-408.
Jackson, John B. (1996). 'Discovering the Vernacular Landscape ,' in Agnew, J.,
    Livingstone, D.N., and Rogers, A. (eds.), Human Geography: An Essential
    Anthology, pp. 316-328. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell.

Lecture #2: Themes and Examples of 'Traditional' Cultural Geography
Sauer, Carl O. (1996). 'The Morphology of Landscape ,' in Agnew, J., Livingstone,
    D.N., and Rogers, A. (eds.), Human Geography: An Essential Anthology, pp.
    296-315. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell.

Optional:
Cosgrove, Denis (1985). Prospect, Perspective and the evolution of the
    landscape idea. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers N.S., 10,
    45-62.
Mikesell, M.W. (1978). Tradition and Innovation in Cultural Geography. Annals of
    the Association of American Geographers 68 (1), 1-15.

Lecture #3: The 'New' Cultural Geography: A Cultural Politics of Space
Price, M. and M. Lewis (1993). The Reinvention of Cultural Geography. Annals of
    the Association of American Geographers 83 (1), 1-17.
Cosgrove, D., Duncan, J.S., Jackson, P., Price, M. and M. Lewis (1993). On 'The
    Reinvention of Cultural Geography' by Price and Lewis. Annals of the
    Association of American Geographers 83 (3), 515-522.

Optional:
Duncan, J.S. (1980). The Superorganic in American Cultural Geography. Annals
    of the Association of American Geographers 70 (2), 181-198.

Lecture #4: Postmodernism and Geography
Dear, Michael (1994). Postmodern Human Geography. Erdkunde 48, 2-13.
Relph, Edward (1991). Postmodern Geography. The Canadian Geographer 35
    (1), 98-105.

Optional:
Harvey, David (1989). 'Postmodernism, ' in The Condition of Postmodernity: An
    Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change, pp.39-65. Cambridge: Basil
    Blackwell.
Soja, Edward W. (1989). 'Taking Los Angeles Apart: Towards a Postmodern
    Geography,' in Postmodern Geographies, pp.222-248. New York: Verso.

Lecture #5: Culturalism, Marxism and Cultural Materialism
Harvey, David (1993). 'Class Relations, Social Justice and the Politics of
    Difference,' in Place and the Politics of Identity, pp.41-66. New York:
    Routledge.

Optional:
Cosgrove, D. (1983). Towards a Radical Cultural Geography: Problems of
    Theory. Antipode 15, 1-11.
Daniels, Stephen (1996).'Marxism, Culture and the Duplicity of Landscape, in
    Agnew, J., Livingstone, D.N., and Rogers, A. (eds.), Human Geography: An
    Essential Anthology, pp. 329-340. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell.

Lecture #6: Ideology, Hegemony, Resistance: Spatial In/Exclusion
Anderson, J. (1973). Ideology in Geography: An Introduction. Antipode 5, 1-6.

Optional:
Eagleton, Terry (1991). 'What Is Ideology?' in Ideology: An Introduction, pp.1-31.
    New York: Verso.
Pratt, G. (1989). 'Reproduction, Class, and the Spatial Structure of the City,' in
    Peet, R. and Thrift, N. (eds.), New Models in Geography, Vol. 2, pp. 84-108.
    London: Unwin Hyman.

Lecture #7: Mass Culture, Popular Culture and Consumption
Fiske, John (1989). 'Understanding Popular Culture,' in Reading The Popular, pp.
    1-12. Boston: Unwin Hyman.
Ley, D. and Olds, K.(1992). 'World's Fairs and the Culture of Consumption in the
    Contemporary City,' in Anderson, K., and Gale, F. (eds.), Inventing Places:
    Studies in Cultural Geography, pp.178-193. Melbourne: Wiley.

Optional:
Goss, Jon (1993). The Magic of the Mall. Annals of the Association of American
    Geographers 83 (1), 18-47.
Sack, Robert D. (1988). The Consumer's World: Place as Context. Annals of the
    Association of American Geographers, 78, 642-664.

Lecture #8: Engendering Space: Masculine and Feminine Geographies
Bonnett, Alastair (1996). The New Primitives: Identity, Landscape and Cultural
    Appropriation in the Mythopoetic Men's Movement. Antipode, 28, pp. 273-291.

Optional:
Rose, Gillian (1993). Feminism and Geography, Chapters 1 & 7. Minneapolis:
    University of Minnesota.
Shurmer-Smith, P. and Hannam K. (1994). 'It's a Man's World,' in Worlds of
    Desire, Realms of Power: A Cultural Geography, pp. 95-107. New York:
    Edward Arnold.

Lecture #9: Sexuality and Space
Valentine, Gill (1995). Out and About: Geographies of Lesbian Landscapes.
    International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 19, pp. 96-112.

Optional:
Bell, David and Valentine, Gill (eds.) (1995). Mapping Desire: Geographies of
    Sexualities. London, Routledge.
Knopp, Lawrence (1994). Social Justice, Sexuality, and the City. Urban
    Geography 15, 644-660.

Lecture #10: Race, Space and Multiculturalism
Bonnett, Alastair (1997). Geography, 'Race' and Whiteness: Invisible Traditions
    and Current Challenges. Area, 29 (3), 193-199.
Taylor, James (1997). Racialized Representations in British and American
    advertising. Area 29, 160-171.

Optional:
Kobayashi, Audrey (1993). 'Multiculturalism: Representing a Canadian Institution,'
    in Place/Culture/Representation, J. Duncan and Ley, D. (eds.), pp.205-231.
    New York: Routledge.

Lecture #11: Media Space, Representation and Identity Politics
Adams, Paul C. (1992). Television as Gathering Place. Annals of the Association
    of American Geographers 82 (1), 117-135.

Optional:
Jackson, Peter and James Taylor (1996). Geography and the Cultural Politics of
    Advertising. Progress in Human Geography 20 (3), 356-371.
Moss, Pamela (1992). Where Is the Promised Land? Class and Gender in Bruce       Springsteen's Rock Lyrics. Geografiska Annaler 74 (3), 167-187.

Lecture #12: Cultural Geography: A Review, A Future Agenda
Cosgrove, Denis (1989). Geography Is Everywhere: Culture and Symbolism in
    Human Landscapes,' Gregory, D. and R. Walford (eds.), Horizons in Human
    Geography, pp. 118-135. Totowa, N.J.: Barnes and Noble.

EXTENSIONS, LATE ASSIGNMENTS, DROPS, PLAGIARISM, APPEALS You are advised to read the course calender to familiarize yourself with Western's regulations and procedures concerning appeals, grades, regulations, penalties and such. The review essay is due on the date indicated above. A late assignment will lose 10 % per day, everyday. An assignment submitted three or more days beyond the deadline will be graded for your educational benefit but will NOT count toward your final course grade. Never slip assignments under my door. If submitting a late paper and I am not in my office, please submit it to the main geography office: if the office is closed, submit it the following day. Please note that any requests for extensions must be made in writing to me, Dr Hopkins, at least fourteen days before the work is due. Extensions are permitted up to but not beyond three days past the original due date. Please include in your letter your new submission date. The date of the final examination is set by the Office of the Registrar and will not be changed. If you consider that you have grounds to write a final examination on an alternate date, you must follow the procedure established by the Dean's Office and complete the appropriate forms. The same holds for dropping the course. Plagiarism is, of course, unacceptable and those who tempt fate will be persecuted to the fullest extent allowed under the university's regulations. Please avoid this experience and do your own work.

Requests to have an assignment or examination re-evaluated must be submitted to me in writing within one week of receiving the graded assignment. In this written request for re-appraisal the specifics of what you would like re-visited and the justification for doing so will be clearly and concisely stated. Should you feel that your final grade in the course is biased, inaccurate or unfair, you do have the right to appeal your mark. Please refer to the Western Calendar prior to doing so. In an attempt to avoid such time-consuming and stressful procedures, be assured that each and every piece of work is graded carefully. I stand by the assigned marks. Be aware that marks may be raised--as well as lowered--through an appeal process.

It is very much in your own interests to seek assistance and requests as early as possible and always in advance of the event.

MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS
Because this course addresses many contemporary and controversial issues--racism, gender inequality, human sexuality, language, discrimination and power--I insist that each of us respect the thoughts and opinions of one another. Our tutorials and lectures are intellectual forums to explore cultural issues from a geographical perspective; everyone's voice and interpretations are welcomed. As the course instructor, I will provide you with a set of theoretical concepts, models and various interpretations of cultural conflicts. Using these models and concepts, you will be encouraged and challenged to develop your own interpretations of various cultural conflicts. In other words, your opinions in no way whatsoever need parallel my own to succeed in this course.

You can expect me to come prepared for, and attend, all lectures and tutorials regularly and punctually. I will strive to promote a collegial atmosphere of mutual respect conducive to the exchange of ideas and learning. I demand the same from you. Reading during a lecture, the disturbing consumption of food or drink, littering the classroom, the use of walkmans, radios and other activities which may impede the ability of you or other students to learn are unacceptable behaviours. If we all abide by this code of civility and mutual respect, we set the stage for a mature, safe and intellectually stimulating forum.

Finally, if you have problems or questions with any aspect of the course, please raise the issue with me in class or during my office hours: I am approachable, and I welcome your questions.

Endnote (1) Cosgrove, D.(1994). 'Cultural Geography,' in The Dictionary of Human Geography, 3nd edition. R.J. Johnston, D. Gregory and D.M. Smith (eds), 111. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

PLEASE NOTE
Course content and order of presentations may deviate from this
general outline due to unforeseen circumstances