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Places are always restless and changing. The dynamism of place is obvious in global centres such as London, New York and Tokyo, but it is also important in smaller cities and rural communities. This course draws on the insights of human geography to deepen our understanding of how places are made and remade, and some of the consequences for human communities. We will consider how places change in response to both local actions and broader forces, and introduce some of the key methods and techniques used to explore these interactions.
Whether we think of cities, towns, neighbourhoods or villages, places shape what we can do, how we feel and what we will become. Yet places can become so familiar that we overlook the extent of their influence on our lives. We may also forget that places can be changed, for better and worse. In many different ways, places therefore matter. This course examines how places come to have certain characteristics and how this affects their inhabitants. Why do some areas enjoy prosperity and affluence, for instance, whilst others suffer serious economic decline? Why are some suburbs apparently safe and outwardly pleasant, whilst others have high crime and disorder rates? Why are the transport systems of most Australasian cities so oriented around cars, and how might this affect our health and well-being? And what about rural places: what processes shape them? In the course, we use the approaches of human geography to explore these kinds of questions. We will examine the economic, social and cultural dimensions of contemporary places, drawing on examples from a range of countries. The material will be taught through a mixture of lectures, laboratories and project work. By studying a particular community in Christchurch, you will gain valuable practical experience of surveying, data analysis, writing and digital mapping. GEOG110 is designed to complement other 100 level geography papers. It will also connect well to subjects such as sociology, anthropology, history, economics, psychology, geology, law, and health sciences.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:1. Understand how places emerge through the intersection of social, economic and cultural processes. 2. Understand how places shape human lives, in both positive and less positive ways. 3. Employ a range of quantitative and qualitative research techniques to investigate places and the processes which constitute them.4. Critically evaluate different geographical concepts and theories in terms of their ability to explain the dynamics of places.
GEOG107
David Conradson
Course Handout for 2013 Learn for all online course materials
Domestic fee $719.00
International fee $3,325.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Earth and Environment on the departments and faculties page .