CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
cod. 1000813

Academic year 2020/21
2° year of course - First semester
Professor
Davide PAPOTTI
Academic discipline
Geografia (M-GGR/01)
Field
Discipline storiche, geografiche, filosofiche, sociologiche e psicologiche
Type of training activity
Characterising
60 hours
of face-to-face activities
12 credits
hub:
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives


Expected learning outcomes: critical knowledge of the disciplinary main notions and aspects. Knowledge and comprehension: oriented towards a critical analysis of the information discussed in class; contextualization of the discussed topics within the interdisciplinary field of social sciences and understanding of the interdisciplinary crossings. Ability to apply knowledge and comprehension: authonomous and critical use of the research instruments and of the geographical-historical notions discussed in class and explained in the texts. Authonomy in judgment: this is the overall main objective of the course, with a particular reference to the acquisition of a critical consciousness of the spatial and territorial aspects related to food. Communicative abilities: acquisition of a critical, though not necessarily technical, language, which allows to distinguish and discuss the characteristics of a phenomenon beyond the simplifications and the generalizations produced by mediascapes. Learning capacity: proportional to individual abilities.

Prerequisites


None

Course unit content


The course will focus on the contribution given by geographical studies to the analysis of the contemporary migratory movements. Migratory mobility is a phenomenon that characterizes contemporary societies at different scales and different intensities, acquiring in the last decades growing importance and centrality, not without dramatic consequences. The course aims at offering an overview of the phenomenon at a global scale, with a specific focus on the Mediterranean basin and the Italian context in particular. The approach, based on the perspectives of research offered by geography of population, cultural geography and geography of perception, will profit from an interdisciplinary approach, which will take into consideration the richnes of the different contributions offered by sociology, anthropology, demography, psichology, law studies, history etc.). The course will include analysis of both quantitative aspects of the migratory phenomena (with the use of methodologies such as statistics, data, tables, maps) and at the same time qualitative perspectives that offer a glimpse on the individual and personal itineraries of migration (with the use of research methodologies based on interviews, literary and cinematic sources etc.)

Full programme

- - -

Bibliography

Wihtol de Wenden C., Le nuove migrazioni, Luoghi, uomini, politiche, italian edition edited by A. Riggio, R.G. Maury, Bologna, Pàtron, 2016
Flavia Cristaldi, Immigrazione e territorio. Lo spazio con/diviso, Bologna, Pàtron, 2012
Stefano Allievi, Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna, Tutto quello che non vi hanno mai detto sull'immigrazione, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016
Vincenza Pellegrino, L'Occidente e il Mediterraneo agli occhi dei migranti, Milano, Unicopli, 2009
The students who have to prepare a 6 CFU exam will study only the first two volume sof this list (Wihtol de Wenden and Cristaldi)

Teaching methods

Lectures will present the general interpretative critical coordinates of geographical studies, through both quantitative and qualitative data and approaches.
Class discussion will be stimulated by the proposition of questions aimed at sharing personal opinions and knowledge related to specific topics. This will allow to develop critical attitudes and the authonomy of judgement.
Besides lectures, there will be seminar-oriented sessions, with the help and contribution, also in preparing and leading these meetings, of the students.
Guest lectures will present lectures through the course.
In the presentation of both quantitative and qualitative data, the teacher will use Power Point presentations, movie and documentary screenings, visits to specialized web sites, and examples of computer cartography.

Assessment methods and criteria


The final exam will be a oral one. During the exam we will test:
- the ability to illustrate in a clear way, with a proper language, the main critical and contextual notions discussed in class and explained in the written texts; a specific importance will be given to logical and communicative abilities
- the knowledge of the geo-historical contexts of the phenomena that were analysed and discussed in class (through questions during the student's presentation)

The pass/fail divide is defined by the presence of both these parameters:
a. demonstration of having carefully read the textbooks
b. development of a critical research itinerary on the discussed topics, with the related ability in creating and proposing personal contributions and critiques
The exam will also involve the writing of a short paper, following the directions provided at the entry ""Other information" on this web page

Other information

To complete the exam, the student has to prepare a short paper (8,000 to 12,000 characters spaces included) related to a literary work, a musical piece, a photograph (or a portfolio of photographs), a movie related to migratory experiences. The paper will approach a geographical reading of this artistic expression (inspiration linked to specific places, depiction of landscapes, role of the artistic representations of migration in territorial images, typologies of human landscapes, relationship between residents and migrants etc.). The paper has to be written following the usual rules of academic writing: endnotes (or footnotes), reference bibliography (only the titles that are used in the preparation of the text), quotes in brackets when directly taken from other sources, clear indication of every source used in the preparation of the text. Every use of texts by other authors taken from printed or online sources and not adequately quoted will be considered plagiarism, and will involve a lower grade. The paper will have to be sent by email to the teacher (davide.papotti@unipr.it) at leats ten days before the date scheduled for the exam. Please include your name, last name and student ID number in the text, and name the file as follows: Name_Lastname_Relazione_Geografiaculturale_academicyear

2030 agenda goals for sustainable development

- - -