Lecture (LEC)

• COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inq
• IUB GenEd S&H credit

• IUB GenEd S&H credit
• COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inquiry credit

Course Description Human Geography is the study of people and places - or, more accurately, the study of people in places. We will look at the ways that peoples¿ opportunities, behaviors, and beliefs are shaped by the specific qualities of the places in which they live, and how people think and transform those places. Through the lenses of place and space, we will cover topics, such as individual and collective identities; cultural landscapes and their meanings; borders, development narratives, and migrations; and the role humans play in natural and built environments. We will examine those topics by analyzing their changing historical and spatial contexts, and by anchoring our weekly discussions on concepts, i.e., main ideas that help us explain specific social phenomena. In a rapidly changing world, situating ourselves into the geographical places we inhabit will allow us to interpret current events and learn new ideas. Course Organization The course is organized along Human Geography subfields for a critical examination of the relationship between people and place through multiple scales of analysis. Each week, you will be introduced to theoretical concepts through a brief lecture and pre-assigned readings. In class you will apply what you learned through discussions and activities. Parts I introduces human geography, the types of questions geographers ask about place, and how we construct our place through mapping. Parts II-IV address how geographers conceptualize and study concepts such as citizenship, borders, globalization, migration, food, identities, and human and environment interactions. Part V recaps key concepts we learned throughout this semester. Learning Outcomes ¿ Examine how humans transform and are transformed by the places they inhabit ¿ Appreciate how you construct and change your own place(s) in the world ¿ Practice how geographers study the interaction between place and people from local to global scales ¿ Develop skills for research and critical interpretation of information. Required Readings All readings and resources are available on Canvas.