GEOG3931: GEOGRAPHIES OF DIFFERENCE

• Any Level 2 GEOG module

• None

• None

• To offer students an opportunity to engage with advanced theoretical perspectives on difference in relation to contemporary geographical research
• To reflect critically upon the relevance of questions of difference to a range of sociopolitical contexts
• To encourage reflection on the political, ethical, and methodological issues involved in researching difference
• To introduce students to the reflexive practices of scholarship required for Level 3 study in the context of a small-scale independent research project

• This module will address questions of difference and their relation to geographical research, through the introduction of specific (empirical) geographies of difference, and a more conceptually-facing discussion of the various ways in which difference might be theorized and critiqued, both within and beyond the discipline.
• Taught material will include the examination of specific axes of difference (such as those relating to race, ethnicity, gender, species , sexuality, class, age, or ability) as well as the broader sociopolitical and cultural contexts of difference - for instance, the creation and reproduction of social and spatial inequalities, practices of inclusion and exclusion, processes of social change, and the formation of power.
• Attention will also be paid to the spacing, placing and scaling of these contexts, as well as the intersections between them.
• Conceptually, the lectures and workshops will focus on a range of critical theories of difference to include multiple perspectives, which might include postcolonial, poststructural, posthuman , feminist or historical-material approaches, alongside more specific questions around emotion, affect, embodiment, performativity and representation, as just some examples.
• New and emerging frameworks for theorizing and conducting research into difference will also be explored.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate critical understanding of different conceptual frameworks for research on the geographies of difference
• Explain how cultural identities and social inequalities intersect and are produced spatially, historically, politically
• Critically evaluate the methodological implications of different conceptual approaches for research on the geographies of difference

Subject-specific Skills:

• On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Synthesize and critically assess interdisciplinary and geographical literatures on difference
• Integrate conceptual understanding of difference and identity with empirical analysis of a particular topic
• Identify and critically discuss the methodological and ethical implications of new theoretical approaches to difference and identity for geographical research
• Communicate the results of an independent research projects by means of an oral presentation and a written report

Key Skills:

• On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate expertise in critical reflection and analysis
• Work collaboratively in a team to co-produce knowledge for an group research project
• Develop the skills to execute a research project on the geographies of difference
• Synthesise, critically appraise and present the outcomes of an independent research project in an oral presentation and a written report

• This module is delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops
• In the first term, classes will provide an introduction to the empirical and conceptual themes of the module, organized around a number of parallel axes of difference
• In the second term, project-specific group workshops will provide bespoke support for the student-led projects, to include coverage of the methodological, ethical and conceptual issues in researching difference as well as guidance on the design, delivery and analysis of sensitive research.
• Assessment for the module revolves around a student-led group project, which accounts for 100% of the module grade (67% individually prepared project report and 33% group oral presentation). This project allows students to research a self-chosen critical case study in more depth, as well as to develop skills and experience in on-the-ground reflexive scholarship.
• Formative assessment will be via a oral feedback on group project plan and development in Term 2 workshops.

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