Geography |
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| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU11926 Human Geography: Society & Space |
10 ECTs | Michaelmas & Hilary Term/Semester 1 & 2 | n/a | 100% CA | Lectures 40 hours, tutorials 4 hours, tutorial preparation 40 hours, essays and projects 86 hours, other reading 80 hours | Cian O’Callaghan |
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Description
This module aims to provide you with an insight into what it means to “think geographically”. Through contemporary and historical examples, it will provide you with an understanding of the development of the discipline of Geography, its philosophical bases and methodological practices. It will introduce you to a number of the key elements of human geography with which you will deal in greater depth in later years. The module spans both Semester 1 (Michaelmas) and Semester 2 (Hilary). It is divided into four sections.
The first half of the module will cover sections 1 and 2, while the second half of the module will cover sections 3 and 4.
The overarching aim of sections 1 and 2 is to understand a geographical view of the world and to critically consider the relationships between the historic evolution of the discipline of Geography and the multiplicity of modern approaches. While the overarching aim of sections 3 and 4 is to introduce urbanisation and globalisation as key components of human geography which connects together many different global concerns.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Describe the evolution of the discipline with respect to the philosophical bases which have contributed to its development, the range and changing character of methodological approaches and the foci of geographical enquiry;
• Demonstrate a knowledge of contemporary approaches to the study of human geography; Display an ability to use an approach to “thinking geographically” to analyse current events;
• To develop an ability to identify and engage critically with relevant debates within human geography through an in-depth analysis of relevant literature.
• Identify how urbanisation occurs, why urbanisation is a global phenomenon and recognise the forces underlying the growth of urban settlements;
• Describe the impact of urbanisation on different parts of the world;
• Apply approaches in urban geography to analyse key urban problems and challenges.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GSU11003 The Anthropocene |
10 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA | 22 hours | Rory Rowan |
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Description
The “Anthropocene” is a term that has become widely used since Nobel Prize Laureate Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer began popularising it in 2000. They argued that humans had so dramatically transformed the planet that it was time to pronounce a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene—or, “the human age.”
Whether the Anthropocene is officially accepted as the designation of a new geological epoch or not, the term has sparked debates and discussions across the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. The multi-disciplinary interest in the Anthropocene demonstrates that the term is more than simply a geological or physical phenomenon; it has complex social, cultural, political, and economic dimensions.
From plastic-filled oceans to species extinction, there is little doubt that human activities are making their mark on the planet. The challenge is to develop more critical, trans-disciplinary understandings of how this situation has arisen and how we might learn to live better on a damaged planet. This module sets out to meet this challenge by engaging ideas and perspectives from the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, students will learn to describe and understand environmental change from multiple perspectives.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Understand and explain the scientific and cultural significance of the Anthropocene;
• Critically engage with key debates over the Anthropocene that span the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities;
• Identify the major ethical and political questions facing humanity in a time of ecological uncertainty and environmental degradation;
• Connect the Anthropocene with current events and everyday life, particularly as relates to urban sustainability.
In terms of transferable skills, students will be expected to have:
• Developed their reading skills and capacity to synthesise and build arguments through involvement in small-class seminars;
• Developed their writing skills through formal and creative writing assignments.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GSU11004 Spaceship Earth: An Introduction to Earth System Science |
10 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% continuous assessment via in-course tests and assignments. | Robin Edwards |
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Description
More than 7 billion people now inhabit the Earth and no corner of the planet is unaffected by human activity. The rise of our species has been fuelled by our ability to access planetary storehouses of energy and employ this to manipulate the environments around us. The global-scale of human impacts has led some to suggest we are entering a new era of Earth history - the Anthropocene. Dealing with the effects of environmental and climate change is one of the most significant challenge that our species faces in the 21st century.
This module provides a foundation for understanding global environmental issues by considering the Earth as an interconnected system in which matter and energy are exchanged between the Geosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and the Anthroposphere. It considers the life-support systems of ‘spaceship Earth’ and aims to provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the role of humans as agents of climate and environmental change.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Outline the fundamental concepts of Earth Systems Science with reference to its major subsystems: Geosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and Anthroposphere;
• Illustrate how material and energy are cycled through the Earth system;
• Describe the links between biotic and abiotic systems and their role in maintaining a habitable planet;
• Apply an Earth Systems approach to describe the phenomena of environmental and climate change;
• Discriminate between ‘weather’ and ‘climate’ and situate concerns about current climate change in a longer-term (geological) context;
• Identify how human activities modify Earth System function;
• Make links between Earth Systems Science and topics covered in their chosen field of study.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU22008 History and Philosophy of Geography |
5 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 50% Assessment, 50% Exam. | 8 Sections | Mark Hennessy |
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Description
Module Outline: This module is divided into 8 sections:
A. The classical world. 1. Hecataeus, Eratosthenes and the early Greek geographers. 2. Ptolemey, Strabo, Pliny the Elder and other geographers from the period of the Roman empire.
B. Geography in the age of Enlightenment. Focus on Alexander von Humboldt.
C. Geography in the age of Victorian exploration. The relationship between empire and geography is a key theme in this section.
D. French Geography in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The contrasting ideological context of the Vidalian school and the work of Élisée Recus is considered. The influence of German geographers such as Von Humboldt, Ritter and Ratzel on this tradition is also considered.
E. The “Quantitative Revolution”. Developments in geography in the late 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s are examined and are contrasted with Hartshorne’s earlier outline of the scope and methods of geography.
F. Radical and Marxist Geography. The development of critical approaches in geography is traced with a particular focus on the works of William Bunge and David Harvey.
G. Feminism and Geography. The influence of Feminist perspectives on research and writing in geography is traced and set within the wider context of the introduction of radical and anti-systemic ideologies to the practice of geography.
H. Postmodernism and Geography. This section explores how the philosophical, methodological and ideological innovations associated with Postmodernism have influenced the practice of geography.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate a knowledge of how the discipline of Geography has changed from Classical times to the present;
• Have a critical awareness of how intellectual and disciplinary change is related to broader patterns of historical change;
• Evaluate debates regarding the scope and purpose of the discipline of Geography;
• Compare different approaches to the study of the Geography.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU22925 Human Geography: Changing Worlds |
10 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 60% Examination, 40% Coursework. | Lectures and Seminars 33 hours, Lecture related reading, and individual study 130 hours, course work preparation 47 hours, revision 40 hours = 250 hours. | Philip Lawton |
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Description
This module introduces students to a number of key issues within contemporary human geography and exposes them to a range of methodological approaches and research techniques.
The overarching theme of the module is the way in which historical, cultural, environmental, political and economic geographies are changing under the force of globalisation.
Specific areas covered include an examination of globalisation from a historical perspective; approaches, methods and sources in historical geography; emergence of global environmentalism in a changing world; the creation of ‘third world’ and the impact of globalisation on the developing world; and political and economic aspects of globalisation.
The module will cover:
Section 1 - Approaches and methods in historical geography: This section of the module introduces the diversity of approaches and methods employed in historical geography. Historical geography has traditionally been concerned with the evolution of landscapes and patterns of areal differentiation over time. Historical geography is concerned with how regions and places have come to acquire identity and character over time. It is therefore central to the wider study of geography. Since the 1980s historical geography has been open to theoretical and methodological innovation. This section of the module will give an introduction to the more traditional and modern approaches to the use of historical methods in geographical studies.
Section 2 - Emerging Environmental Movements: Interactions between humans and the environment are of central concern for geographers. These interactions may create positive or negative outcomes (or in some cases both) across time and space and are often geopolitically motivated. This section of the Changing Worlds module will address how human geography approaches the uneven and contested relationships that exist between humans and their environments in an increasingly globalised world. Attention will focus on the way environmental problems (climate change, overfishing, pollution) are experienced and understood by different actors.
Section 3 - Geographies of development: Most of humanity lives in the so-called “developing world”. This section of the module explores how the Third World was created historically and the mechanism through which it is reproduced. Attention will also be paid to the impact of “free” market policies in the developing world.
Section 4 - Economic geographies of globalisation: This section of the module will cover issues related to contemporary economic globalisation; governance of globalisation; multi-national corporations; global finance; global financial and economic crisis; geographies of transition economies; and policy challenges in the age of globalisation.
Section 5 - Collection & analysis of geographical data: Building on the above sections, this part of the module will specifically focus on methods in geographical research and a range of techniques used in acquisition and analysis of geographical data. In doing so, it will enable students to select appropriate methods to study diverse geographical issues and to develop students’ geographical skills of numeracy, data management, manipulation, analysis, display, interpretation and explanation.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Identify important topics and themes in contemporary human geography;
• Appraise some of the major current debates in human geography;
• Outline and contrast a range of research methods in human geography.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU22006 Physical Geography: Dynamic Earth |
10 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA | Lectures 36 hours, practical classes 3 x 2 hours, reading and work assignments (200 hours) | Mary Bourke |
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Description
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Critically evaluate the influence of climate, topography and humans on the variability of landforms.
• Explain the theories underlying how and why specific landforms vary over space and time.
• Draw on specific example of landforms and landscapes to demonstrate the influence of climate, topography, and humans.
• Evaluate the complex and reciprocal relationships between physical and human aspects of environments and landscapes.
• Assess the relative importance of infrequent/extreme versus frequent/moderate events in driving landform change.
• Discuss the potential application of geographical concepts, techniques and expertise as a means of addressing a range of issues facing the Earth and its people at a global and local scale.
• Explain the importance and relevance of physical systems and landforms to the future of human society.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU22009 Spatial Data and GIS |
05 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA | Lectures and tutorials | John Connolly |
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Description
Digital environmental sensing technologies alongside ever-increasing computing power and satellite technological developments have led to what some call a ‘geospatial revolution’. While mapping and the acquisition of images and remotely acquired environmental data used to be a specialist skillset, much of these data are freely via the web-based applications.
Commercial companies as well as governments are investing heavily in this type of technology and academic researchers are using the data within wide-ranging fields of research. Mapping and geospatial science, always a key component of the Geographers’ toolkit, has thus taken a monumental leap forward – but this comes with enormous challenges and responsibilities that can only be met by graduates that have the appropriate skills to evaluate and understand the basic principles of this technology and its uses.
This module provides students with the basic level of understanding required for an appreciation of the principles that underpin mapping, GIS, and remote sensing. The module uses Google Earth to give students a practical introduction to GIS and remote Sensing. For a more in-depth introduction to and use of remote sensing, image processing and GIS, students can move onto sophister modules in Geography from here (this module is a prerequisite for GGU33933: Geographical Information Data and Tools).
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Appreciate different ways of representing geo-spatial data and mapping information.
• Understand the meaning and importance of spatial resolution and different types of spatial data (raster/vector, digital/manual)
• Assess the appropriateness of different geospatial data representations for different purposes.
• Understand the concept of ‘remote sensing’ and the various ways in which it can be achieved in general terms.
• Explain basic principles of satellite remote sensing and have familiarity with some of the most commonly used free and commercial satellite platforms.
• Critically reflect on, and assess, the use of remote sensing and GIS applications for a variety of purposes (in the human and physical environment)
• Confidently and critically deploy a number of basic, but key, geospatial data presentation methods.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33933 Geographical Information, Data and Tools |
05 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | GGU22009 | 100% CA | Lectures and Practical’s 22 hours, reading and course assignments = 103 hours, Total 125 hours | John Connolly |
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Description
Outline: This module explores how to identify, create, manage and use geographic data and tools. The object is to teach students about how data is constructed, used, found, and manipulated by geographic researchers. The module will enable students to: interpret maps; find and evaluate data; organise, manipulate and analyse data in GIS packages; create projects and maps using GIS; identify how geographic data construction and analysis differs from typical quantitative approaches. The module will also introduce students to remote sensing and image processing. This module is a prerequisite to GGU44933.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain the concepts and theories that underpin GIS and outline their application to the real world;
• Demonstrate technical proficiency in the use of an industry standard GIS software package;
• Apply GIS technologies in problem-solving;
• Design, implement and present the results from a project that makes use of GIS technologies.
• Explain the concepts of how remote sensing works
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33010 Living on the Edge: Estuaries and Coasts |
05 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% CA | Lectures, 16 hours, tutorials, field excursion, workshops, coursework and preparation total 85 hours = Total 250 hours | Iris Moeller |
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Description
Coastal regions are some of the most dynamic on Earth, not least because human and natural processes act in tight connection to each other. This dynamism poses one of the great societal challenges of the 21st Century: as coastal populations are increasing at three times the global rate, they are also experiencing an increasing threat of coastal flooding and erosion under climatic extremes (e.g. tropical and extratropical storm surges), and are ‘locked into’ accelerated sea level rise for centuries to come. Building upon a basic, foundational knowledge of ocean and coastal processes covered in relevant modules within the first and second year (‘Spaceship Earth’ and ‘Sedimentary Processes and Environments’), students will gain wide ranging theoretical and practical skills required to address those challenges.
The lectures and seminars take students on a journey that highlights how the natural processes operating within estuaries and on coasts are a function of external factors (past and present climate, geology, human influences) and feedbacks in which the landforms themselves affect the operation of processes that shape the landforms. Equipped with this knowledge, and several examples from around the world, students will put their knowledge into practice.
A day-field trip and practical exercise will challenge students to apply what they have learnt to real-world coastal management problems. Working in groups, they will form ‘coastal management consortia’ that will navigate their way through the stages of problem definition to data acquisition and development of appropriate coastal management solutions.
The assessed practical exercise will develop and enhance team-working, independent research, critical thinking, scientific and applied writing, and presentation skills.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain the theory behind estuarine and coastal morphodynamics.
• Draw on specific examples to illustrate the societal importance of coastal morphodynamics in the context of human use of the coast.
• Critically reflect on the importance of considering different temporal and spatial scales for an understanding of coastal change.
• Discuss the key impacts of climate change on coastal landforms and ecosystems.
• Carry out basic (bio)geomorphological field surveys to gain a better understanding of estuarine and coastal landforms and associated ecosystems.
• Assist the development of coastal management approaches that consider societal and biophysical aspects of how coasts and estuaries function and deliver ecosystem services.
• Clearly and concisely present the results of their work in written and oral (presentation) form.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33011 Earth’s Climate: Past, Present, and Future |
05 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA | 28 hours of lecture, discussion and activities | Margaret Jackson |
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Description
Climate change is one of the most important challenges we face. The effects of climate change vary over time and space, and are rooted in the operation and sensitivity of the climate system itself. This module is designed to give you a fundamental understanding of Earth’s climate system, starting with its operation today. With this understanding in hand, we will go on to investigate the history of climate on Earth and how (and why) climate changes over time. We will then explore historical records of climate before turning our focus to future climate projections, including how models ‘predict’ future climate scenarios.
We’ll also evaluate what implications future climate projections may have for communities both locally and globally. This module will use readings, activities, and discussion to explore the mechanisms that influence climate over time, and how climate affects society.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Describe what is meant by the term ’greenhouse effect’ and understand how Earth’s climate system operates today.
• Evaluate and understand natural climate variability and the potential mechanisms that impact this variability through time.
• Understand how Earth’s climate has changed through time, and the evidence used to reconstruct past change.
• Discuss the primary drivers and mechanisms of climate change over different timescales.
• Evaluate the evidence for ‘anthropogenic’ climate change.
• Understand future climate projections, such as those written by the IPCC, and how they are produced.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33012 Natural Hazards |
5 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | N/A | 100% CA | On-line test, practical problem solving, presentation. | Mary Bourke |
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Description
Short-lived, high magnitude extreme events, from meteorite impacts, to volcanic eruptions, fire, and storms, have shaped the surface of the earth throughout its geological history. Increasing population densities in critical locations on our planet (e.g. cities at the foot of volcanoes, on tectonic fault lines, and at the coast) and human impacts on the environment at the local, regional and global scale, however, have altered the likelihood and magnitude of certain types of natural hazards. This has brought the vulnerability of societies to natural hazards into sharp focus over recent decades. In October 2020, the UN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) reported that, over the past two decades, 1.23 million people had lost their lives in a total of 7,348 ‘disaster events’ that had been recorded globally (with floods (40% of occurences), storms (28%), earthquakes (8%), and extreme temperatures (6%) as the four most impactful types of hazard).
Finally, we will explore case studies highlighting past, present, and potential future societal solutions for the mitigation of the impact of natural hazards with guest speakers bringing to this module an applied natural hazard and risk management perspective.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Have a basic understanding of the physical processes involved in a number of different natural hazards.
• Understand the role of natural hazards in the wider context of landform and ecosystem dynamics.
• Appreciate and critically evaluate the role of humans in how we understand, describe, and assess natural hazards.
• Understand the potential links between a number of natural hazards and climate change.
• Understand and assess the difference between hazard, risk, and vulnerability.
• Apply the source-pathway-receptor model to the study of natural hazards in particular settings/contexts.
• Criticallly evaluate different strategies for the management of natural hazards.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33915 Globalisation and Geopolitics |
05 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 50% examination, Essay 50% CA. | Lectures 18 hours, Tutorials 3 hours, total 125 hours | Padraig Carmody |
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Description
Outline: This module examines the impacts of globalisation in both the developed and developing world and its relation to geopolitics. Particular emphasis is placed on the theories of geopolitics and globalisation and topics covered include the implications of the rise of China and its international relations in the developing world, “shadow globalisation” – human, arms and drug trafficking and resistance to these processes through social movements, amongst others.
The module will be taught through a combination of lectures, and tutorial discussions. Attendance at the tutorials is an integral part of the module. Rather than being a revision exercise, the aim of the tutorials is to elicit a broader understanding of the issues involved by drawing out the social and policy implications of the content of the lectures.
Students taking this module will be expected to have undertaken reading in depth prior to each tutorial.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Analyse the relationships between economic forces, spatial development, geopolitics and the role of the state at different scales of analysis in the developed and developing worlds;
• Judge and critique different perspectives on the nature of the globalisation;
• Comprehend and critique the influence of organisations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and International Non-Governmental Organisations;
• Apprehend the construction and interaction between ethnicity, conflict and terrorism; regionalisation and globalisation;
• Discuss critically the relationship between different types of globalisation “from above” and “below”;
• Critically evaluate alternatives to globalisation.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33931 Environmental Governance 1 |
05 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA. | Lectures 20 hours, lecture preparation 60 hours, coursework preparation 85 hours, total 250 hours | Padraig Carmody |
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Description
The “environment” emerged as a new object of concern in the 1960s. Since then, and largely through the work of citizens, scientists, environmental justice movements, and NGOs, many different environmental problems have been raised - from chemical contamination to climate change, from oil spills to plastic-filled oceans. Despite growing awareness of these many forms of environmental degradation, the political and societal response has been far from adequate. How can we explain this?
One starting point is to interrogate the contested history and development of environmental politics since the 1960s. What we learn from such an approach is that there have been radically different ways of framing environmental problems, giving rise to radically different proposals on how to deal with these problems. This historically informed understanding thus invites us to consider how re-framing current environmental problems may help us to orientate society towards a more just and sustainable future.
This module will introduce students to the emergence of environmental politics as a unique field of policy-making, scientific production, and conflict since the 1960s. It will discuss key texts, writers and thinkers, whose work has been instrumental in shaping how we think about the environment, as well as how private, public and civil society actors have responded to environmental problems in recent times.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Understand the key developments and debates within modern environmentalism over the past fifty years;
• Identify and discuss the key thinkers and texts that have shaped modern environmental thinking;
• Debate the nature and impact of different environmental policies and initiatives at local, national and global scales;
• Use the critical analytic skills developed through the module to better examine a range of sources including documentary films, government reports, academic papers, and more.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33937 Urban Economic Structure and Regeneration |
5 ECTs | Michelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 2 hour examination, 2 questions out of 4 . | Lectures 20 hours, lecture preparation 60 hours, coursework preparation 85 hours, total 250 hours | Cian O’Callaghan |
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Description
This module introduces you to some key themes, concepts, and debates in urban geography.
In particular it will focus on the concept of urban regeneration. The module first considers the historic development of urbanisation, the transition to urban-based economies, and the development of urban studies. It then focusses specifically on the urban impacts of globalisation, in particular how cities in
the developed world have managed the shift from industrialism to post-industrialism. Finally, the module examines regeneration from a number of perspectives. Particular attention will be given to the circular nature of processes of urban growth and decline and how regeneration efforts include and exclude particular social groups and identities.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
•Demonstrate a thoroughunderstanding of the processes underlying changing urban economic form and the concurrent shift in the cultural life of cities
•Have a detailed knowledge of the varied character of urban regeneration policies, their function and effectiveness.
•Demonstrate a knowledge of key concepts in urban geography and be able to apply them to real world situations
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU33939 Exploring the Sustainable City |
05 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% CA. | Lectures and Seminars 22 hours, additional input lectures, seminars, coursework, examination preparation, Total 125 hours | Federico Cugurullo |
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Description
What will the city of the future look like? To what extent are our models of city-making sustainable? Is the road that we are taking leading us towards an environmental utopia in which societies will grow in balance with nature, or are we paving the way for the collapse of our civilization?
These are the key questions that will drive our exploration of the different ways through which, today, sustainable urban development is understood and practiced across the world.
In this highly interdisciplinary module, we are going to use the tools of geography to examine the most critical socio-environmental issues faced by cities (climate change, consumption, happiness, environmental degradation, etc.), and discuss both the theory and practice of urban sustainability.
Using case studies from different continents, we will explore projects for eco-cities and smart cities, and evaluate their sustainability performance. We will also draw upon urban history and political philosophy to learn how the ideal city was imagined in past, and use this knowledge to foresee what urban futures alleged smart-eco cities are shaping.
Each session will be designed to stimulate interaction and will require curiosity and imagination. This module is more than a review of how urban sustainability is understood and practiced, and you will be asked to design, present and discuss practical plans of action to sustain urban living in the 21st century and beyond.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge of key debates relating to theories and practices of sustainable urban development
• Show understanding of the different meanings of urban sustainability across geographical spaces
• Undertake analysis of complex, incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge in relation to contemporary urban challenges
• Critically evaluate urban agendas from a sustainability perspective
• Design and evaluate strategies for sustainable urban development.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44969 Urban Geography: Cities, space and culture |
10 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% CA. | Lectures, 30 hours, Seminars 12 hours, Fieldtrip 2 hours, additional reading and preparation, essay and project = 206 hours. Total 250 hours. | Cian O’Callaghan |
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Description
It is now claimed that we have entered an ‘urban age’. The bulk of the world’s population now live in ‘urban’ areas, while the future fate of humanity (either utopian or dystopian) is increasingly being tied to the fate of cities. This module will introduce students to key debates and concepts in urban geography that shed light on what it means to live in an ‘urban society’.
The first part of the module will outline how political economic processes, including the relationship between the supply of credit and the role of the property development sector and the role of entrepreneurial urbanism, produce urban space in highly uneven ways. The second part of the module will examine social and cultural geographies of cities, focusing on the role of identity and difference in shaping urban space and everyday life. The module will also use Dublin as a key case study and research laboratory to explore how these processes are shaping that city. Focussing on contemporary events, it will bring together rich and varied scholarship from leading researchers in Dublin and the experiential analysis of policy makers, community activists, and a range of other urban actors.
Students will be expected to attend lectures and read widely in preparation, engage in group activities and discussions. The course comprises lectures, seminar-based classes, one-day fieldtrip, and group-based activities.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate a knowledge of key theoretical debates in urban geography and be able to apply key concepts to real world situations
• Have a detailed knowledge of the factors underlying patterns and approaches to urban economic development.
• Recognise the impacts of urban regeneration and culture-led approaches to urban planning and development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how identity and difference shapes urban space and everyday life.
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of current socio-spatial issues and challenges relating to Dublin.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44927 Environmental Governance 2 |
05 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA. | Lectures 10 hours, Seminars 10 hours, Additional Input lecture and seminar preparation and reading 60 hours, Assessment preparation 110 hours, Total 250 hours. | Rory Rowan |
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Description
There is little disagreement that far-reaching societal, technological, political, and economic transformations are required if we are to avoid the worst effects of global, anthropogenic environmental change. What form these transformations should take and who should take responsibility for them are, however, far from settled.
This module considers some of the key conceptual debates and environmental conflicts arising in this context. Examination of these debates and conflicts will demonstrate the contested and uneven nature of environmental change and the measures sought to address these changes.
The overall aim of the module is to help students develop a more nuanced, critical and multi-disciplinary understanding of environmental change and the different, often contested, ways of responding to such changes.
The module will consist of weekly interactive lectures/seminars, guest lectures, and set readings. Lectures will introduce students to key concepts and perspectives drawn from the broad field of political ecology. Each week part of the class will be set aside for students to develop their research projects. These projects will focus on a key area of environmental contestation in Ireland through a political ecology lens.
The projects will involve group work and individual work, written assignments, oral presentations, and primary research. Class attendance is essential.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Understand and apply key theoretical concepts from the field of political ecology to contemporary environmental debates and issues;
• Identify and critically discuss key sites of environmental contestation in Ireland today;
• Explain why an in-depth understanding of environmental problems today requires an understanding of the political, economic and social contexts out of which they emerge and within which they are managed.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44933 GIS and Remote Sensing Applications in Geography |
05 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% CA. | Lectures and Practicals 22 hours additional input reading and work on project – 103 hours. Total 125 hours. | John Connolly |
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Description
Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) allow a wide range of environmental and human phenomena to be explored across space and time. The ability to detect and map change within the human and physical/environmental sub-systems at a range of scales has the power to inform science, policy, and planning and often becomes essential when scaling up observations / theories derived within a particular place or at a particular time. In this module, students will learn both the theory behind GIS and Remote Sensing techniques, exploring a range of web-based and stand-alone methods for interrogating geo-spatial data. They will be encouraged to do so critically and will gain an understanding of uncertainties and the relative merits of different sources of geospatial information, with particular emphasis placed on resolution and accuracy, both spatially, temporally, and in the spectral domain. The module contains an appropriate amount of hands-on learning, both within the classroom and in students’ own time via accessible web-based platforms/software.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain the importance and relevance of geo-spatial information to a range of Geographical problems
• Critically evaluate the difference between and importance of resolution, scale, and accuracy within geospatial types of data
• Critically evaluate the appropriateness of different remote sensing platforms for a range of research questions
• Use GIS software to analyse geospatial data and explore the relationships between multiple geo-spatial datasets
• Select data of appropriate resolution, scale and accuracy for specific research questions
• Communicate the outputs of GIS/Remote Sensing projects succinctly and effectively and by using correct technical and scientific terminology.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44936 Globalisation & African Development |
5 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA | Contact hours, lectures 18 hours, Tutorials, 4 hours, Additional input essay 52 hours | Padraig Carmody |
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Description
This module explores the nature and impacts of globalisation in Africa. Particular attention is paid to the geography of HIV/AIDS, gender and development, China’s rising role in the continent, oil politics and the so called “resource curse” or paradox of plenty that Africa is the most resource rich continent in the world but also the poorest. Other topics covered included gender and the mobile phone revolution.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44968 Historical Geography |
10 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | Examination 50%, Coursework 50%. | Lectures 50 hours, Additional Inputs, reading preparation for class discussions 100 hours, preparation and completion of assessment. 100 hours. | Mark Hennessy |
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Description
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Discuss critically the historical evolution of Africa’s incorporation into the global political economy;
• Judge and critique different perspectives on the nature of the globalization in Africa;
• Critically evaluate the influence of organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and International Non-Governmental Organisations in Africa;
• Apprehend the construction and interaction between issues such ethnicity, conflict and terrorism; regionalisation and globalization and gender and development;
• Interrogate the geography and evolution of HIV/AIDS in Africa and its causal factors;
• Independently evaluate broader literatures on development in Africa.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44974 Glaciers and Glaciation |
10 ECTs | Michaelmas Term/Semester 1 | n/a | 100% CA. | 33 hours hours, lectures and discussions. | Margaret Jackson |
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Description
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Understand and explain the primary controls on glacial mass balance.
• Describe the elements required for glaciation, and where glaciers are found today.
• Evaluate different types of glaciers, how they behave, and how this relates to landscape. D
• escribe the ways glaciers modify landscapes, and the evidence of this modification.
• Evaluate how glaciers and glacial landforms can be used to reconstruct past climate conditions.
• Describe how and why glaciers influence changes in sea level.
• Understand potential hazards associated with glaciers and glaciation.
• Discuss the impacts of glaciers on communities and cultures.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44975 Coastal Wetlands |
10 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA. | 42 hours hours, 16 lecturers 4 tutorials, 2 one-day field excursions 2x6 hours, 83 hours independent study, 104 hours, 8 tutorial preparation 16 hours oral presentation slides, 80 hours written report student presentations. | Iris Moeller |
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Description
Student will engage in practical fieldwork to map, measure, and describe saltmarsh geomorphology, ecology, and the action of biophysical processes that shape coastal wetlands through a mini-project carried out on the wetlands in Dublin Bay. In this endeavour, we will place particular emphasis on the socio-economic and political dimension of saltmarsh restoration in an urban context.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain how and under what conditions coastal wetland formation is initiated.
• Appreciate the global distribution and spatial variability of coastal wetland types.
• Understand and reflect on the societal importance and ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands.
• Appreciate and be able to explain the way in which tides and waves interact with the physical structure of coastal wetlands.
• Discuss the key impacts of climate change on coastal wetland systems.
• Appreciate the connectivity between physical and biological processes within wetlands systems as well as between coastal wetlands and their adjacent areas.
• Conduct (bio)geomorphological field surveys to capture key characteristics of the vegetation cover, sediment, and hydrodynamics of wetland systems.
• Describe examples of wetland restoration projects and their key characteristics.
• Appreciate the key challenges around the restoration of coastal wetlands and how those might be overcome.
• Research and prepare a written scientific report on a specific coastal wetland related research question.
• Clearly and concisely articulate the findings of a scientific study in the form of an oral presentation.
| Module Code & Name | ECTs credits | Duration and semester | Prerequisite | Assessment | Contact Hours | Contact Details | GGU44976 Glaciers and Glaciation |
5 ECTs | Hilary Term/Semester 2 | n/a | 100% CA. | Margaret Jackson |
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Description
Glaciers mould landscapes and mountain ranges, leaving indelible impressions long after they disappear. Glaciers also provide vital information regarding past climate, serving both as proxies and archives of past conditions. At the same time, the sensitivity of glaciers to changing climate conditions has direct implications for global sea level.
Glaciers also provide water resources for billions of people in sub-tropical regions, and are a backbone of many tourist economies. Understanding glaciers, how they behave and the impacts they have on landscapes, is therefore crucial for understanding the history of our planet and for projecting future change.
Through hands on activities, lectures, and discussion, this module explores how glaciers operate, their effects on landscapes over time, and the influence of glaciers in communities today. We will also investigate how glaciers can serve as indicators of past – and present – climate change.
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Understand and explain the primary controls on glacial mass balance.
• Describe the elements required for glaciation, and where glaciers are found today.
• Evaluate different types of glaciers, how they behave, and how this relates to landscape.
• Describe the ways glaciers modify landscapes, and the evidence of this modification.
• Evaluate how glaciers and glacial landforms can be used to reconstruct past climate conditions.
• Describe how and why glaciers influence changes in sea level.
• Understand potential hazards associated with glaciers and glaciation.
• Discuss the impacts of glaciers on communities and cultures.