The Course ZD331 Geographical Thought

Autumn term  2013

Lecturer: Alois Hynek


Course aims:

ü to understand the role of contemporary geographical thought in socially oriented research

ü evaluate geographical knowledge production with respect to epistemology and social practice

ü differentiate changing proportion among experience, theory and application in the process of
general ´geographization´ of other branches of science

ü design new topic geographies from local/glocal, regional and global challenges


Inspiration:

GEOGRAPHY 200B: GEOGRAPHICAL THOUGHT,

RESEARCH, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Winter 2011

Class: TUESDAY 5:00PM-7:50PM; 4824 ELLISON HALL

Instructor

David López-Carr

carr@geog.ucsb.edu    University of California, Santa Barbara

Some steps you will take to achieve the objectives of the course:


·        Understand key arguments (conceptual models) in some of the seminal theories of geography.

·        Recognize the significance, assumptions, and limitations of these arguments and their
applicability over time and across space.

·        Choose theoretical models that best support your research project.

·        Understand how these theories build on the geographical canon.

·        Demonstrate the comparative advantage of these theories over others for developing your
project.

·        Identify limitations to these theories.

·        Show how your project supports and/or challenges these theories.

·        Select and defend effective methodologies for your proposed research.

·        Persuasively argue for the symmetry between your chosen theory and your research
question(s) and methods.



·        How does the author conceptualize the topic?

·        What model of "science" is used (what is the goal of the enterprise, what sorts of things
can be known, what constitutes data, how is data analyzed, what conclusions are drawn?, etc.)

·        How does this relate to what we think of as contemporary "science"?

·        How does it build upon (or not) previous ideas?

·        Does it contradict or exist alongside earlier or other ideas in geography and in other
disciplines?

·         If a research paper: Is the significance of the research problem compelling? Are the
research hypotheses and questions novel and answerable? Is the literature review complete and
appropriate for the topic? Are research methods symmetrical with the research questions and
hypotheses? Are research results significant, novel, and adequately explicated? Does the
discussion/conclusion suggest avenues for or future research and potential implications of the
research to science and policy?