Researching Human Geography

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Discuss and critique these approaches, data sources, methods, strengths, weaknesses, and concerns in talk with fellow students and in writing for assessment (B5) (B7) (C1) (C2) (C6) (D3)
• Gain and apply knowledge and understanding of the range of available approaches to human geography, including their relevant strengths and weaknesses. (A1) (A2) (A3) (A4) (A5) (A6) (A7) (B1) (B2) (B3) (B5)
• Gain and apply knowledge and understanding of the range of data sources and methods available to human geographers, including their relative strengths and weaknesses, and some related research-design concerns (A7) (A8) (B1) (B3) (B5)

Part 1: Conceptual themes in human geography

• Introduction: key conceptual tensions in Human Geography
• Local / Global: understanding scale and networks
• Society / Space: understanding how social identities can produce material and symbolic space
• Masculinity / Femininity: understanding gendered spaces
• Modern / Postmodern: understanding spatial order and disorder

Part 2: Research methods in human geography

• Ontology, epistemology, normativity... or, what questions do we ask and how do we answer them?
• Secondary data sources: statistics and archives
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Interviews & focus groups
• Ethnography and participatory methods
• Creative methods
• Visual analysis
• Discourse analysis

Teaching and learning methods

lectures, in-class exercises, seminars

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Hay. Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography.

Daniels et al. An Introduction to Human Geography.

Kitchin and Thrift. The International Encyclopedia of Human Geography.

Aitkin and Valentine. Approaches to Human Geography.

Peet. Modern Geographical Thought.

Cloke et al. Approaching Human Geography.

Johnston and Sidaway. Geography and Geographers.

Davies et al. Researching Human Geography.

Livingstone. The Geographical Tradition.

Clifford et al. Key Methods in Human Geography.

Gregory et al. The Dictionary of Human Geography.

Cloke et al. Practising Human Geography.

Flowerdew and Martin. Methods in Human Geography.

Cloke et al. Introducing Human Geography.

Cook and Crang. Doing Ethnographies.

Kitchin and Tate. Conducting Research in Human Geography.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External