78998 - Geography

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students wille able to:

- have a classification of the main concepts and paradigms of territorial interpretation with specific attention to the social and cultural geography;

- apply geographical concepts and paradigms for understanding of emerging issues in local and global development processes;

- develop a territorial- multiscalar perspective;

- able to distinguish some geographic search methodologies for the fiedwork;

- evaluate critically between the various geographic search tools in the analysis of the territorial system;

- know the characteristics of the main sources of information and data base;

- know the basic elements of this discipline;

- use the basic concepts of this discipline.

Course contents

The first part of the course will address the issues of alternative and sustainable development, the contribution of the social geography with special reference to the German school, as an aid to development planning.

The sustainable and responsible tourism will be proposed as a potential policy in cooperation, as a new philosophy that aims to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive ones on the environment and local communities, turning them into protagonists of their own development.

It will be explored the theme "cooperation and tourism" with use of case studies, its role in international cooperation and in the fight against poverty with a focus on the framework of Italian foreign policy in a logic responsible tourism and climate change (seminars and workshops cycle).

The theories of the development and evolution of international development cooperation will complete the preparation with a seminar dedicated to the Emilia-Romagna Region as actor of cooperation and international relations and the international negotiation.

In dialogue with the international debate of cultural geography they are treated some of the most important geographical themes: space, place, land, landscape, city, region, state nation, globe, heritage, tangible and intangible cultural heritage and identity.

The student at the end of the course acquires knowledge of social geography in different cultural spheres, with particular focus on the German, responsible tourism and climate change as a shared political strategy development and social participation.

Syllabus

 1. lecture

Checking the students' knowledge level. From the cultural to inclusive turn: a new interpretative paradigm of development?

2. lecture

By developments to the end of the development, to the future and sustainability. The sustainable development from the international vision to local-territorial dimension. The gender development. The tourism contribution to the sustainable development.

3. lecture

The different conceptions of space: absolute space, relative space, space as a social product. The key concepts of geography: location, place, territory.

4. lecture

The key concepts of Geography: landscapes and cities. The region, state and nation, globe. Globalization and transcalarity

5. lecture

European Schools of Social Geography. The primacy of the German School?

6. lecture

Groups and social class of territorial relationships: the geographically relevant groups and social segments.

7. lecture

The key concepts of Cultural Geography for Cultural Diplomacy: heritage, tangible and intangible heritage and identity. World Heritage Sites of UNESCO and European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR).

8. lecture

Seminar with Filippo Pistocchi, PhD Political and Economic Geography (Adjunct Professor)

Migration as a geographical phenomenon to define and / or redefine the space: urban migration, urbanization, suburbs.

9. lecture

Seminar with Filippo Pistocchi, PhD Political and Economic Geography (Adjunct Professor)

Boundary and border sense and their perception and role in the territorialisation (or fragmentation) of collective identity.

10. lecture

Seminar  "Cooperation between the sustainable development and tourism " with Maurizio Davolio, president of Italian Association of Responsable Tourism (AITR)

The tourism policy of the Italian Cooperation: What scenario for the cooperation and the development?

11. lecture

Seminar "Cooperation between the sustainable development and tourism " with Maurizio Davolio, president of Italian Association of Responsable Tourism (AITR)

The role of tourism in the NGOs approach.

12. lecture

Seminar "Cooperation between the sustainable development and tourism " with Maurizio Davolio, president of Italian Association of Responsable Tourism (AITR), and  Filippo Pistocchi, PhD Political and Economic Geography

Workshop " AITR towards Egypt and Tunisia: what cooperation policy strategy? "

13. lecture

Seminar "Cooperation between the sustainable development and tourism " with Maurizio Davolio, president of Italian Association of Responsable Tourism (AITR)

NGOs and T.O.: the best practices.

14. lecture

Seminar with Daniele Violetti, chief of Staff of the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Climate Change between cooperation and tourism: towards a national and shared contribution ? 

15. lecture

Seminar with Silvia Grandi,  Emilia-Romagna Region, European Politicies and the international relations

The evolution of international development cooperation

16. lecture

Workshops and thematic debates chosen by students.

17. lecture

examination

 

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsary books

1) Magnani E.,Turismo, memoria e tratta degli schiavi, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2013

2) Grandi S., Sviluppo, geografia e cooperazione internazionale. Teorie, politiche e mappamondi, La Mandragora, Imola, 2013.

3) Davolio M., Somoza A., Il viaggio e l'incontro. Che cos'è il turismo responsabile, Altraeconomia, Milano, 2016.

4) Teaching materials for the Syllabus

Recommended but not compulsory books

Moyo Dambisa [http://www.ibs.it/libri/moyo+dambisa/libri+di+dambisa+moyo.html], La carità che uccide. Come gli aiuti dell'Occidente stanno devastando il Terzo mondo, Rizzoli, Milano, 2010.

Berruti A., del Vechio E., Povertà, sviluppo e turismo resposabile, Cantalupa (TO),Effatà editrice, 2009

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Assessment methods

The exam will consist of a written and an oral part; they are both based on the recommended books.
As regards the written part, students attending classes will have two tests, one in late October and one at the end of the course. If they pass these tests, they will have their oral part in the ordinary exam sessions. Students who are not attending classes, or the ones who do not pass the written tests, can make/remake them in the ordinary exam sessions, before doing the oral part.

With regard to the evaluation criteria, a language appropriate to course contents and the skill to learn and link together the main course concepts will result in excellent grades. A proper language, a mnemonic content knowledge and a good skill to link the concepts will result in good grades. Inappropriate language, some training gaps but a minimum of knowledge on the course topics will result in passing grades. Lack of guidance on the course issues, inappropriate language and training gaps will result in negative grades.

Teaching tools

Workshops and thematic debates chosen by students.

Office hours

See the website of Fiorella Dallari