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GEOG3571: VISUAL CULTURE, MEDIA AND THE POLITICS OF PLACE

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Type	Open
Level	3
Credits	20
Availability	Not available in 2024/2025
Module Cap
Location	Durham
Department	Geography

Prerequisites

Any Level 1 or level 2 GEOG module.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

None.

Aims

To explore geographies of the media and of visual culture in order to expand students' knowledge and understanding of the politics of representation in the construction of places.
To enhance students' grasp of different theoretical approaches to the analysis of media and visual culture.
To promote critical reflection on the cultural geographies of identity, globalization and geopolitics.

Content

Theoretical Approaches to Media and Visual Culture: Marxism, Frankfurt School, Structuralism and Post-Structuralism, Cultural Studies, Discourse Analysis, Post-Colonial and Feminist Critiques
Analysing Representations: content analysis of international issues in the news, discursive analysis of place representations, geopolitical imaginations, advertising and the representation of 'other' cultures and places, contested meanings: audience research
Media, Culture and Identity: constructions of identity and difference in visual culture and media
Globalisation and the Media: brief history of media production, the rise of global media networks, national and international regulation of the media market, impact of advertising, case studies (CNN, Reuters, News Corporation)

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Application of different theoretical approaches to the analysis of media and visual culture
critically discuss the political dimensions of cultural production and consumption

Subject-specific Skills:

construct discursive analyses of visual and media representations of geographical issues
demonstrate the role of media and visual culture in constructions of place and identity

Key Skills:

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures will be used to impart basic facts and information necessary to fulfil the aims of this course. Concepts introduced in lectures will be explored in more depth in seminars. Group work skills will be developed in a practical project, the results of which students present in a seminar talk that constitutes the formative assessment. Students ability to interpret and apply theoretical concepts will be tested through an examination and in an essay.'

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total	Monitored
Lecture	14	weekly	1.5	21
Seminar	4	Term 1, 2	2	8	Yes
Practical					Yes
Reading & Preparation time				171
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component: End of module Examination		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Examination	1.5h	100	None

Component: Essay		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Essay	5 x sides A4	50	None

Formative Assessment

Seminar presentations, with written feedback

More information

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