GEOG. 220, SPRING 2007
CULTURAL
GEOGRAPHY
KAREN M. MORIN
Associate Professor
106 Coleman, 577-1793
morin@bucknell.edu
Office hours: open
Tue - Thu, 1:00 - 2:22 pm
Coleman 054
Lakshman Yapa, 2000
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course focuses on the role of culture in shaping places, regions, and landscapes. Cultural
geography is concerned with making sense of people and the places they occupy through analyses of
cultural processes, cultural landscapes, and cultural identities. The course introduces culture from a
geographical perspective, focusing on how cultures work in place and how they are embedded in
everyday life. The course gives students an appreciation for not only how cultures are geographically
expressed, but also how geography is a basic element in the constitution of culture.
Both theories and applications of cultural geography will be covered. We will take what could be
called a “social theory” approach to cultural geography, meaning that we will pay particular attention to
the processes by which specific social relations and practices become concretized on the landscape and
produce meaning about place for different groups of people. The ways in which cultural forms such as
monuments, graffiti, and skyscrapers are expressions of cultural contact, control, and contestation by
different actors will be addressed, as will the issues of boundaries and belongingness.
The goals for the course are threefold: 1) to understand the main theoretical shifts in the field of
Anglophone cultural geography and how they evolved throughout the 20th century; 2) to assess case
studies of some sample cultural landscapes, places, and regions; and 3) to interpret cultural geography as
a “power politics” of place. Students will acquire the ability to evaluate and compare the arguments
presented in the course lectures and readings, and demonstrate their relevance to the contemporary built
environment through discussion, writing, field trips, and via a semester project.
REQUIRED READINGS
Kay Anderson and Fay Gale (Eds), Cultural Geographies (Longman, 1999). Other assigned readings are
available on E-reserves (password “geog”).
CLASS FORMAT & ASSESSMENT
This course combines lectures, films, field work, and some in-class discussion and projects. To ensure
that the classes are successful and interesting, make sure that you complete the readings before each
day’s class. Students should be prepared to contribute to the analysis of the readings with specific and
thoughtful reflection. Endeavor to read critically, seeking not only to understand the content of the
readings but also to evaluate the significance and validity of an author’s argument and evidence. Class
participation contributes 15% to your final grade.
NOTE: Attendance is mandatory. More than two absences can result in up to a 5% reduction in your final
grade. Late papers or any missed deadlines will negatively impact your grade as well; for each day late
count on a 3% reduction in your grade.
Most of the assessment in the class will be in the form of written papers:
Four (short) papers on Field Tours. These are designed to be thoughtful, intellectual reflections on the
class field work, integrating your own observations from the tour, reading assignment(s), and
lectures by the tour guides. Each of these papers is worth 15% of your final grade (60% total).
These papers are due on the schedule listed below.
One (long) semester project (topic of your choice) due May 7th, worth 25% of your final grade.
Instructions on this paper are forthcoming.
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS & ASSIGNMENTS
Date
Topic
Readings / Due Dates
Th Jan 18
Course Introductions
Tu Jan 23
Field tour: Walking Tour of Lewisburg
(self-directed)
P. Lewis, “Common Houses, Cultural Spoor”
(E-res)
Th Jan 25
Lecture: Ben Marsh, “Historic
Lewisburg”
No reading assignment.
FOUNDATIONS
Tu Jan 30
Carl Sauer & the Landscape School
C. Sauer, “The Morphology of Landscape”
(E-res) Lewisburg Walking Tour paper due
Th Feb 1
Locating Culture & Culture Regions
J.B. Jackson, “The House in the Vernacular
Landscape” (E-res)
GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION
Tu Feb 6
Field Tour: Amish Culture region
D. Kraybill, “the Struggle to be Separate”
(E-res)
Wed Feb 7
Lecture: Vincent Del Casino,
“Health/Sexuality/Geography” 7:00pm
No reading assignment.
Th Feb 8
Religious Landscapes
K. Morin and J.K. Guelke, “Women, Religion
and Space: Making the Connections” (E-res)
Tu Feb 13
Sacred Space
V. Deloria, Excerpt from God is Red (E-res)
MONUMENTAL LANDSCAPES
Th Feb 15
Landscape: Representing &
Interpreting the World
Ch. 5 Anderson & Gale (Mona Domosh)
Amish Field Tour paper due
Tu Feb 20
Gender in the Landscape
Ch. 8, Anderson & Gale (Janice Monk)
ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION
Th Feb 22
Humanistic Cultural Geography:
Behavior & Perception
Ekinsymth & Shurmer-Smith, “Humanistic &
Behavioral Geography” (E-res)
Tu Feb 27
Personal Space
TBA
Th Mar 1
Sense of Place
E. Said, Excerpt from Orientalism (E-res)
NATURE & CULTURE
Tu Mar 6
Field Tour: Clyde Peeling’s Reptileland S. Davis, “Touch the Magic” (E-res)
Th Mar 8
Consuming Nature
Tu Mar 13
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
Th Mar 15
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
J. Price, “Looking for Nature at the Mall”
(E-res)
GEOGRAPHIES OF EXCLUSION
Tu Mar 20
The Politics of Place
Film: Style Wars
Ch. 1 Anderson & Gale (Kay Anderson)
Reptileland Tour paper due
Th Mar 22
“New” Cultural Geography
T. Cresswell, “In Place/Out of Place”
(E-res)
Tu Mar 27
Elite Landscapes
Ch. 3 Anderson & Gale (James Duncan)
Th Mar 29
Geographies of Exclusion
Ch. 7 Anderson & Gale (David Sibley)
Tu Apr 3
Heritage Landscapes
Ch. 12, Anderson & Gale (Jane Jacobs)
LANDSCAPES OF CONSUMPTION
Th Apr 5
Field Tour: Susquehanna Valley Mall
Ch. 10 Anderson & Gale (Jon Goss)
Tu Apr 10
Shopping Malls
TBA
Th Apr 12
Workshop on Semester Project
Excerpts from Cultural Geography in Practice
Shopping Mall Tour paper due
Tu Apr 17
NO CLASS – AAG
Th Apr 19
NO CLASS – AAG
Tu Apr 24
Student Reports
Annotated Bibliography due (group 1)
Th Apr 26
Student Reports
Annotated Bibliography due (group 2)
Tue May 1
Student Reports & Course Wrap Up
Annotated Bibliography due (group 3)