Students
GEOP7000 – Dialogues in Geography and Planning
2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor
Emily O'Gorman
Contact via Email
Room B452, Level 4, 25B Wally's Walk
Email for appointment
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
The way researchers position a topic in relation to theories and concepts in their field is a crucial step in forming their project. This unit is designed to provide an introduction to major concepts and theories that have shaped geography and planning and their broader historiographies, with a focus on how theory is used in contemporary research in these fields. The core of the unit builds on a series of dialogues across the various areas of research in geography and planning within the Department, and extends this through reading and discussion to engage with the work of key thinkers in geography, planning, and related fields such as development studies and environmental humanities. The unit is flexible and responsive to the interests and strengths of students enrolled in any given semester. It is designed to give students a grounding in key theories that inform research, and reflect on their relevance to students’ own learning objectives. It will introduce students to a number of the current open research questions and core concepts across the range of these broad fields. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Demonstrate an understanding of geography and planning as academic disciplines, including theoretical orientations, concepts, histories and principal subfields.
- ULO2: Critique key theoretical approaches in geography and planning.
- ULO3: Apply key theories and concepts in geography and planning to your own individual research.
- ULO4: Use literacy and digital skills to communicate effectively using appropriate methods of communication.
General Assessment Information
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All written assessments are to be submitted via Turnitin, the university online submission and marking system - found as a link in iLearn. Turnitin includes Grademark, a paperless grading system where your written assessments are marked by staff online. Submissions are also checked for plagiarism by Turnitin. Turnitin automatically compares your work to the work of your classmates, previous students and material available on the internet. Hard copies of assignments are no longer accepted and will not be marked.
For more information on Turnitin and Grademark: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm
DEADLINES, EXTENSIONS AND PENALTIES
Deadlines set for assessment submissions will not be altered except in exceptional circumstances. In all cases, extensions must be supported with appropriate documentation (medical certificate, counsellor's certificate, statutory declaration). All extensions must be applied for and granted through the special consideration process. See the Special Consideration Policy https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
Extensions will not be granted in cases of poor time management. Only the Unit Convenor can authorise extensions.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Students who fail to complete and submit ALL assessments for the unit may not receive enough marks to pass the unit. Penalties will also be incurred for plagiarism, that is, the use of another persons’ work and presentation as your own (see University Policies and http://www.mq.edu.au/ policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html).
GRADING
Each assessment will be marked, commented upon and returned to you via Turnitin and Grademark. Grading is conducted in line with the universities grading policy (http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html)
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay Plan | 15% | No | 5pm Thursday 1 April 2021 |
| Dialogues Essay | 55% | No | 5pm Friday 14 May 2021 |
| Reflective Briefs | 30% | No | 5pm Friday 4 June 2021 |
Essay Plan
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15.0 hours
Due: 5pm Thursday 1 April 2021
Weighting: 15%
Sets out the plan for the essay task. The essay plan will include the essay topic, a proposition statement, a detailed plan of how the argument will proceed. The plan will also include a statement about the essay aim and outcomes and how it contributes to geographical thought.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of geography and planning as academic disciplines, including theoretical orientations, concepts, histories and principal subfields.
- Critique key theoretical approaches in geography and planning.
- Apply key theories and concepts in geography and planning to your own individual research.
- Use literacy and digital skills to communicate effectively using appropriate methods of communication.
Dialogues Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 5pm Friday 14 May 2021
Weighting: 55%
3000-word essay that advances theoretical arguments in human geography and planning. The essay will critically apply these to a topic of research interest.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of geography and planning as academic disciplines, including theoretical orientations, concepts, histories and principal subfields.
- Critique key theoretical approaches in geography and planning.
- Apply key theories and concepts in geography and planning to your own individual research.
- Use literacy and digital skills to communicate effectively using appropriate methods of communication.
Reflective Briefs
Assessment Type 1: Log book
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 5pm Friday 4 June 2021
Weighting: 30%
Thoughtful and reflective record of each of the required readings assigned in the unit. It will include a summary and critique of key theories identified in the readings and a reflection on how each reading contributes to your own theoretical development.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of geography and planning as academic disciplines, including theoretical orientations, concepts, histories and principal subfields.
- Critique key theoretical approaches in geography and planning.
- Apply key theories and concepts in geography and planning to your own individual research.
- Use literacy and digital skills to communicate effectively using appropriate methods of communication.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Technology
This unit has a website which is accessible via www.mq.edu.au/iLearn. Here you can get access to unit materials including recording of lectures, copies of lecture slides, notices and a general discussion place to pose questions to staff.
Students are not required to acquire any specific technology for this unit but are expected to access the iLearn site and to use computers to produce their assignments.
Seminars
This unit will run as five discussion-based seminars across the session. These seminars will be held via Zoom.
Unit Schedule
|
Week |
Dialogue Theme |
Milestones |
Readings |
|
Week 2 (02/03/21) |
Introduction: What is Geographical Thought?
|
|
Introduction from Cresswell, T., 2012. Geographic thought: a critical introduction. John Wiley & Sons |
|
Week 4 (16/03/20) |
Dialogue 1: Nature and Society
|
Essay Plan due 5pm, Thursday 1 April 2021
|
Collard, R.C., Harris, L.M., Heynen, N. and Mehta, L., 2018. The antinomies of nature and space. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space Collard, 1: 1-24.
Cronon, W., 1996. The trouble with wilderness: or, getting back to the wrong nature. Environmental history, 1(1), pp.7-28. |
|
Recess (03/04/21 - 18/04/10)
|
No classes |
|
|
|
Week 7 (20/04/21) |
Dialogue 2: Indigenous Geographies
|
|
Hawthorne, C., 2019. Black matters are spatial matters: Black geographies for the twenty‐first century. Geography Compass, 13(11), p.e12468.
Whyte, K. P. 2018. Indigenous science (fiction) for the Anthropocene: Ancestral dystopias and fantasies of climate change crises. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 1(1–2), 224–242. |
|
Week 9 (04/05/21) |
Dialogue 3: Urban spaces and places
|
Essay due 5pm, Friday 14 May 2021
|
Baker, T. and McGuirk, P., 2017. Assemblage thinking as methodology: Commitments and practices for critical policy research. Territory, Politics, Governance, 5(4), pp.425-442.
David, H., 2008. The right to the city. New Left Review, 53, pp.23-40. |
|
Week 12 (25/05/21) |
Dialogue 4: Situtated Knowledges
|
Reflective Briefs due 5pm, Friday 4 June 2021
|
Haraway, D., 1988. Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective. Feminist studies, 14(3), pp.575-599.
Simandan, D., 2019. Beyond Haraway? Addressing constructive criticisms to the ‘four epistemic gaps’ interpretation of positionality and situated knowledges. Dialogues in Human Geography, 9(2), pp.166-170. |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook