Students

GEOP7000 – Dialogues in Geography and Planning

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Andrew Burridge
andrew.burridge@mq.edu.au
By appointment only
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

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Essay Plan 15% No 23:55 03/04/2023
Dialogues Essay 55% No 23:55 15/05/2023
Reflective Briefs 30% No 23:55 02/06/2023

Essay Plan

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15.0 hours
Due: 23:55 03/04/2023
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: 23:55 15/05/2023
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: 23:55 02/06/2023
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.

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule

Week

Dialogue Theme

Milestones

Readings

Week 1           

Introduction: What is Geographical Thought?

 

 

Introduction from Cresswell, T., 2012. Geographic thought: a critical introduction. John Wiley & Sons

Week 4

Dialogue 1:  Nature and Society

 

Essay Plan due

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.

Week 7

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

Dialogue 3: Urban spaces and places

 

Essay due

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.

 

Harvey, D., 2008. The right to the city. New Left Review, 53, pp.23-40.

Week 12

Dialogue 4: Situtated Knowledges

 

Reflective Briefs due

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. Revisiting positionality and the thesis of situated knowledge. Dialogues in human geography, 9(2), pp.129-149.

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:

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

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Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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 2023.01R of the Handbook