Institution: American University of Armenia (2015), University of Delaware (2006-2011)
# of semesters: 10
# of students: avg. 24 per semester (min. 20, max. 100)
Level: undergraduate
An interdisciplinary course that uses cultural habitats as a window on how individuals and groups have developed and are still developing their societies and way of life and how cultures coexist with others, shape their environment, and are influenced by their environment. Geographers study ‘culture’ to understand the ways in which culture is constructed, maintained, diffused, and sometimes contested within space and place. The diversity of human culture is embedded in our shared geographies and is used as a force of inclusion, exclusion, and power. This course examines the varied perspectives and processes that shape our everyday experiences and seeks to raise awareness of the plurality of cultural landscapes. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.
In a world that is increasingly interconnected we interact with other cultures in-person, through books and movies, and via a multitude of Internet resources. Without context or understanding, cross-cultural encounters can be sometimes be confusing or even unnerving. This course explores the minutiae of everyday life that is often overlooked as elements of our cultural development to facilitate an adventure into the complexity of human culture as well as bring a mirror to reflect upon our own culture.
This class is not what you might consider your typical cultural geography course where students analyze maps to disseminate areas of cultural differences or variations. Rather, this course is an innovative way to view culture by combining geography and philosophy together. In addition, this course seeks to discover how culture is not only developed and used within and among a society, but within the individual.
Unlike many geography courses, this course is considerably more interdisciplinary and falls within the humanities rather than the hard sciences. Lectures will include topics that may be more commonly found in philosophy, history, anthropology, biology, or psychology courses, but are used here to develop and/or expand your understanding of cultural underpinnings. As such, this course can, at times, be abstract and will require an open mind -- one that seeks to look outside the conventional framework of geographic study. Each lecture will have discussion topics, reading assignments, and activities that will aid the learning process, yet the course is not rigidly scheduled, allowing for welcome discussion of topics we find worthy of exploration.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: