Syllabus for World Regional Geography

Term C July 10^th to August 10^th 2007

Course Description: World Regional Geography is an introduction to how the discipline of geography makes sense of the world, its different people, places, and regions. Central to this disciplinary perspective is an emphasis on the ways in which people and places interact across space and time to produce particular outcomes. This unique perspective is increasingly important today as technological innovations, the spread of political/economic ideologies, and the movement of people and goods across the globe have made most contemporary problems and solutions global in nature. Yet the interconnectedness of the world is not a new phenomenon. The majority of the world has, for centuries, been connected through trade, conquest, and colonialism. It is therefore impossible to understand the contemporary configuration of global connections without first appreciating their historical roots.

It is important to recognize that this course is not an empirical survey of place names and national statistics. Rather, this course is an exploration of several key issues shaping our world today. Each of these case studies offer a unique perspective on the process now referred to as globalization. Each lecture will address an important issue in a way that highlights its historical roots, its local experience, and the global processes that shape it. It is hoped that upon completing this course each of you will have a more nuanced understanding of the world, its people, and your place in an increasingly global system.

Webpage: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_1982_200_sum07/course.htm

Lectures: Lecture 1 Lecture 2 Supplementary notes on neoliberalism Lecture 3 Lecture 4 Lecture 5 Lecture 6 Lecture 7 Lecture 8 Lecture 9

Lecture 10 Lecture 11 Lecture 12 Lecture 13 Lecture 14 Lecture 15 Lecture 16

Exam review: Exam 1 review Final Review

Instructor:

Nicholas Sitko

Nicholas.sitko@colorado.edu

Office hours: everyday after class or by appointment. Office in Guggenheim 312.

TA:

Terry Legg

Teresa.legg@colorado.edu

Office hours: 2 hours before Friday’s recitation. Office in Guggenheim 310.

Meeting Time: Lecture Monday-Thursday 11-12:35; Recitation Friday 11-12:35

Location: Guggenheim 206

Textbook: Pulsipher, Lydia Mihelic and Alex Pulsipher 2006. World Regional Geography without subregions. Third Edition.

Grading:

Attendance 10%

Position papers: 3 x 5% 15%

Participation and in-class activities 15%

Exam I 30%

Final Exam 30%

Grading Scale

93-100% A 83-87% B 73-77% C

90-92% A- 80-82% B- 70-72% C-

88-89% B+ 78-79% C+ 60-69% D

59% or below F

There is no extra credit offered in this course.

Position Papers

The purpose of the position papers is to allow you the opportunity to explore in greater depth an issue or idea introduced in the lecture. During the semester you will be responsible for writing 3 different position papers. You may write a maximum of 4 position papers, with the best three counting towards your grade. Each paper should be 2-3 pages long, double spaced, and written in 12 point font. The papers are due during recitation and should deal with an issue or topic covered in lecture the previous week. You will have 5 opportunities to turn in position papers: 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, and 8/9. You can only submit 1 paper per recitation, so plan accordingly. Late papers will not be accepted, it is therefore essential that you keep up with your work.

How to Write a Position Paper:

1. Choose a topic or idea of interest from the previous week. This is a difficult process. I advise you to chose either a term or a topic from the previous week and expand on it. For example, in the first week we will be discussing the three core themes for the class: neoliberalism, colonialism and globalization. A possible paper topic could be the commonalities and differences between colonialism and globalization.
2. Find some newspaper, magazine, or scholarly publications to augment your understanding of the topic. Please cite these appropriately. Do not use Wikapedia as your only source.
3. Take a clear position in your writing.  For example: “In this paper I argue that eco-tourism in Latin America is one of the few industries that can successfully bridge the demands of economic growth with sustainable resource use”. Your position is your thesis statement. You thesis statement should be included in your first paragraph.  The following paragraphs should support your thesis statement with evidence and/or illustration. Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence.  Any significant conclusions that you draw in your position paper should also be included your first paragraph; this helps your audience know where the paper is headed.
4. Assume that your reader is intelligent, but that she or he may not have necessarily read or heard all that you have.  Thus, you will need to tell your reader enough so that she or he will know what you are talking about, but not so much that she or he gets bored or feels talked down to.
5. Be sure to support your assertions with both logic and information.  For your reader, many things will not be as self-evident as they are to you.  Be sure to tell your reader why you are saying what you are saying.  Always ask the question of yourself, why is this important?  Then answer that question in your essay.
6. Always read your essay out loud before you turn it in.  If you were hearing it for the first time, would it make sense to you?  Have you expressed yourself as clearly as possible?
7. Always proof-read everything you turn in.  Typographical errors, spelling mistakes, and bad grammar prove very frustrating for your audience.  They also result in lower grades.

Schedule

Region and Topic Reading/Assignments

7/10 Introduction	Pp 2-22
7/11 Key concepts, core themes	pp. 30-48
Human/Nature Interaction
7/12 South America: Political economic change and changing environmental relationships	pp. 107-111 pp. 118-125 pp. 127-129 pp. 137-143
7/13 Recitation	Position paper due
7/16 Russian Sphere: Economic liberalism, political authoritarianism and oil.	pp. 191-209 and http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9390152
7/17 Africa: Export agriculture and food insecurity	pp. 266-271 pp. 276-286
7/18 Ethanol and US Agribusiness	Pp. 70-71 and http://www.ntu.org/main/press_papers.php?PressID=855&org_name=NTU
7/19 East Asia: The rise of an economic giant and the environment	pp. 361-372 pp. 377-383
7/20 Recitation	Position Paper due
7/23	Exam 1
Culture and Ethnicity
7/24 Race and Immigration in the US	pp. 81-89 and The New Immigration and Ethnicity in the United States at http://www.jstor.org/view/00987921/di980490/98p0112l/0?frame=noframe&userID=c60b1b23@colorado.edu/01cc99331f00501bfcd28&dpi=3&config=jstor
7/25 Colonialism, Ethnicity and conflict in Africa	pp. 297-298 and Prejudice, Crisis and Genocide in Rwanda at http://www.jstor.org/view/00020206/ap020085/02a00050/0
7/26 Islam and the oil economy	236-242 and McJihad at http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/social_text/v020/20.4mitchell.pdf
7/27 Recitation	Position Paper Due
7/30 Ethnic Nationalism in India and Pakistan	pp. 313-317 and pp. 337-341
7/31 Globalization and Gender: The Feminization of Labor	pp. 348-349 and 398-408
8/1 African refugees and displaced persons: The Sudan	pp. 286-297 and The Long Road from Sudan to America at http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/01/magazine/01SUDAN.html?ex=1180929600&en=63f66dbb09a357b7&ei=5070 you have to register for NYtimes, it’s free don’t worry.
8/2 Ethnicity and cheap labor in China	pp. 372-377
8/3 Recitation	Position paper due
8/6 European culture: The question of Turkey	pp. 146-149m pp. 161-176
8/7 Indigenous Peoples: Australia	422-425, 430-433, 436-441, 443 (At the local scale box)
8/8 The Amazon: ethnicity and globalization	Film: Kayapo: Out of the Forest
8/9	Review; Position Paper due
8/10	Final

Expectations and Class Etiquette - "World Regional Geography" is a course that will ask you to think critically and to develop your own ideas about contemporary issues. In order for this class to be a success, and in order for you and the other students to get as much as possible out of the class, you must meet us halfway. We understand that most of you are taking this class because you are required to. Nonetheless, we expect at least the following from you:

• This course often deals with controversial topics.  You are encouraged to engage us with questions, comments, and arguments relevant to lectures and recitations.  We will treat all opinions fairly and with respect, and we expect the same from you.  Please respect your instructors and classmates.  Disruptive behavior in lecture or recitation will not be tolerated. See http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html for further information on campus policies on classroom behavior.
• Be on time for class!
• If you plan on talking or reading during class, please do not bother to attend!  This is a matter of courtesy to your classmates.  Talking, in particular, is a distraction to those who are listening.  Likewise, if you plan on leaving class early, do not bother coming at all! Leaving lecture early is disrespectful and disruptive both for the instructor and your classmates.
• Do not bring food or pets to class; drinks are OK.
• It is particularly important to be on time for exams. No examinations will be handed out after the first person has completed an exam and left the room.
• Please turn all cell phones OFF before entering the lecture hall.
• Position papers are due in recitation with no exceptions.  Work placed in TA or Professor mailboxes will not be accepted.  E-mailed papers will not be accepted.  Late work will not be accepted, period. 
• Please make careful note of the exam schedule and plan your travel around these dates.
• Please familiarize yourself with the campus honor code.  Academic dishonesty, such as cheating on exams or plagiarism, will result in an automatic F for the course.  Plagiarism is one of the most common forms of academic dishonesty, and sometimes students don't realize they are doing something wrong by not citing their sources or giving credit for someone else's ideas.  Ignorance is no excuse!  The details of the honor code, as well as definitions of academic dishonesty, can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode.

The rest of the “fine print” (other university policies):

Sexual Harassment:  The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty.  Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention.  It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between  members of the same or opposite gender and between any combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall.  Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at: http://www.colorado.edu/sexualharassment