Geography 2002

Spring Semester 2004 Geographies of Global Change

Instructor: Professor John O’Loughlin

Office:                                         Guggenheim 201h

Office Hours:                               Mondays and Wednesdays 1-2pm (or by appointment)

Contacts:                                     a) Phone - 303.492.4371

b) Email johno@colorado.edu (most reliable)

Personal Home Page: www.colorado.edu/IBS/PEC/johno/johno.html

Class Web Page:   www.colorado.edu/geography/courses/geog_2002_s04/

Please check the class web page frequently for updates on assignments, links to websites for the recitation section debates, lecture notes, practice exams, grade distributions, format for the research papers, etc. 

Teaching Assistants:

Brock McCarty brock.mccarty@colorado.edu

Jamie Gillen michael.gillen@colorado.edu

Marco Antonsich   marco.antonsich@colorado.edu

Clionadh Raleigh clionadh.raleigh@colorado.edu

Sam Schueth  samuel.schueth@colorado.edu

Lisa Jordan lisa.anselmi@colorado.edu

Kellee Tarum kellee.tarum@colorado.edu

(TA office hours will be announced in the individual recitations and posted on the webpage under the “Contacts” link).

Course Components:

a) “Diversity amid Globalization”

The course will focus on contemporary geographic problems in the world’s regions.  It differs from the usual world regional geography class by emphasis on the issues, dilemmas, choices and outcomes facing the actors (populations, governments, movements, military, international organizations, etc) that are engaged in each situation.  Rather than a region-by-region review of the cultural and other landscapes of the world, the lectures will focus on the difficulties faced by ordinary people in the diverse regional contexts.  Like the textbook, we will argue that the contemporary world is best seen as “diversity amid globalization”.  Regions are both interdependent (linked by the forces of globalization – economic, political, cultural) and autonomous (characterized by an intriguing variety of cultural, environmental and political mosaics).   We will examine the interactions of global forces and local interests by picking six major contemporary regional problems and by debating the possible options for solution of these problems in recitation sections.  Since the scene changes quickly in these settings and it is not only necessary to have some historical context, it is also important to have a good grasp of the regional geographic context. This context is well-provided by the class textbook.

b) “What is Geography?”

A common misconception is that Geography is learning where things are. Obviously, it is important to know where places are (especially in relation to other places –see your Atlas and the CD-ROM) and to have an idea of what landscape elements are found in different places (see your text and CD-ROM).  But geographers also examine how places came to be what they now are, how they are related to other places, and in what ways places become resources of contention.  One of the most exciting things about geography is that it requires the ability to integrate knowledge from a variety of different disciplines, such as geology, anthropology, history and economics, with a focus on places.  In the lectures, we will use contemporary problems (e.g. the territorial division between Israel and the Palestinians) as a way of illustrating the methods of modern geographers (especially political geographers) to understand these conflicts and to pose some possible solutions.

c) Geography 2002 as a MAPS class.

Why does this class meet the MAPS requirement?  The purpose of the MAPS requirement in Geography is to ensure that CU undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences have a knowledge of the world beyond the borders of the United States – its diversity and complexity, its challenges and opportunities, its changes as a result of technological and economic innovations, its landscapes, and the interaction (current and potential, friendly and hostile) of countries with the U.S.  The specific MAPS aim of Geog. 2002 is to educate CU undergraduates to appreciate this global complexity, to help them understand the context of newsworthy events, to provide background information for the evaluation of American foreign policy choices, and to become better-informed American (and global) citizens.  By integrating “just the facts” (locational geography), regional mosaics (landscape, cultural, political) and political choices in this class, we hope to meet the spirit and the goals of the MAPS requirement.  We also, of course, want to impart our sense of wonder and intrigue about the changes that are happening in the world’s regions and why we became geographers in the first place.  If we are successful, students will leave the class with an added interest in world affairs, with a deeper appreciation of the diversity of the world regions, and an acknowledgement of how globalization is changing everyone’s life, though its form is varied from context to context.

d) Facts and Opinions

It will become obvious early in the class that the issues that we examine are highly-controversial (think of the territorial division of Jerusalem or the current war in Afghanistan).  Even the “facts” are in dispute, such as the location of a country’s “natural boundaries” or who qualifies to belong to an ethnic group, or even if an ethnic group exists (e.g. the Kurds).  The Atlas, the CD-ROM and the text provide factual material and indicate where different opinions exist about the subjects covered.  The lecture will provide a guide to interpretation by indicating the geographic dilemmas and the pros and cons of some important choices.  The lecturer will sometimes inject his own opinion but will clearly indicate it as personal opinion.  Students are welcome to offer additional points in the lecture or by emailing the instructor, or by discussion in recitation. It is in the discussion sections that the main debates will take place and students will be forced to examine the issues we cover from a variety of ethical, ethnic, political and ideological perspectives.  Hopefully, over the course of the semester, each student’s personal position will develop or evolve, or maybe change.  It only matters that you confront the issues and, regardless of your own choices, that you have a position that can be defended in the face of critique and facts.  Developing your ability to articulate this position, in verbal and written form, will be an important feature of the class and will be useful in further University coursework and life after college.

Course Organization:

a) Text:

The text for the course is L. Rowntree, M. Lewis, M. Price and W. Wyckoff Diversity amid Globalization. 2^nd edition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002).  It comes wrapped with an Atlas and a CD-ROM that will help you to find places that are mentioned in the lectures and readings, and allow you to get a good grasp of the diverse landscapes of the world regions.  Individual readings will be assigned from the text for each lecture.  Ideally, students will complete the reading before the lecture since this reading will set the context for each class.  Just under half of the exam questions will be taken from the text; exam questions will not be taken from the Atlas or CD-ROM since they are supplementary materials.  Many copies of the text and the study guide are on reserve in Norlin.

b) Other Required Readings:

Five of the 15 discussion section meetings will be devoted to class debates.  Four to five teams will debate in these recitation sections and each team-member will have a chance to present the team position in the debates.  In order to present an informed position, each team will be required to read items related to the issue (usually an article on reserve from the Economist) that provides background for their position.   Other materials for the debates can be found on the textbook website and from some other websites that we link on the course website (under Debate Materials).

The reserve readings are available on Electronic Reserve.   Each debates reading is clearly indicated in the schedule for the recitation section below. The readings are available by clicking on the button on the course webpage or by going to the library website http://www-libraries.colorado.edu/chi/reserve.html and by entering the course number, Geography 2002.   Once there, you will see a list of the reserve readings and to access a specific reading, click on it and enter your library pass information (name, Id number and pin number).  These are PDF files so you will need Acrobat Reader on your computer to read and print them. 

c) Examinations:

The mid-term exam will be held on Wednesday, March 10 in class.  The final exam will be held at 1:30pm on Monday, May 3th.  You must have a valid excuse (Wardenburg doctor’s note etc) if you wish to take a make-up exam.  Please note the date/time of the final exam and do not make travel plans that conflict with it.  Each examination will be 30% of the final course grade.

The University allows students with three or more exams scheduled for a single day to take one of the exams on an alternate day.  Let your TA know by February 18 if you want to exercise this option for either the mid-term or the final. 

The format of the exams will be true-false and multiple-choice questions.  The final is not cumulative (only material since the midterm); about half of the questions are from lectures and about half from the readings. 

d) Papers:

Each student will be required to submit a short paper (5-6 pages).  You will be asked to evaluate and take an informed position on one of the controversial topics debated in the discussion sections.  It is due in the recitation section of the week of 19 April.  Full details about the paper will be reviewed in recitations and are available on the course web site.

e) Grade Distribution:

                                    Mid-term Exam                                                                                    = 30%

                                    Final Examination                                                                      = 30%

                                    Research Paper                                                                          = 15%

Recitation Section (debate, attendance and discussion)                    = 25%

Total                                                                                         = 100%

Note – there will be optional short quizzes at irregular intervals in lecture.  Students can add up to 10% of the total grade by being present and answering the quizzes correctly.

f) Text-book Web site: 

The text book (Rowntree et al) has a useful website.  The website introduction states that the site “provides students with a wealth of innovative activities and exercises for each chapter in the text. Students can explore each region with informative Web-linked field trips, or can get detailed profiles of every country on the map. Multiple-choice and Fill-in-the-blank quizzes let students test their knowledge of the region and instantaneously receive detailed feedback, while thought-provoking essay questions direct them out to the Web where they will find the resources necessary to construct an answer. A separate Web Destinations section supplies students with a detailed, annotated list of Web links that will help them get started in their continued exploration of online Regional Geography resources.”  The instructor’s manual is also available via this website. The text website address is: http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_rowntree_dag_2

h) Attendance:

Attendance is expected at both lecture and discussion section.  Since about half of the exam questions are taken from the lecture material, it would be a big mistake to skip lecture.  If you miss class unavoidably, make sure to get the notes.

Attendance is required in the discussion sections and the TA will take weekly attendance.   It is unfair to your teammates to miss the debates.  From years of experience, it is absolutely clear that course grades and attendance (lectures and recitations) have a strong positive correlation.

i) Academic Honesty:

As CU undergraduates, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty at all times. In cases of academic dishonesty, the instructor, following Geography Department and the College of Arts and Sciences regulations, will give at least a grade of F for that part of the course (exam or paper) or more than likely, a grade of F for the whole course (depending on the seriousness of the instance) for any violation of academic honesty. This includes plagiarism on written assignments, copying on exams or submitting work that is not your own original effort. Further details on the departmental College of Arts and Sciences policies on academic honesty can be obtained from the instructor or the Geography Department office.  All violations will be reported to the Dean’s office and entered in the student’s file.  See the Honor Code section below for more details.

j) Classroom Behavior:

As common courtesy to fellow students and the instructors, students are requested not to eat or drink, read newspapers, talk out of turn, or bring dogs or other pets into either lecture or recitation.

IMPORTANT:  Please turn off all pagers and cell-phones when attending the lectures or recitation sections. 

The Geography Department has a code of classroom conduct that requires respectful behavior from instructors and students.  It is important to listen politely to the opinions of others and to express disagreements in a respectful manner, especially since the topics that we cover are controversial.

Given the disruption caused by entry and exit from the lecture hall (Chem 140), it is very important that all remain in their seats till the lecture is over – the instructor promises to start and finish on time.  Late arrivals and early exits are very disruptive and should be avoided if at all possible. If you must leave early, sit close to the back doors and leave as unobtrusively as possible.

k) Lecture Notes:

Most of the text slides that are used in class will be available at the Course Materials website from the course homepage.  Files are in PDF formats.  They will be put up before the corresponding lecture and are thus available for pre-lecture printing; this should help to alleviate frantic note-taking. NOTE: these slides are no substitute for lecture attendance but are simply an aid to note-taking.  The login is geog2002 and the password is xxxxxx. 

l) Short Quizzes:

At irregular intervals (but averaging just less than once a week), there will be a brief (optional) 2 question quiz on the day’s lecture and associated reading.  If you answer the questions correctly, you will get up to 1% of the final grade per quiz.  (Incorrect answers will get half-points).  Thus, a student who attends the lectures and answers the questions correctly could add 10% to his/her class score.  Answers to these quizzes will also indicate to the instructor how well students understand the material.

m) Learning Disabilities:

In a class of this size, there are likely to be students who have learning and other disabilities.  If you wish to take the exams in a different setting, take a longer time for the exam, take an oral exam or make any other exam or class accommodation, please register with the Academic Access and Resources Office (Willard 323), phone 492-8671 and we will work out the arrangements.  Please contact the instructor or your TA as soon as possible.

Lecture and Readings Outline

Week/Date	Lecture	Readings	Discussion Section
Week 1		(Rowntree)
Jan. 12	Introduction		Debate Team Formation
Jan. 14	Globalization in Context	1-18
Week 2
Jan. 19	Martin Luther King Day (no class)		Key Human Geographic Concepts
Jan. 21	Nationalism and Identities	19-45
Week 3
Jan. 26	Ethno-Territorial Conflicts		Nationalism - Terms and Concepts
Jan. 28	Political Geography of Resources	63-73
Week 4
Feb. 2	Europe- Immigration/Identity	321-332	Nationalist Conflicts
Feb. 4	Europe – EU and its Future	332-348
Week 5
Feb. 9	Balkans – Road to Sarajevo	348-369	Balkan Wars Redux
Feb. 11	Balkans –Kosovo and its Aftermath
Week 6
Feb. 16	Russia – Economic and Political Changes	373-391	Debate I -Chechen Independence?
Feb. 18	Russia – Post Communist Identities	391-414
Week 7
Feb. 23	Caucasus – The Chechen Wars	419-432	Debate II – Control of Caspian Sea Oil
Feb. 25	Caspian Sea Oil – The “Great Game”	432-445
Week 8
Mar. 1	Central Asia – Islamisms		Midterm Review
Mar. 3	Afghanistan – Local and Global Wars	445-52
Week 9
Mar. 8	The “War against Terrorism” Updated		Democracy and Minority Rights in China
Mar. 10	MIDTERM EXAM
Week 10
Mar. 15	China – Development without Politics	455-501	NONE - AAG Meeting
Mar. 17	None – AAG Meeting in Philadelphia
SPRING BREAK
Week 11
Mar. 29	India – Geopolitical Tensions	505-522	Debate III – The War’s Aftermath in Afghanistan
Mar. 31	Pakistan – State and Nations	522-547
Week 12
Apr. 5	Indonesia – Regional Autonomies	551-566	Review Paper Guidelines and Formats
Apr. 7	Indonesia – Growth, not Development	566-589
Week 13
Apr. 12	Africa – A “tragic continent”?	219-240	Debate IV- AIDS in Africa
Apr. 14	Zaire and W. Africa– State Building	240-271
Week 14
Apr. 19	Middle East – Islamic Diversity	275-293	Debate V – The 2^nd Partition of Palestine
Apr. 21	Israel/Palestine–Territorial Dilemmas.	293-307
Week 15
Apr. 26	Iraq – Update - Democratic State or Victim	307-317	Review for Final Exam
Apr. 28	Review

Reserve Readings

The eight reserve readings are available online through the link on the Course Webpage or through the Library reserve homepage.  About half of the recitation sections have a required reading associated with them (see below).  Additional web materials for the debates are available through the course website.  At a minimum, each student should read the reserve materials in preparation for the debates.

Discussion Section      Reading

Week of 12 Jan	None
Week of 19 Jan	Economist “The man in the Baghdad café.” 9 Nov. 1996 , pp. 23-26.
Week of 26 Jan	None
Week of 2 Feb	Economist “The delicate Balkan balance” 19 Aug. 2000, pp.41-43
Week of 9 Feb	Economist “The Caucasus –where worlds collide” 19 Aug. 2000, pp.17-19.
Week of 16 Feb	Economist “A moment of truth: The Caucasus” November 27, 2003,  3 pp.
Week of 23 Feb	None – Midterm review
Week of 1 Mar	None – Paper Guidelines Handout and Discussion
Week of 8 Mar	Economist “Special report –Fighting terrorism” 29 September 2001, 15-23.
Week of 15 Mar	None
Week of 29 Mar	Economist “AIDS – A mixed prognosis” 27 November 2003
Week of 5 Apr	None
Week of 12 Apr	Economist “In the name of God – Islam and the West” 13 September, 2003 (16 p)
Week of 19 Apr	Economist “Borders – Good fences” 19 Dec. 1998, pp. 19-22.
Week of 26 Apr	None – Review for the Final Examination

Reserve Readings:

a) To get the online reserve reading, you need to know my name (O’Loughlin) or the class (Geography 2002) and go to http://libraries.colorado.edu/search/r (Chinook - the Libraries server), or b) click on the Link on the course webpage.   Copies of the class text (Rowntree et al.) and study guide are on reserve at Norlin Library under Geography 2002. 

Honor Code and Plagiarism:

The College of Arts and Sciences passed an Honor Code in 2002.  A key element of this code is that CU students will not plagiarize (using the words and thoughts of others as your own).  As part of the effort to control plagiarism and to ensure that submitted works from students are fully their own, the University has subscribed to TurnItIn.com.  All student papers in Geog. 2002 will be submitted to TurnItIn.com and a grade of F in the course to any student in violation of the CU Honor Code.   Instruction in the use of TurnItIn.com will be provided later in the course.