Dr Murray Low STC.S512

This course is available on the BA in Geography, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environmental Policy with Economics and BSc in Geography with Economics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

An introduction to the relevance of a geographical perspective for explanation of contemporary political processes, and of a political perspective for explanation of contemporary geographies, at scales from the local to the global. Topics covered include: states; geopolitics; empires and national states; citizenship rights, migration and national 'closure'; nationalism, territory and identity; geographies of elections and representation; democratization; globalisation, neo-liberalism and governance.

20 hours of lectures and 9 hours of classes in the MT. 10 hours of lectures and 5 hours of classes in the LT. 2 hours of lectures in the ST.

Students will be expected to submit one formative essay per term of up to 1,500 words.

Detailed reading lists will include journal articles, but indicative texts include: J Agnew, Making Political Geography, 2002; C Barnett and M Low (eds.) Spaces of Democracy 2004; J Agnew & S Corbridge, Mastering Space, 1995; K Cox, M Low and J Robinson (eds) The Sage Handbook of Political Geography, 2008.

Exam (75%, duration: 3 hours) in the main exam period.
Essay (25%, 2000 words) in the LT.