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2023/2024

Society, Territory and Environment in Catalonia

Code: 104245 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503710 Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning OB 2 2

Contact

Name:
Ricard Moren Alegret
Email:
ricard.moren@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.

Teachers

Francesc Romagosa Casals

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic minimum knowledge about the toponyms and location of the Catalan counties and regions in order to learn (and for learning to learn) about various aspects of Catalonia's society, territory and environment 


Objectives and Contextualisation

 The aim of this subject is to discuss different ways of understanding the relationship between human society, territory and environment in Catalonia through a variety of cartographic, textual and audio-visual interpretations. Through the observation and analysis of this geographical documentation, we propose to:

  • develop scientific and constructive critical reasoning in relation to the territory of Catalonia;
  • analyse some interrelations between the physical environment and human society in Catalonia;
  • interpret some territorial distributions of people, activities and flows generated in Catalonia;
  • assess the conditioning factors, impacts and environmental risks that derive from the relations between society and the environment in Catalonia;
  • obtain a direct knowledge of some parts of Catalonia thanks to field trips;
  • initiate and deepen the knowledge of some basic texts on the geography of Catalonia
  • know some relevant maps and significant Earth observation images of the territory of Catalonia as well as audio-visual products.

For this subject, it is advisable to bear in mind the knowledge of all the compulsory subjects of the degree of Geography, Environment and Territorial Planning taken during the first academiic year and the first term of the second year.

 


Competences

  • Analyse and understand geographical dynamics (sociodemographics, geo-economics and environmental) on different territorial scales.
  • Critically analyse the relationship between society and the region applying the conceptual and theoretical framework of geography.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Systematically analyse and interpret environmental, demographic, urban and landscape elements.
  • Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the relationship between the physical environment and society in Catalonia.
  2. Explain the common and distinctive elements of cities in different regional areas of the world.
  3. Integrate the analysis of cities in the scales of population agglomerations.
  4. Interpret the distribution of people and activity in the region and the flows they generate.
  5. Relate regional dynamics of Catalonia in their broader territorial contexts.
  6. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  7. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  8. Understand and use the main statistical data bases of Catalonia.
  9. Use the scientific and professional language of the social sciences.

Content

 

  • The geographical context of Catalonia. The territorial organization of Catalonia
  • The physical and environmental framework: relief and hydrography, climate and landscape, natural risks, protected areas
  • Human population evolution: demo-geographic dynamics and structures, including migration, gender, age, class, nationality and status
  • Human settlements and the urban system
  • Rural and semi-rural Catalonia: from the Mediterranean tradition and agro-industry to current innovations
  • The industrialisation and re-industrialisation of Catalonia: territorial origins, changes and permanences
  • Tourism and its impact on the territory
  • Territorial and environmental conflicts, negotiations and pacts




Methodology

The contents of the subject will be developed through the following main activities:

- Follow-up of the topics tackled during the course

- Reading books, articles and other texts

- Practical exercises that, in a way or another, can become milestones for the writing up of an exploratory geographical essay on a place in Catalonia

- Fieldwork visits, campus visits and the corresponding reports

- Forums

This is a 100% on-site course and students must responsibly attend and participate in the classroom and other places indicated by the lecturers. In addition, students must weekly follow, read and study publications and news that are made available on Moodle as well as must proactively search additional documents that are relevant for the course  

 

At the beginning of the course, the teacher will explain the protocol of measures and good practices for field trips.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Face-to-face lectures, in the classroom or outdoor in campus areas 39 1.56 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Field trips 8 0.32 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 5 0.2 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous work 50 2 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Study 45 1.8 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9

Assessment

The follow-up of the development of the course gives rise to the continuous evaluation. The lecturers will appreciate its normal and gradual use in three aspects. Firstly (1), for the ability of students to improve quality in carrying out the exercises proposed in the classes (students must correctly quote and cite all data and information sources). Secondly (2), for their participation in the exercises and fieldwork (this is a 100% on-site course). And thirdly (3), for the results of the written exams. In the three aspects, lecturers will appreciate the students' correct comunication and linguistic skills, see: https://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/

The student will have a ‘not assessed’ as a final grade if s/he hands 0% of course tasks or hands course tasks that correspond up to 1/3 of the total mark. In other words, if the student overcomes this threshold, s/he will be assessed and graded.

When evaluation activities take place, lecturers will inform students (via Moodle) of the possible procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

Reassessment will be offered to those students who did a continuous and on-site course and failed the exams with at least a 4/10 mark. If that mark is not reached, students must repeat the written exam in the official re-assessment date. Only written exams can be re-assessed. 

This subject does NOT incorporate single assessment.

Attention: In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity (e.g. copy or plagiarism), the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zeroas the final grade for this subject.

 


Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercices and practical assignments 40 % 0 0 1, 8, 2, 3, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Fieldwork report 20 % 0 0 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9
Written exam on site 40 % 3 0.12 1, 8, 4, 7, 6, 5, 9

Bibliography

AGÈNCIA CATALANA DE L’AIGUA (2022). Aigua. https://aca.gencat.cat/ca/laigua/

ALDOMÀ, Ignasi; MÒDOL, Josep Ramon (2022). Atles del Món Rural 2022: Despoblament o revitalització? Lleida: ARCA, ACM, FTBGL , AMC i UdL (https://www.acm.cat/sites/default/files/publicacions/fitxers/acm_atles_mon_rural_2022_interactiu_0.pdf)  

AMBATLLE, Fina i altres (2018). Mengem futur. Per un sistema alimentari productiu, sostenible, resilient, saludable, responsable i d'accés universal a Catalunya. Barcelona: Consell Assessor per al Desenvolupament Sostenible de Catalunya (CADS): http://cads.gencat.cat/web/.content/Documents/Informes/2018/180322_Informe-sistema-alimentari-de-Catalunya_Informe-complert_vf.pdf . 

BURGUEÑO, Jesús (Ed.) (2021). La nova geografia de la Catalunya postcovid. Barcelona: Societat Catalana de Geografia.

FOLCH, Ramon i altres (Coords.) (2019). Natura, ús o abús. Barcelona: Institució Catalana d’Història Natural. Vegeu: https://natura.llocs.iec.cat/ 

MAJORAL, Roser (Coord.) (2002). Cataluña: un análisis territorial. Barcelona: Ariel.

OBSERVATORI DEL PAISATGE (2022). Catàlegs de paisatge. Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya: http://www.catpaisatge.net/cat/catalegs.php

SOLÉ i SABARÍS, Lluís (Dir.) (1958). Geografia de Catalunya, Vol. 1. Barcelona: Ed. Aedos.

VILA, Marc-Aureli (1998). Catalunya: Rius i poblament. Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat.

 

The full bibliography of the subject will be introduced at the beginning of the second term.

See below links to some geographical journals that include a variety of articles on Catalonia and that students must consult and read along the term:

*Documents d'Anàlisi Geogràfica: https://dag.revista.uab.es/

*Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia: https://raco.cat/index.php/TreballsSCGeografia/index

*Boletín de la Asociación Española de Geografía: https://bage.age-geografia.es/ojs//index.php/bage/index

 

 

 


Software

The usual computer programmes that will be used during this course will be Word, Excel, PDF and Power Point as well as the on-line platform Moodle and, if necessary, TEAMS. In addition, in some activities, social networks like Twitter can be used too.