This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

Logo UAB

Society, Territory and Environment in Catalonia

Code: 104245 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning OB 2

Contact

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

Teachers

Francesc Romagosa Casals

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


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.

 


Learning Outcomes

  1. CM18 (Competence) Propose viable projects and actions that enhance social, economic and environmental benefits in a specific case.
  2. KM26 (Knowledge) Relate regional dynamics of Catalonia in their wider territorial and environmental contexts.
  3. KM28 (Knowledge) Report on the evolution of the human population in Catalonia: demo-geographic dynamics and structures, including migrations, genders, ages, classes, nationalities, and statuses.
  4. SM21 (Skill) Analyse geographical dynamics (socio-demographic, geo-economic and environmental) at different territorial scales.
  5. SM22 (Skill) Interpret the distribution of people and activities in the Catalan territory and the resulting flows.
  6. SM22 (Skill) Interpret the distribution of people and activities in the Catalan territory and the resulting flows.

Content

The main contents that will be tackled are the following:

  • 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




Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Face-to-face lectures, in the classroom or outdoor in campus areas 39 1.56 KM26, KM28, SM21, SM22, KM26
Field trips 8 0.32 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21, CM18
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials as well as preparation of practical essays and reports of field visits and campus visits 25 1 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21, CM18
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous work 40 1.6 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21, SM22, CM18
Study 35 1.4 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21, SM22, CM18

In general, 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  

 

Along the course, the teachers will explain the protocol of measures and good practices for field trips. In the fieldtrips of this subject the protocol for fieldtrips established by the Faculty will be implemented.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercices and practical assignments 35 % 0 0 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21, SM22
Fieldwork report and participation 15% 0 0 CM18, KM26, KM28, SM21
2 written exams on site 50 % 3 0.12 KM26, KM28, SM21, SM22

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 the exam that did not reach the 4/10 mark). 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 (0) as the final grade for this subject and the subject may not be recovered.

This subject allows a restricted use of the so-called "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) tools, excusively in tasks of bibliographic or information search as well as preliminary correction or translation of texts for some practical activities. The generative AI gives errors or allucinations and it is always necessary that students revise everything before submission. When the use of AI is explicitly authorised in written form by the professor/s, students must in writing: 1) identify the parts that are generated with AI; 2) specify the tools used; and 3) include a critical reflection on how these tools have been influential in the process and results of the activity. The absence of transparency in the use of AI in evaluative activities may imply that the subject is qualified with zero (0) and/or stronger penalties in worse cases.      

 

.

 

 


Bibliography

AGÈNCIA CATALANA DE L’AIGUA (2022). Aiguahttps://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 . 

BIOSCA, Oriol et al. (eds.) (2021). El territori intel·ligent més enllà de la tecnologia. Barcelona: Societat Catalana d'Ordenació del Territori.

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

DOMINGO, Andreu i BARCELÓ, Mercè (2022). Les mutacions socials de la Covid-19. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans.

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

FONT GAROLERA, Jaume (2023). Las Españas despobladas. Entre el lamento y la esperanza, Madrid: Catarata.

INSTITUT CATALÀ DE LES DONES (2024). Les Dones a Catalunya 2023, Barcelona: Observatori de la Igualtat de Gènere, Generalitat de Catalunya. Vegeu: https://dones.gencat.cat/web/.content/03_ambits/Observatori/03_dossiers_estadistics/2024/Les-Dones-a-Catalunya-2023-Accesibilitat.pdf 

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.

VILA, Marc-Aureli (1980). Compendi de Geografia de Catalunya. Barcelona: Curial.

VILADECANS, Elisabet i MAGRE, Jaume (2023). Geografia de la indústria i cohesió social. Barcelona: Observatori de la Indústria. 

 

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 the MICROSOFT Word, Excel and Power Point. In addition, the on-line platform Moodle will be used. PDF is the main format for submission of digital documents. In relation to social networks, in certain activities, X (Twitter) or Instagram can be used.

 


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 11 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PCAM) Field practices 12 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed