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Geographical Visions of the World

Code: 107230 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Social and Cultural Anthropology FB 1

Contact

Name:
Marc Pares Franzi
Email:
marc.pares@uab.cat

Teachers

Deisiane Delfino Dos Santos
Carlos Alberto Haas Fournel

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject is taught in the first year of the degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology. The course provides an introduction to the main themes of human geography, with particular attention to significant aspects of contemporary reality such as the socioecological crisis and debates surrounding its resolution.

The main objective of the course is to provide a systemic and critical understanding of the complexity of the world and the interconnections between different processes at global and local scales. Additionally, it aims to familiarize students with the factors that have contributed to the global socioecological crisis through an exploration of the relationships between political, economic, social, and environmental dynamics, using theoretical, methodological, and empirical tools from the social sciences, especially geography.

The learning objectives include:

  • Understanding the key elements that shape the territorial organization of human societies at a global scale and the processes that transform them. 
  • Mastering the most important concepts used in human geography and current debates about global transformation and the socioecological crisis. 
  • Establishing meaningful connections between different thematic aspects of the program and other subjects. 
  • Acquiring knowledge of geographical tools for analyzing space, territories, and their transformation. 
  • Becoming aware of the formal aspects of academic language: research sources, text analysis, qualitative research tools, and the development of theoretical-empirical academic work. 

Finally, it is emphasized that the classroom space where teaching takes place is safe, conducive to learning and discussion, and free from male violence.

 

 

Learning Outcomes

  1. CM02 (Competence) Apply theoretical knowledge of related disciplines to the study of local and global problems, incorporating the gender perspective.
  2. KM01 (Knowledge) Identify the theoretical foundations of the disciplines related to Anthropology and establish their relationships.
  3. KM03 (Knowledge) Give information about anthropological topics to general and specialised audiences using ICT.
  4. KM04 (Knowledge) Identify the interactions between local and global processes studied by related disciplines.
  5. SM01 (Skill) Describe social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way from related sciences, taking into account the complexity of the factors involved, their causes and effects.
  6. SM03 (Skill) Relate the elements and factors involved in the interpretation of local and global contexts studied by related disciplines.
  7. SM04 (Skill) Adequately use the basic language of related sciences in both oral and written expression.

Content

BLOCK I – UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

  1. Political Geography and the Challenges of the Contemporary World
    Analysis of the world as a complex geopolitical system in constant transformation. Identification of actors, conflicts, and territorial forms of organization.

  2. A Geographical Perspective on the Global Economy
    Study of global economic flows and the territorial inequalities generated by globalized capitalism.

  3. The Urbanization Process and Its Consequences
    Understanding urbanization patterns worldwide, rural-urban dynamics, and the challenges of megacities.

  4. Population, Social Inequalities, and Human Mobility
    Analysis of major demographic processes and global and local social inequalities.

 

BLOCK II – UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIOECOLOGICAL CRISIS

  1. Social and Cultural Geography as an Analytical Tool
    Exploration of the relationships between territory, cultural identities, and social dynamics.

  2. Globalization and Cultural Homogenization
    Cultural impacts of globalization and local resistances. The loss of cultural diversity.

  3. The Anthropocene and the Global Socioecological Crisis
    Introduction to the concept of the Anthropocene and analysis of the ecological crisis caused by human activity.

  4. Technoscientific and Consumer Culture: Limits and Impacts
    Critical reflection on the consumer society model and its environmental, social, and ethical implications.

 

BLOCK III – ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET AND SOCIETY

  1. Environmental Geography and Society-Nature Relations
    Study of the environmental impacts of the current development model and proposals for sustainable territorial reconfiguration.

  2. Sustainability, Ethics, and Global Justice
    Analysis of the values and principles associated withsustainability, environmentalism, and environmental and global justice.

  3. Strategies and Tools to Address the Socioecological Crisis
    Proposals for action and transformation at different scales: global, regional, local, and community.

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical exercices (PAUL) 17 0.68
Theory (TE) 30 1.2
Type: Supervised      
Practical exercices 20 0.8
Tutorials 5 0.2
Type: Autonomous      
Information search 20 0.8
Personal study 35 1.4
Readings 20 0.8

The methodology is designed to combine theory and practice, fostering the development of critical and analytical skills among students. The course is structured into three main thematic blocks, with an interdisciplinary and participatory approach aimed at the co-production of knowledge through directed, supervised, and autonomous activities.

  1. Directed activities
    These include:

  • Theoretical sessions led by the teaching staff, encouraging discussion and active participation by students, using various didactic resources (presentations, debates, seminars, videos, guided readings, case studies, etc.). Regular learning activities are included to support comprehension and consolidation of the content.

  • Classroom practicals: exercises developed actively and collaboratively in class. A total of 10 practical sessions will be held. The responsible lecturer will inform students in advance about the practical activity to be carried out in each session. As a result of these activities, students will be required to submit various applied exercises.

  1. Supervised activities
    These consist of follow-up tutorials and support for resolving questions related to the assigned tasks or any other aspect of the learning process.

  2. Autonomous activities
    These are tasks carried out by students independently, either individually or in groups, outside the classroom and without the presence of teaching staff. They may include reading, preparing assignments, individual study, or preparing oral presentations.

All autonomous tasks will have a submission deadline that must be respected. Some of these activities may require oral presentations by students.

On the first day of class, the teaching staff will present the course syllabus, which will include detailed content, assessment activities, submission deadlines, and the required readings for each topic.

Important: Respect the classroom as a safe and comfortable space for learning and discussion, and keep it free from gender-based violence.

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
Course work 30% 0 0 CM02, KM01, KM03, KM04, SM01, SM03, SM04
Exams 30% 3 0.12 CM02, KM01, SM01, SM04
Practical exercices (PAUL) 25% 0 0 CM02, KM04, SM01, SM03, SM04
Theoretical sessions deliveries 15% 0 0 CM02, KM01, SM01

Assessment System

A continuous assessment system will be used to measure students’ progress and understanding of course content throughout the semester. Assessment will be based on a range of individual and group activities: written assignments, presentations, participation in debates and seminars, practical exercises, and written exams. In addition to theoretical knowledge, critical analysis, collaborative work, and the practical application of studied concepts will also be evaluated.

The final grade for the course will be based on the submission of the following activities:

  • Two partial exams: 30% of the final grade.

  • Learning activities linked to theoretical sessions: 15%. These include reinforcement and comprehension exercises carried out during theory sessions. They are only available in class and are not subject to resubmission.

  • Practical exercises based on classroom sessions: 25%.

  • Coursework (CW): 30%. May be completed individually or in groups. The coursework must be developed regularly and under supervision, demonstrating the ability to search for, organize, synthesize, and analyse information. Guidelines will be provided on the first day of class.

General criteria:

  • The final grade will be calculated as the weighted average of the four components. However, to pass the course, students must:

    • Submit all assessed activities.

    • Obtain a minimum score of 5 out of 10 in the two partial exams, the practical exercises, and the coursework.

  • Deadlines set by the teaching staff must be strictly followed.

  • Submissions must be made exclusively through the virtual campus. Submissions by email will not be accepted.

  • Assignments must be formally well presented, including the correct citation of all sources and data used.

  • For each assessment activity, the teaching staff will communicate (via Moodle) the procedure and date for reviewing grades.

  • Activities not submitted will receive a grade of zero (0).

Resit policy:

  • Students who have completed at least 66% of the assessable activities may be eligible to resit.

  • The following components are resit-eligible: the two partial exams, the practical exercises, and the coursework.

  • Learning activities from theoretical sessions are not resit-eligible.

Non-assessable status:

  • A student will be considered non-assessable if they fail to submit activities representing more than 30% of the total assessable workload.

Single assessment option:

This course does not allow for a single final assessment.

Plagiarism or academic misconduct:

If a student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant change in the grade of an assessment activity, that activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Restricted use: For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using such technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in this graded activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or total penalties in the activity’s grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.


Bibliography

  • Alisa, Giacomo d’ et al. (2015) Decrecimiento. Vocabulario para una nueva era. Barcelona: Icaria.
  • Albet, Abel i Benach, Núria (2012) Doreen Massey. Un sentido global del lugar. Barcelona: Icaria - espacios críticos.
  • Braidoti, Rosi (2015) Lo Posthumano. Barcelona: Gedisa.
  • Breton, David Le (2015). Umbral del camino A  Breton, David Le  Elogio del caminar. Madrid Siruela, p.15 - 24. (orginal  Éloge de la marche, 2000)
  • Bonneuil, Cristophie; Fressoz, Jena Bastiste (2017). The shock of the Antropocene. UK: Verso. 
  • Herrero, Yayo (2023) Toma de tierra. Bilbao: Caniche.
  • Lorey, Isabell (2016) Estado de inseguridad. Gobernar la precariedad. Madrid: Traficantes de sueños.
  • Méndez, Ricardo; Molinero, Fernando (1998). Espacios y sociedades. Introducción a la geografía regional del mundo. Barcelona: Ariel.
  • Méndez, Ricardo (2011). El nuevo mapa Geopolitico del Mundo. València: Tirant lo Blanch.
  • Moore, Jason W. ¿Antropoceno o Capitaloceno? In book: Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, History and the Crisis of Capitalism (2022).
  • Ortiz, Anna (Coord.) (2011) Visions Geogràfiques del Món. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la UAB, p. 15 - 24.
  • Romero, Joan (ed). (2007) Geografía Humana. Procesos, riesgos e incertidumbres. Barcelona: Ariel.
  • Santos, Milton. Los espacios de la globalización. Anales de geografía de la Universidad Complutense, ISSN 0211-9803, Nº 13, 1993  págs. 69-77
  • Shiva, Vandana (2017) ¿Quién alimenta realmente al mundo? El fracaso de la agricultura industrial y la promesa de la agroecología. Madrid: Capitán Swing.
  • Shiva, Vandana (2001) Biopiratería: el saqueo de la naturaleza y el conocimiento. Barcelona: Icaria.
  • Solana, Miguel [coord.] (2016) Espacios globales y lugares próximos. Setenta conceptos para entender la organización territorial del capitalismo global. Barcelona: Icaria.
  • Steel, Caroly (2020) Ciudades hambrientas. Madrid: Capitán Swing.
  • Steffen, Willian; Broadgate, W. Deutsch; Gaffney, O. (2015). The trajectory of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration. In The Antropocene Rewiew. Vol. 2 (1) 81-98.
  • Sterling, Sthefen. (2010). Transformative Learning and Sustainability: sketching the conceptual ground. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 5, 2010-11.
  • Turiel, Antonio (2022) Sense energia. Breu Guia per al gran descens. Barcelona: Alfabeto.
  • Urry, John (2017).Offshore. La deslocalización de la riqueza. Madrid: Capitán Swing. (edició original Offshoring de 2014).
  • Vega Cantor, Renan. El Capitaloceno: Crisis civilizatoria, imperialismo ecológico y límites naturales. Bogotá: Editorial Teoría & Praxis , 2019.
  • Veiera, Paulo Freire (2007) Ecodesenvolvimento: do conceito à ação. De Estocolmo a Joanesburgo. In: Sachs, I., Rumo à ecossocioeconomia. Teoria e prática do desenvolvimento. São Paulo: Cortez, p. 9-31 (Coletânea
  • organizada por Paulo Freire Vieira).
  • Vieira, Paulo Freire (2016) Ecodesenvolvimento: desvelando novas formas de resistência no Antropoceno. In: C.M.M. SOUZA et al. Novos Talentos: processos de educação para o ecodesenvolvimento. Blumenau: NovaLetra, p. 23-63.
  • Vivas, Esther (2014) Elnegocio de la comida. ¿Quién controla nuestra alimentación? Barcelona: Icaria.

*During the course, this bibliography will be complemented with references on specific topics.

 


Software

Office


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
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed