Syllabus

Cultural Geography

Syllabus

Summer 2008

Jun 16, 2008-Jul 18, 2008

Instructor: Ebenezer “Kofi” Peprah

Email: epeprah@lbcc.edu
kofi_peprah_@hotmail.com

Geography by its nature is a spatial science. Geographers therefore study space in order to locate the distribution of people and objects. Geographers ask two main questions, “where” and “why.”

Text Material:

An Introduction to Human Geography. The Cultural Landscape, 9^th Edition

By James. M. Rubenstein

Course Objectives:

Over the course of the semester students will be provided with information to enable them understand the cultural elements of geography.

At the end of the semester students will be able to:

1. Define geography and explain its importance in education
2. Think geographically
3. Understand the elements of population growth and why population is increasing at different rates in different countries
4. Explain why people migrate, where are migrants distributed and why do people migrate within a country
5. Define folk and popular culture, where do folk and popular culture originate and diffuse
6. Distinguish between language and dialects, why do people preserve local languages
7. Define what is religion? Where are religions distributed and why are religions distributed where they are
8. Define ethnicity and understand why do ethnicities clash?
9. Understand the concept of political geography
10. Understand what is Development

Day/dates Topics chapter

Mon. June 16^th Introduction/ syllabus

Tues. June 17^th Introduction to geography 1

Wed. June 18^th Population 2

Thurs. June 19^th Population 2

Fri. .June 20^th Migration 3

Mon. June 23^rd Migration 3

Tues. June 24^th Midterm 1

Wed. June 25th Folk and Popular culture 4
Thurs. June 26^th Folk and Popular culture 4

Fri. June 27^th Language 5

Mon. June 30^th Language 5

Tues. July 1^st Midterm 2

Wed. July 2^nd Religion 6

Thurs. July 3^rd Religion 6

Fri. July 4^th Independence Day

Mon. July 7^th Ethnicity 7

Tue. July 8^th Ethnicity 7

Wed. July 9^th Midterm 3

Thur. July 10^th Political Geography 8

Fri. July 11 Political Geography 8

Mon. July 14^th Documentary Review

Tues. July 15h Development 9

Wed. July 16^th Development 9

Thurs. July 17^th Revision

Friday July 18^th Finals

P.S. I reserve the right to alter the reading, exams, and assignments to improve the quality of this course

Assignments and due dates

1. Explain the difference between physical and human geography

Due:June 20^th

2. Why does globalization of popular culture cause problem?

Due: June 30^th

3. Explain the causes of the conflict in Rwanda between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Explain whether the conflict was genocide or ethnic cleansing

Due: July 17^th

Attendance

Class attendance is mandatory. A student missing 3 days in a row or more than 20% of a course shall be automatically dropped, this is college policy. Be silent, and turn off your noise making devices. Do not interfere with the ability of others to hear or participate in class. Students who are absent or disruptive risks losing points on their final grade for poor class participation

Grading system

The point system will be used

3 Midterm exams each 50x3 points = 150

Finals examination = 60

Assignments 3x20 = 60

Positive attendance = 20

Total = 290

Points scale

290pts-261pts = A

260pts-232pts =B

231-203pts = C

202-174points =D

173+- = F