GEO 490/590
Culture, Nature, Landscape
Department of Geography and Meteorology
Valparaiso University
 Professor Michael Longan Ph.D.
Office: Kallay-Christopher Hall 201C
Phone 464-6874
E-mail: Mike.Longan@valpo.edu
Office Hours: MWF 9:05-10:55 A.M. Th. 1:30-2:30
Web Site: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo490cnl/
Course Meets: TR 11:50-1:05 KCH 108

 

“Which path do you intend to take, Nell?’ said the Constable, sounding very interested. ‘Conformity or rebellion?”
            “Neither one.  Both ways are simple-minded—they are only for people who cannot cope with contradiction and ambiguity.”

                                                            --Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age

Culture, Nature, Landscape is a course in advanced cultural geography that examines taken for granted ideas about nature and culture and explores their integration in the idea of landscape.  The course examines both the physical form of landscapes as well as their representation in landscape painting, photography, film, video games, and literature.  We consider a wide variety of “natural” and “cultural” landscapes including nature parks, theme parks, ethnic neighborhoods, cities, suburbs, and shopping malls among others. Students will also examine the ways that landscapes, spaces, and places are implicated in the production of ideas about “race”, gender, ethnicity and nationality.  Field trips give students practice analyzing the cultural meanings of landscapes.  The course is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on writing in geography, sociology, cultural studies, and contemporary art.  Because it is an advanced class students will be challenged to think in new ways as well as to develop advanced skills in reading and writing.  Students who take this course will learn to cope with contradiction and ambiguity. 

Course Goals

By the end of the course students will…

1.  Understand important theories in cultural geography concerning culture, nature, landscape, “race,” gender, sexuality, nationalism, etc. 
2.  Understand the intellectual history of cultural geography in the United States.
3.  Be able to critically evaluate theories concerning nature, culture, and landscape. 
4.  Apply these theories to understand a particular cultural landscape.
5.  Be able to conduct original research.
6.  Know techniques for reading difficult texts.
7.  Be able to cope with contradiction and ambiguity. 
8.  Identify the interaction between cultural geography and related disciplines.
9.  Have an increased confidence in their own abilities as students.  
10.  Be more interested in cultural geography.
11. Want to re-read the texts from the course and to explore related literature in cultural
12.  Be prepared to take a graduate level class in geography or another discipline. 

There are six major components to this course

1. Reading and Discussion

There is quite a bit of reading for this course. You will need to purchase three books for this semester.  All are available in the Bookstore.

• Susan Davis Spectacular Nature
• Don Mitchell Cultural Geography: A Critical Introduction
• Lucy Lippard, The Lure of the Local: Senses of Place in a Multicentered Society

Additional articles will be on reserve in the library and at my office.  See the partial list below.

Cultural Geography, by Don Mitchell, helps to explain the recent shifts in cultural geography drawing from some of the essential texts of both "old" cultural geography and the "new" cultural geography.  We will read some of these "classics" (some of them are only a few years old) alongside Mitchell's text.  Cultural Geography, however, is much more than simply a text book.  In it he advances a series of important arguments about culture, politics, identity, and about landscape that you may or may not find yourself agreeing with.  Spectacular Nature by Susan Davis explores the "magical" world of Sea World in San Diego and provides some of what is missing from Mitchell's book; an analysis of the intersection of culture and nature.  Additional articles help us to answer the question "What is nature?"  As we will discover there are no easy answers.  The Lure of the Local by art critic Lucy Lippard provides a compelling exploration of the relationships between nature, culture, landscape, and place.  It combines philosophical discussion, case studies, and personal narratives.  At the center of the book is a discussion of what it means to value a sense of place in a multi-centered and highly mobile society.  You’ll note that neither Susan Davis nor Lucy Lippard are geographers by training.  This helps to emphasize the degree to which landscape studies is an interdisciplinary pursuit including scholars from geography, landscape architecture, art history, sociology and American studies (among others).  Some of the reading for this class will be difficult.  Do not be discouraged if you do not understand everything perfectly.   I want you to be able to confront ambiguity and uncertainty and learn how to deal with it.  You can only do this by taking on new and more challenging material. 

Tips for reading

Here are some initial tips for reading difficult material.  You should read actively.  Skim the text before you read and look at section headings to obtain an initial sense of what the text will be about.  Annotate the text in the margins.  Underline passages that summarize and advance the argument being make.  Place question marks and write questions in the margins beside passages you do not understand.  Reread passages that initially do not make sense to you.  After you are done, got back and review the text and go back to passages that you did not understand and see if they make more sense in retrospect.  Finally ask in class, or in office hours, about things you did not understand and share with the class those things that you did understand. 

 

Attendance and Participation

These readings will provide the basis for our daily discussions.  It is therefore essential that you not only do the assigned reading before you come to class, but that you also take some time to digest and reflect upon your reading.  Please come to class with some questions, ideas, or insights prompted by the readings.  That is come to class with something that you want us to discuss.  Our goal is to have discussions where everyone is able to actively participate.  We do not want to have discussions where the professor or just one or two students do most of the talking!  You will be graded on your participation in discussion and attendance in class.  Regular attendance is essential for doing well in this class!  If you must be absent due to illness, a family emergency, or university activity please send me an e-mail stating the reason and I will excuse your absence.  You should also come talk with me and discuss what you missed. 

 

2.  Reading Journal and Portfolio

In order to get the most out of the class and to be prepared for discussion I would like you to keep a reading journal in which you reflect in writing on your understanding (or lack of understanding!) of the readings for the class.  Your journal may take any form that works best for you, a notebook, a word processing document that you add entries to, or even a public blog on the Internet. 

There are two types of entries you will make in your journal.  The first will be an entry for each reading. I understand that you may not always have time to do a full entry, but at the very least you should jot down some basic notes about each reading assignment and do some significant reflection on most.  The following are some questions that you can use to guide your writing:

• What was the main point or argument of the reading?
• What terms were present in the reading that you had not encountered before?
• What did you understand from the reading?
• What confused you in the reading?
• How did this reading relate to previous readings?
• How does this reading relate to what you already know and to experiences that you have had?

The second type of entry will be directed writing.  I will ask you to reflect upon a particular topic or question that we will discuss during the next class.  For example you might be asked to write about how a particular event in the news relates to what we have been talking about. 

Your reading journal is meant primarily to be a form of self-assessment and a method for helping you to increase your understanding of the course material.  At the end of the semester I will ask you to turn in a portfolio consisting of an introductory statement and a selection of at least five of your best entries from your reading journal (more is encouraged).  The introductory statement should address the following questions:

1.  What important ideas have you learned about cultural geography?
2.  What skills have you developed throughout the semester?
3. How do you think that you will use the knowledge and the skills you have learned during the course in the future? 
4.  How do the journal entries that you have chosen help to illustrate the answers to the above questions.?

You may if you wish at any time during the semester ask to have your entries read by me for feedback on your work. 

3.  Reflection papers

Twice during the semester I will ask you to do a more formal journal entry in the form of a reflection paper on the readings for the day and will ask you to help start and lead our discussion.  See the schedule below for your assignments.  The paper itself should be about one page (single spaced).  It should not summarize the reading (though some summary might be useful, especially with difficult readings) but should raise some questions about the reading that you would like to address in class.  You should also provide your own provisional answers to these questions.  You will e-mail these papers to the class e-mail list by 12:00 a.m. the day of class so that the other members of the class can have a chance to read your thoughts.  (Please cut and paste your paper into an e-mail message rather than sending it as an attachment). Other class members are welcome to respond to the reflection papers on the e-mail list with their own thoughts and questions prior to class. 

4.  Critical Reviews

Twice during the semester you will do a 4-7 page critical review of a reading or set of reading.  For these assignments you will be expected to give a short summary or description of the text that you are reviewing (no more than a paragraph or two highlighting the main argument of the reading).  Then you should spend the rest of your paper raising and answering questions about the reading.  For the first critical review you will need to write about the connections between the theories that Don Mitchell develops and Davis’ study of Sea World.  The second critical review will be on The Lure of the Local.   

5. Local Landscapes Research Project

The final project for the course will be a research paper that applies the theories we discuss throughout the course to the analysis of a local landscape.  Your field site should be within easy walking or driving distance of campus so that you (and eventually the class) can actually visit the site and use your observations of it in your analysis.  Alternatively your field site may be in Chicago area or Northwest Indiana as long as it is easily accessible via the South Shore Line and a short trip on public transportation within Chicago.  You are welcome to consult with me about possible topics.  You will also need to rely upon other sources, including local histories, archival documents, maps, manuscript censuses, and interviews among other possibilities.  A series of assignments throughout the semester will help you choose a site and figure out how to approach the project.  There are no restrictions on the type of site.  It may be urban, suburban, rural, or even "natural."  Many of the articles and chapters that we will read for this semester will serve as models for your project. Because this is a large semester long project, you need to get going on this right away.  Your paper will need to be between 10 and 20 pages in length. 

6.  Field Trips

I would like to do one or more field trips in April to visit the sites that you choose for your research project.  I have tentative dates proposed in the schedule below. We will likely do one trip for those of you who have chosen local landscapes and one trip to Chicago on the train.  You will be responsible for transportation for both trips.  Finally, we will go out, walk around, and take a look at our local landscape from time to time.

Grade

The final grade will be based upon the following.

·        Participation and Attendance 10%
·        Reading Journal Portfolio 15%
·        Reflection Papers/Starting and Leading Class 5%
·        Critical reviews 20%
·        Research project (and the assignments leading up to it) 50%

 

Extra Requirements for Graduate Students

Students taking this course for graduate credit will be assigned additional readings in consultation with the professor as the basis for an annotated bibliography to be handed in at the end of the semester.  In addition the research project should make use of more cultural geography literature beyond that which is assigned for class.  The paper should be of article length (20-30 pages). 

Course Web Site and E-mail list

I have started a web site for this course at http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo490cnl/.  You need to check your e-mail regularly for updates, reminders, and comments on class material.  You will submit some of your work via e-mail to the rest of the class to comment upon. You are welcome to use the class e-mail list to converse with other class members about class material.  Participation in such discussions will count towards your participation grade.

Accommodations for students with disabilities

If you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know during the first week of class so that your learning needs may be appropriately met.  All discussions will remain confidential.

Authorized Aid and the Honor Code

The Honor Code will be upheld in this course.  Authorized aid in this class will be limited to your own personal knowledge and your own work on all written exercises.  You are encouraged to use the services of the writing center and you should have someone else proofread or offer suggestions on your written assignments before handing them in.  You are encouraged to discuss readings outside of class but your reflection papers, critical reviews, and research paper should be your own work.  You must use quotation marks for direct quotes, cite your sources, and include a list of works cited in your critical reviews and research paper and in other assignments as appropriate. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism and may be considered unauthorized aid because you are essentially representing someone else’s work as your own. Many first year students mistakenly believe that it is OK to cut and paste text from web sites into their papers without providing both quotation marks and a proper citation. Web sites are no different from any other source and need to be cited fully. If you do not know how to cite your sources or have any questions about this, please talk to your professor. Finally sharing your papers written for this class with others on the Internet without notifying the professor first or downloading papers written by others to hand in (either in part or in their entirety) constitutes unauthorized aid.

Acknowledgements

This course is inspired in large part by Don Mitchell's 1993 University of Colorado at Boulder course Peoples and Environments: Approaches to Landscape.

Schedule