Checking date: 19/05/2025 18:15:53


Course: 2025/2026

Regional Geography
(13803)
Bachelor in Humanities (2008 Study Plan) (Plan: 156 - Estudio: 213)


Coordinating teacher: GARCIA ALVAREZ, ANTONIO JACOBO

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: History, Geography and Art Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:

Branch of knowledge: Arts and Humanities



Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Geography (course 1, semester 2)
Objectives
This course aims that students acquire the knowledge and basic tools for geographical and geopolitical understanding of today's world at various scales (global, regional, local) , focusing on the analysis of some actors and regions which are particularly relevant in this respect.
Learning Outcomes
LEARNING OUTCOMES 1.Have acquired advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and demonstrated an understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects and working methodologies of the Humanities, so as to achieve a high level of knowledge generation. 2.Be able, by means of arguments or procedures developed and supported by themselves, to apply their knowledge, understanding and problem-solving skills in complex areas concerning the Humanities, including specialised professional activities requiring the use of creative and innovative ideas. 3.Have the ability to collect and interpret data and information on which to base their conclusions, including, where necessary and relevant, reflection on social, scientific or ethical issues in the field of the Humanities. 6.To be able to identify their own training needs in order to develop activities related to the humanities in work or professional environments, as well as to organise their own learning with a high degree of autonomy in all kinds of contexts, whether structured or not. BASIC COMPETENCES 1.Students have demonstrated possession and understanding of knowledge in an area of study that builds on the foundation of general secondary education, and is usually at a level that, while relying on advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that involve knowledge from the cutting edge of their field of study 2.Studentsare able to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the competences usually demonstrated through the development and defence of arguments and problem solving within their field of study. 3.Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements which include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues. 4.Students should be able to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. 5.Students will have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy. GENERAL COMPETENCES 1.Acquire the essential knowledge of the various subjects of the humanities disciplines: History, Art, Philosophy, Literature, Spanish Language, Languages, Geography and Classical Culture; of their epistemological evolution and of the relationship of each one with related scientific disciplines, starting from the knowledge acquired in secondary education and up to a level that guarantees knowledge of the state-of-the-art in the study of the Humanities. 2.To develop the linguistic and cultural competences of their community language 3.Acquire the different methods of analysis, synthesis, research and thought corresponding to the humanities disciplines studied. 4.Learning to produce ¿knowledge¿ related to the various humanities subjects. 5.Knowing how to approach humanistic problems and content from a rigorous and effective interdisciplinary perspective. 6.Acquiring the ability to introduce and apply critical thinking when analysing information, data, ideas, opinions and concepts related to the world of the Humanities. 7.Acquiring the ability to tackle problems and provide solutions concerning issues related to humanities disciplines. SPECIFIC COMPETENCES 1.Knowing and being able to define and relate the concepts, limits and sources of the subjects concerning humanistic disciplines, as well as knowing the main lines of work and analysis of history, geography, culture, thought and language. 2.Knowing and being able to interpret texts, materials and creations linked to the world of thought, history, geography, theoretical reflection, culture and art, through their correct spatio-temporal contextualisation. 3.Being able to identify and analyse common processes, throughout history, in the relations between society and its intellectual, artistic and cultural productions. 4.Being able to produce analytical texts, essays and reports with rigour and applying a scientific method in accordance with good research and professional practices. 5.To be able to apply rigorous and effective methods of analysis to understand situations, processes, conflicts and problems in today's world in order to enrich common points of view and opinions. 7.Learning and being able to apply the interdisciplinary approach of the degree in related disciplines, both in the world of culture and in the world of thought, communication, historical and geographical studies and creation and representation.
Description of contents: programme
The course, structured in two parts, seek to achieve several objectives. The first of these parts aims to summarize the theoretical and conceptual foundations of regional geography, from an eminently geopolitical perspective; the main explanatory theories of the politico-territorial structure and conflicts of today's world; and the processes of regional division and differentiation at different scales, with special attention to the case of Europe. The second part will analyse some representative state and regional actors in terms of the uneven global distribution of power, namely the United States, China and Africa. The final lesson of this second part will approach the bases and territorial conflicts of the Spanish "State of Autonomies". LIST OF TOPICS PART I: INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY. A GEOPOLITICAL PERSPECTIVE LESSON 1. Regional geography and geopolitics. LESSON 2. Major global geopolitical theories and doctrines. LESSON 3. Regional divisions and differentiation processes in contemporary world. The case of Europe. PART II: THE GEOGRAPHY OF WORLD POWER AND GLOBAL ORDER (OR DISORDER) LESSON 4. The world seen from the United States:geopolitical basis and challenges of a global superpower. LESSON 5. The rise of Chinese superpower. LESSON 6. Africa: a peripheral region in the world-system. LESSON 7. Introduction to geopolitics of the Spanish "State of Autonomies".
Learning activities and methodology
This course combines theoretical sessions and practical sessions. Theoretical sessions present the basic contents of the subject syllabus and aim to provide students with conceptual and methodological fundamentals for understanding and analyzing the geographic reality of different regions. Theoretical sessions will be developed through classroom lectures by the teacher, while practical sessions will be focused on the reading, discussion, and critical analysis of selected bibliography, as well as, eventually, on the preparation of a written report or essay aiming to analyze a specific regional problem or area. Tutorials will be carried out through the procedures established by the university.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 50
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 50

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • ADOUMIÉ, V. y otros. Géopolitique du monde contemporain : approche générale. Hachette. 2014
  • AZCÁRATE, B. y otros. Geografía regional del mundo. Desarrollo, subdesarrollo y países emergentes,. UNED. 2010
  • BLACK, J.. Geopolitics and the quest for dominance. Indiana University Press. 2016
  • BONIFACE, P. y VEDRINE, H.. Atlas du monde global - 3e éd. - 100 cartes pour comprendre un monde chaotique . Armand Colin. 2015
  • CLAWSON, D.L. y otros (eds.). World regional geography: a development approach, 11th edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2014
  • COHEN, S.B.. Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations, 3rd. edition.. Rowman & Littlefield. 2014
  • FINLAYSON, C.. Word Regional Geography. UMN Center for Open Education. 2019
  • FISAS, V.. Hegemonías, bloques y potencias en el siglo XXI. El orden mundial tras la guerra de Ucrania. Catarata. 2022
  • FRAGUAS, M.. Manual de geopolítica crítica. Tirant lo Blanch . 2016
  • KAPLAN, R.. The revenge of geography. Random House US. 2013
  • LACOSTE. Y.. Geopolítica. La larga historia del presente (edición actualizada). Síntesis. 2012
  • LAMO DE ESPINOSA, E.. Entre águilas y dragones. El declive de Occidente. Espasa. 2021
  • LOYER,B.. Introducción a la geopolítica. Síntesis. 2022
  • MARSHALL, T.. Prisioners of geography. Elliott & Thompson. 2015
  • MARTÍN, E., coord.. Geopolítica. Claves para entender un mundo cambiante, 2ª ed.. UNED. 2017
  • MENDEZ, R.. El nuevo mapa geopolítico del mundo. Tirant lo Blanch. 2011
  • MIHELIC, L. y PULSHIPER, A. . World Regional Geography Concepts. 3rd ed. W. H. Freeman and Company. 2016
  • NIJMAN, J. et al.. Geography. Realms, regions and concepts. 18th ed.. John Wiley. 2020
  • PLAZA, J.I., GARCÍA ÁLVAREZ, J. y TORRES, J.F.. Geopolítica de la Unión Europea. Síntesis. 2021
  • SHORT. J.R.. World Regional Geography. A short introduction. Oxford University Press. 2020
  • VV.AA. El Atlas de Le Monde Diplomatique. Nuevas potencias emergentes. Cybermonde. 2012

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.