De-colonising Geographies: Theory, Methods, Praxis

GEOG31011 De-colonising Geographies: Theory, Methods, Praxis 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 3 Nerea Okong'o Unit coordinator Alison Browne Unit coordinator Geography 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 Colonialism has unequal and long-lasting impacts on communities and societies, Indigenous peoples, and more-than-human species across the Globe. It is woven into our political, economic, and scientific knowledge structures, and is not a thing of ‘the past’ but something we are all still living within, and working through, whether or not our positionalities enable us to see or acknowledge it. The effects of colonisation are uneven and intersect with geopolitics of gender, race, Indigeneity, class, nationality, and wider critical geographies of difference. Colonialism still emerges as micropolitics, and as systemic structures, within society. Many of us gain privileges through its continued existence particularly in institutional structures that invisibly privilege whiteness. The decolonisation of our societal, economic, democratic, political, institutional and scientific systems is essential to redress historical and contemporary inequalities, and to reimagine the complex socio-natural-political-economic challenges we face today. Yet how we move beyond critique and analysis, to a committed path to decolonisation beyond metaphor (Tuck & Yang, 2012), is complex and challenging. This course will help you to reflect on how we might begin to undo these systems, and the role geographers – both physical and human - might play in these processes.  This course will enable students to think through historical lineages of decolonial thought, theoretical frameworks, ethics, methodological approaches, and real-world interventions and actions that lead to a potential ‘decolonisation’ of geographical research and praxis, and wider institutional structures. The focus of the course will be to engage a variety of theoretical perspectives on decolonization; explore diverse examples of decolonising theory, methodology and praxis from across the world and in our own academic institution; and to think beyond academic spaces to the impact of our research and policy praxis. Throughout the course the students will be encouraged to deeply reflect upon their own, and others, positionality, and existing and future professional practice.  Running since 2018-2019 academic year, and in the sixth repeat of the course, Decolonising Geography was set up as a space of critical discussion and activism to try and create change within Geography@Manchester. Sessions piloted within the Decolonising Geography course are now embedded into the curriculum such as the Noongar Elder led Nowanup Virtual Fieldtrips. The longer module outline is approximately 50 pages and counting and yet is still only a partial alternative geography curriculum. There are regions, and perspectives, that are missing from this curriculum in Decolonising Geography, and the wider Geography course, which remain more invisible but we invite students to bring to light these geographies in our discussions and assessments.  In participating in this course students will be co-creators of decolonising the geography curriculum and wider institutional structures at the University of Manchester. There is still work to do, and this course will continue to be a place for individual and shared learning and action to shape the Geography Curriculum for years forward (including the ongoing Geography Programme Review).   Colonialism has unequal and long-lasting impacts on communities and societies, Indigenous peoples, and more-than-human species across the Globe. It is woven into our political, economic, and scientific knowledge structures, and is not a thing of ‘the past’ but something we are all still living within, and working through, whether or not our positionalities enable us to see or acknowledge it. The effects of colonisation are uneven and intersect with geopolitics of gender, race, Indigeneity, class, nationality, and wider critical geographies of difference. Colonialism still emerges as micropolitics, and as systemic structures, within society. Many of us gain privileges through its continued existence particularly in institutional structures that invisibly privilege whiteness. The decolonisation of our societal, economic, democratic, political, institutional and scientific systems is essential to redress historical and contemporary inequalities, and to reimagine the complex socio-natural-political-economic challenges we face today. Yet how we move beyond critique and analysis, to a committed path to decolonisation beyond metaphor (Tuck & Yang, 2012), is complex and challenging. This course will help you to reflect on how we might begin to undo these systems, and the role geographers – both physical and human - might play in these processes.  This course will enable students to think through historical lineages of decolonial thought, theoretical frameworks, ethics, methodological approaches, and real-world interventions and actions that lead to a potential ‘decolonisation’ of geographical research and praxis, and wider institutional structures. The focus of the course will be to engage a variety of theoretical perspectives on decolonization; explore diverse examples of decolonising theory, methodology and praxis from across the world and in our own academic institution; and to think beyond academic spaces to the impact of our research and policy praxis. Throughout the course the students will be encouraged to deeply reflect upon their own, and others, positionality, and existing and future professional practice.  Running since 2018-2019 academic year, and in the sixth repeat of the course, Decolonising Geography was set up as a space of critical discussion and activism to try and create change within Geography@Manchester. Sessions piloted within the Decolonising Geography course are now embedded into the curriculum such as the Noongar Elder led Nowanup Virtual Fieldtrips. The longer module outline is approximately 50 pages and counting and yet is still only a partial alternative geography curriculum. There are regions, and perspectives, that are missing from this curriculum in Decolonising Geography, and the wider Geography course, which remain more invisible but we invite students to bring to light these geographies in our discussions and assessments.  In participating in this course students will be co-creators of decolonising the geography curriculum and wider institutional structures at the University of Manchester. There is still work to do, and this course will continue to be a place for individual and shared learning and action to shape the Geography Curriculum for years forward (including the ongoing Geography Programme Review).   The unit aims to:Develop a general introduction to histories of decolonisation and related concepts and theory;Develop a deeper awareness and working knowledge of decolonizing methodologies and research ethics;Enable students to link key theoretical debates and methodologies for research with decolonisation in practice;Raise awareness and develop reflexivity on the inequalities that are highlighted within debates and practice around decolonisation;Raise awareness and develop reflexivity on these issues within staff and students’ personal and professional lives;  Provide students with an opportunity for self-directed learning and independent study into how to identify, critically analyze, and find pathways for doing different forms of geographical praxis within their current academic, and future professional, careers;Work together as a collective on developing relationships of solidarity and community practice for change (realised through supported conversations, group working, generating and receiving peer-to-peer feedback). <ul><li>Critically reflect on alternative geographical, and related academic/non-academic, theory/methods/praxis that works to decolonise research, policy, institutions and societies.</li><li>Critically reflect on professional strategies to develop values-based action within professional settings and institutions.</li></ul>  <ul><li>Critically reflect upon the legacies, and contemporary dynamics, of colonial histories in academic and non-academic settings.  </li><li>Critically reflect upon the importance of Indigenous, Black and Global Majority knowledges, research practices, and professional practices.  </li></ul>  <ul><li>Critically analyse the processes of knowledge production.  </li><li>Evaluate and analyse academic and non-academic texts and audio-visual materials.  </li><li>Apply theoretical arguments to empirical research and real-life examples.</li></ul> <ul><li><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW54902987 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif", "Microsoft Sans Serif_EmbeddedFont", "Microsoft Sans Serif_MSFontService", sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Critically reflect on the decolonisation of the curriculum within Geography at the University of Manchester, and reflect on the transferability of these learnings to other professional settings. </li></ul> (Indicative curriculum content):Decolonising Geography, Decolonising the Institution?  Decolonising Methodologies and Practice  Decolonising the Manchester Museum  Introduction to Critical Geographies of Difference  Practicing Interdisciplinary Resistance  Decolonisation and Critical Physical Geography  Decolonisation of More-than-Human Worlds – Decolonisation and the Anthropocene Decolonising Geography will be delivered through a combination of lectures (one hour), seminars (two hours), asynchronous virtual fieldtrips, in person fieldtrips, and include discussion, debates, case studies, videos, films etc. Students will be required to undertake work within groups in seminars, and both in groups, and individually, outside of the contact time. Materials will be supplied via the module handbook, Canvas, and peer reviewed and book materials can be found either online or in the University library. The unit outline is purposefully expansive to ensure the diversity of topics and authors presented within the course, as well as classic texts. Students will also be expected to do their own independent reading and research, particularly on the topics they choose for their group projects, and their weekly reflective statements.  The students will engage with critical reflection through archival, literature/secondary data analysis and other materials through their own independent study and research throughout the course. The students will develop a deeper understanding of the politics of knowledge production and citation,and learn how to properly cite and reference communication of Indigenous knowledges through oral transmission.  Shared Learning Contract:While underpinned by many formative feedback opportunities, this course requires students’ ongoing, active engagement and participation. The lectures, seminars, and formative feedback opportunities are designed to support independent, self-directed learning both individually and in groups. Lecturers and tutors, and peers, will help mentor and guide you through these reflective actions. Non-attendance will affect your ability to complete the coursework, and negatively impact our ability to support your learning. The course relies on iterative, reflective building up of knowledge across the course; regular non-attendance of seminars and lectures will influence your capacity to deeply engage with the coursework tasks, and therefore the reflective aspects required for major components of the assessments. DASS and disability accommodations to support the widest range of learning styles and needs including hybrid provision can be discussed with staff to support learning outcomes.  0 Other 100% Formative Assessment Task:<ul><li>Group Project Outline</li></ul><span class="TextRun SCXW2839812 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif", "Microsoft Sans Serif_EmbeddedFont", "Microsoft Sans Serif_MSFontService", sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="none" xml:lang="EN-GB" lang="EN-GB">          400 words or 4 powerpoint slides <ul><li>Reflective Statements  (supported through their own reflective writing, peer assessed formative feedback on 600 words of writing, and supported seminar discussions  </li></ul>         600 words  (3 x 200 word statements) Summative Assessment Task:<ul><li>Group Project Presentation and submission of presentation PDF / Powerpoint slides.</li></ul>         10 minute live or pre-recorded presentation (a PDF, PowerPoint or similar presentation), with up to 5 minutes for Q&A and audience discussion.           Weighting: 50% <ul><li>Independent Reflective Statements  </li></ul>         1500 words total - 3 x 500 word extended independent reflective statements (based          on three weekly reflections and topics of student choosing from substantive       teaching weeks 2 - 9)           Weighting: 50% Formative Assessment:Written formative feedback on their plans for the project, with verbal discussion in the seminars following release.  Summative Assessment:Group Project:  Written feedback on marking criteria within Faculty guidelines; verbal feedback in Q&A following presentation.Independent Reflective Statements:  Written feedback provided within Faculty guidelines. BA (Hons) Geography BA (Hons) Geography Third Year Optional BSc (Hons) Geography BSc (Hons) Geography Third Year Optional BA (Hons) Geog w Int Study BA (Hons) Geog w Int Study Fourth Year Optional BSc (Hons) Geog w Int Study BSc (Hons) Geog w Int Study Fourth Year Optional BA Geography w Placement BA Geography with Placement Fourth Year Optional BSc Geography w Placement BSc Geography w Placement Fourth Year Optional Y Thinking Beyond Geography:  This course encourages you to think and read within, and beyond, Geography. It encourages you to think, read and gain information in interdisciplinary ways. You will be encouraged to use ideas, materials, and methods from a wide variety of disciplines, including, geography, anthropology, history, sociology etc. As such there are not specific text books for this course, and while comprehensive reading lists are provided for this course, should not be seen as definitive but entry points into a genre of writing and research.  Each week we will provide an indicative reading list on Canvas, with clear signposting to required readings, recommended readings, and wider independent study to support learning.   Fieldwork 10 Lectures 7 Seminars 16 0 167