OVERVIEW

The course presents the main theoretical and methodological references for the study of the geographic mobility of goods, people and information, on the assumption that the land is the unit formed by the objects and the subjects located on the Earth's surface and the vertical and horizontal relationships connecting them to the ground and between them.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at bringing to the fore the strategic role played by communication in territories' and local communities' development.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (FURTHER INFO)

The course has as main objectives: increase the understanding of geography as a discipline that studies the relationship between people and the environment and their evolution over time; contribute to the understanding of the strategic role of communication in the development of the territories, for example illustrating the processes and spatial effects of the information's flow  and telecommunications in different geographical scales; facilitate the decoding and the critical and conscious use of the mapping tool.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures with slide projection and analysis of charts, tables, diagrams, thematic maps, videos.

Exercises, review and self-assessment test about the cartography.

Screening and discussion of video and analysis of some arguments contained therein.

Proposals for collective reflection on short specialized articles.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will examine the main theoretical references of geography with a focus on the theme of communications (deterministic paradigm, possibilist, functionalist, theory of central places, theory of innovation and dissemination of information).
Insights will be provided on: the Atlantic Megalopolis and communications system, civic networks, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the digital divide, indexes and indicators to measure the digital divide, the digital gender gap, cybergeografia and  cybermappe, augmented reality and tourism, sustainable development, risk and environmental degradation, climate change, the interrelationships between cinema and geography.
During the lectures will be shown some video  on issues related to environmental risk and environment's and landscape's degradation and protection; videos will be analyzed on a geographical perspective and discussed during the examination.
Given the communicative value of the map, it will be examined various geographic projections and types of maps, and the latest methods of detection and representation of the earth's surface. In addition, they will be analyzed case studies on the use of cartography in the daily press.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For attending students:

Slides and lecture notes, supplementary materials (scientific articles, links to videos, links to civic networks sites, links to experience augmented reality) made available on Aulaweb portal.

Cartography:

G. Galliano, D. Galassi, A. Primi, Dalla carta geografica alle cybermappe, Le Mani – Microart’s Edizioni, Recco-Genova, 2006 (Cap. 2, Cap. 3, Cap. 4, paragrafo 6.1.3). 

Or:

Slides and lecture notes.

For the part of cartography on Aulaweb portal will be included for all students, attending and non-attending, some assessment tests (timed and non-timed) that can be used in preparation of the written evaluation of cartography.

For non-attending students:

G. Dematteis – C. Lanza – F. Nano – A. Vanolo, Geografia dell’economia mondiale, UTET Università, Torino, 2010 (Cap.: 1°, 2°, 4°, 8°, 9°, 11° based on numbering edition of 2010). 

One text chosen from the following related to: geography and communication, geopolitics and communication, digital divide, women and ICT, environment and communications.

• C. Cerreti, I. Dumont, M. Tabusi (a cura di), Geografia sociale e democrazia. La sfida della comunicazione, Roma, Aracne ed., 2013 (The papers of: Dumont, Tabusi p. 9; Eva p. 43; Lugeri et Al. p. 95; Prunesti, Casagrande p. 105; Schmidt p. 121; Amato, Dumont p. 143; Rocca et Al. p. 223; Albanese p. 241; Di Bella p. 313; Maggioli et Al. p. 329).
• G. Bettoni, I. Tamponi, Geopolitica e comunicazione, Milano, F. Angeli, 2012 (Chapters 3 and 4).
• L. Sartori, Il divario digitale: Internet e le nuove disuguaglianze sociali, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2006. (introduction, Chapter 1, Chap. 2, paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of Chap. 3, Ch. 4).
• A. Primi, Donne e Tecnologie dell’Informazione e della Comunicazione (TIC), in Primi A., Varani N., La condizione della donna in  Africa sub-sahariana. Riflessioni geografiche, Libreriauniversitaria.it edizioni, 2011, (pp. 155-203).
• J.N. Hafkin, S. Huyer, Cinderella or cyberella? Empowering women in the knowledge society, Kumarian Press, 2006 (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4).
• N. Varani, A. Primi, Politiche per l’ambiente. Una lettura geografica di Rio+20, Libreriauniversitaria.it Edizioni, Padova, 2012. (Chapters 1 and 2, from subparagraph 4.1.3 at the end of Chap. 4 – pp. 95-108). 

Cartography:

G. Galliano, D. Galassi, A. Primi, Dalla carta geografica alle cybermappe, Le Mani – Microart’s Edizioni, Recco-Genova, 2006 (Cap. 2, Cap. 3, Cap. 4, paragrafo 6.1.3). 

Or:

Slides and lecture notes.

For the part of cartography on Aulaweb portal will be included for all students, attending and non-attending, some assessment tests (timed and non-timed) that can be used in preparation of the written evaluation of cartography.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ANTONELLA PRIMI (President)

CHIARA ACCOGLI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Class schedule

GEOGRAPHY OF COMMUNICATION

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Exams are held in oral form; in written form only for the part of cartography.

The written test for cartography (accessible to all students attending classes or not) will be held by December 2016 on the date communicated on the portal Aulaweb, where it will be activated a procedure for online registration.

Those who do not do the written test or fails the test will be questioned about cartography during the oral examination. The exam about coartography does not expire.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral discussion will cover the theoretical references, thematic analysis and the case studies presented in class or on textbooks. The interview also takes place on the basis of images, graphics, tables, thematic maps and video examined in class and present on supplementary materials made available on Aulaweb portal or present on textbooks.

The exam of cartography consists of a test with open and closed questions, to be performed at  the computer lab of the Campus.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

All students are encouraged to periodically visit the page of this course on the portal of e-learning AulaWeb (reachable from the University website or at the following url: https://www.aulaweb.unige.it). All information and materials related to this course are exclusively published in this site.