OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide the knowledge to interpret from a geographical point of view the global phenomena related to communication.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Geography of Communication module aims to contribute to an understanding of the strategic role of communication for the development of territories and local communities.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to introduce students to a critical reading of the processes of information production and circulation and how these processes impact on places construction and resignification.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• synthetize the basic elements of the geography of communication
• adopt a critical perspective on the processes of production, communication and circulation of information
• recognize and understand the implications that multiscalarity has on the phenomena of construction of place imaginary
• recognize the risks of reductionism in geographic communication
• use in a critical way the communication tools provided by geography (es. web-GIS)

PREREQUISITES

There are no specific requirements

TEACHING METHODS

The course will alternate lectures with seminars, working groups and debates.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is organized in 5 tematic sections that discuss different topics about the geography of communication. Practical activities will be proposed along the course.

1.  Role of visual in geography:

• introduction to cartography;
• map power;
• a critical reading of contemporary cartography;
• decolonizing maps through practices of counter-mapping and partecipatory mapping;
• more-than-visual, multisensorial maps.

2. More-than-maps in geographical communication:

• role of images in building global imaginaries and social inequalities;
• how movies narrate the world and help to shape it;
• visual and non-visual methodologies to communicate research results in geography.

3. Geography and cyber-place:

• how cyber-place changed geography;
• what is the cyber-geography;
• risks of cyber-space between disinformation and surveillance practices.

4. An introduction to Web-GIS:

• what are GIS
• how to use them.

5. Outer space geography:

• Introduction to the outer space geography and geopolitcs;
• Satellites for communicating and doing geography;
• Impacts of of the outer space explorations on the earth geography;
• Conflicts and neocolonialism in outer space practices.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For attending students:

Notes taken during lessons, slides and any document provided during lessons and shared in Aulaweb. Scientifical papers and other documents will be provided for all the topics and they will be part of the examination. 

For non-attending students

Slides and any document provided during lessons and shared in Aulaweb. Scientifical papers and other documents will be provided for all the topics and they will be part of the examination. 

In addition, a book between:

• Rocca L. (2011) Partecipare in rete. Il Mulino, Bologna
• Burini F. (2016) Cartografia partecipativa. Mapping per la governance ambientale e urbana. Franco Angeli, Milano.
• Lo Presti L. (2019) Cartografie (in)esaurite. Rappresentazioni, visualità, estetiche nella teoria critica delle cartografie contemporanee, Franco Angeli, Milano (open access disponibile qui: https://series.francoangeli.it/index.php/oa/catalog/book/450)
• A Blum (2021) Tubi. Viaggio al centro di internet. Minimum fax.
• E Dell'Agnese (2009) Paesaggi ed eroi. Cinema, nazione, geopolitica. Utet
• G Nesti (2018) Trasformazioni urbane. Le città intellingenti tra sfide e opportunità. Carocci editore
• A Favretto (2006) Strumenti per l'analisi geografica GIS e telerilevamento. Pàtron editore (limited to Parte Prima, Parte Seconda, Strumenti 1 e Strumenti 2)

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons will take place in the second semester

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Exam will be a written test with open questions. There will be four questions in the test, from which students will have to choose three. The time available for its completion will be 60 mins. The answers provided must not exceed the 15 lines. 

Group work, possibly carried out by attending students, even if discussed during the course, forms an integral part of the exam.

Erasmus students are invited to contact the teacher to define the exam program.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral interview will allow to evaluate:

• mastery and deepening of knowledge,
• the development of skills useful for analysing the contemporary practices of communication and their impacts on places.

Evaluation criteria are:

• the quality of the exhibition;
• the correct use of an appropriate vocabulary;
• the ability of critical analysis, even on possible cases discussed.

The students who carry out the group work will also be assessed on the quality of the paper as regards the content and formal aspects.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information is available in Aulaweb