Geographies of Change and Resistance
| Module title | Geographies of Change and Resistance |
|---|---|
| Module code | GEO2139 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Eliott Rooke (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 120 |
|---|
Module description
How does the future come to be? How do our actions, as individuals and collectives, shape the world of tomorrow? These are the questions at the heart of this module. Through a focus on acts of change and resistance – from protest to policy, promise to practice – you will explore how we might negotiate the unfolding of different futures. Far from opposing forces, this module views change and resistance inherently intertwined process enacted through political, cultural, environment, social, economic, and infrastructural transformations and transitions.
Although grounded in geography, the issues addressed in this module are interdisciplinary making the module suitable for students with a background in other disciplines. There are no pre-requisite modules.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module invites students to think about how acts in the present shape the coming future and how anticipation of the future shapes acts in the present. Throughout the module, students will be introduced to a series of different moments and movements defined by change and resistance. These will cover a broad set of contemporary issues that include themes such as climate change, technological development, and social justice.
The module brings together ideas from multiple disciplines, recognising that many of these topics are interdisciplinary. However, the module grounds these in geographical thought to explore the critical role geography and geographers play in understanding change and resistance. Themes will be explored in the context of real-world examples and through the lens of geographical ideas and concepts.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Identify and discuss ways in which geographers have understood change and resistance as geographical concepts and processes.
- 2. Critically evaluate acts of change and/or resistance in relation to module themes.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Identify and investigate selected issues in human geography research
- 4. Engage with relevant theoretical and applied literatures as well as non-academic materials to develop academic inquiry into contemporary issues.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Identify the specific contributions geographers can make to interdisciplinary debates.
- 6. Develop sustained and logical arguments through written work
Syllabus plan
The module will explore the concepts of change and resistance through different lenses. Indicative topics include:
- Technological development
- Social and cultural activism
- Climate change and decarbonisation
- Infrastructure siting and controversy
- Geopolitics
- Behaviour change
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 20 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 2 | Assessment surgeries |
| Guided Independent Study | 128 | Additional reading, research and preparation for the seminars and module assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 500 words | 1-6 | Individual feedback in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infographic | 30 | 1 page | 1-5 | Written |
| Written assessment | 70 | 1,750 words | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infographic | Infographic (1 page, 30%) | 1-5 | Referral/deferral period |
| Written assessment | Written assessment (1,750 words, 70%) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Anderson, B. (2010) Preemption, precaution, preparedness: Anticipatory action and future geographies. Progress in Human Geography, 34(6): 777-798.
Bickerstaff K (2012) Because We've Got History Here”: Nuclear Waste, Cooperative Siting, and the Relational Geography of a Complex Issue, Environment and Planning A, 44: 2611-2628 DOI:10.1068/a44583
Devine-Wright P (2011) Public engagement with large-scale renewable energy technologies: Breaking the cycle of NIMBYism, Wiley interdisciplinary reviews: Climate Change 2(1):19 – 26 DOI:10.1002/wcc.89
Hughes, S. (2020) On resistance in human geography. Progress in Human Geography, 44(6): 1141-1160.
Jacobsen, A. (2024) Nuclear War: A Scenario. Dutton, New York.
Kanarp, G.C.S., Böhm, S. & Löf, A. (2025) Contested adaptation futures: the role of global imaginaries in climate adaptation governance. Sustainability Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01608-0
Shove, E. (2010). Beyond the ABC: Climate Change Policy and Theories of Social Change. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 42(6), 1273-1285. https://doi.org/10.1068/a42282
Simandan, D. (2020) Being surprised and surprising ourselves: A geography of personal and social change. Progress in Human Geography, 44(1): 99-118.
Strengers, Y., & Maller, C. Eds (2015). Social Practices, Intervention and Sustainability: Beyond behaviour change. Routledge.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 26/02/2025 |
| Last revision date | 04/03/2025 |
