| Unit name | Health Geography |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG20023 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Crane |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
All core Year 1 Geography units |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
Health is one of the 21st century’s most important global problems. This unit will introduce you to how and why geographers study health, and we’ll look beyond health as a solely biological phenomenon to examine its deeply political, economic and social dimensions. All of these insights into health will help you make better sense of the contemporary moment, but also of the role different geographical approaches to health play in addressing health inequality and injustice.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Human geographers study health in many different ways. This unit will introduce you to some of the methods, debates and case studies that make up geographical and spatially-sensitive approaches to health, from the study of disease spread to the role of population health in shaping international development. You’ll leave this unit with a better understanding of how health geographers think about and study health as it relates to inequality, identity, and power. You’ll also gain experience through the unit of developing your own interpretive and critical thinking skills as you analyse the geographical scholarship on health, and you’ll gain a better sense of how geographers are grappling with new areas of health research, including mental health, digital health, and global health.
An overview of content
Content on the unit may include case studies in the following areas:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will learn about aspects of geography that will change the way you think about your subject. You’ll gain a better sense of how taken-for-granted dimensions of your own life are not disconnected from the longer historical and inherently geographical story of how health came to matter to states, communities and individuals. You will think more critically about the resources involved in providing for health and healthcare systems, and you will be challenged to consider the histories and geographies of health in places outside the UK and around the globe.
Learning Outcomes
How you will learn
The unit will include lectures and seminars supported by weekly office hours. Lectures will provide an overview of key research areas and concepts, supported by presentation of specific case studies and examples to help you navigate the academic literature on the topic. The lecture will also help you better understand why the topic is an important area of research in health geography. Between the lectures and seminars, you will be asked to read 1-3 academic research articles on the week’s topic, and to come to the seminar ready to ask questions and talk about what you read in a discussion facilitated by the instructor. Independent reading and study in preparation for these seminars will help you become more familiar with the topics presented in the lecture; the seminar will deepen your knowledge through dialogue with other students. Small group presentations in the seminars will involve independent reading and study where you will learn from other members of your group and by designing a presentation together in which you select the material to be presented and explained. You can also raise questions to aid your learning during weekly office hours held by the instructor. These methods of teaching will help you to develop your analytical skills, to develop more confidence in sharing complex ideas with others, and to prepare for completing the assessments.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
In-class presentations in small groups will help you synthesise material covered in the readings and lectures. These activities will also give you a better sense of how to prepare a coherent, engaging, and concise overview of the presented material. You will be given the option to select presentation formats to enhance your skills (PechaKucha presentation, etc.).
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
40% 1500-word Annotated bibliography on a topic of students’ choice
60% Unseen 2-hour exam
Notes on the Annotated Bibliography assignment: An Annotated Bibliography is a list of sources used in research with a brief ‘annotation’ that describes the source’s content and main argument. Creating an Annotated Bibliography on a research topic is an effective way to organise a research bibliography and to hone your ability to identify key arguments in the literature you read and summarise these works in your own words. For this assignment, you will be asked to select five (5) articles or chapters from a list of 20 works in the Recommended reading list for the unit. Your annotations for each source should be 300 words (1-2 paragraphs) and should identify:
When assessment does not go to plan
Re-assessment will be based on the original assessment.
In the event COVID or other restrictions prevent in-person timed examinations, an on-line timed 2-hour examination will be assigned.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GEOG20023).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
