Soc Sci 26 Gacayan© SS 2015-2016
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University of the Philippines Visayas Miagao 5023, Iloilo Philippines College of Arts and Sciences Division of Social Sciences Political Science Cluster Social Sciences 26, SS AY 15-16 (People, Places & Spaces in a Changing World) General Course Description Geographical and inter-disciplinary perspectives on economic, political, social, cultural, environmental changes and futuristic trends in local, national and global contexts Credit 3 units Pre-requisite None RGEP Cluster GE (SSP) Section-Schedule Sec 1, T-F,11:30-01:00 Classroom LT Annex Faculty Mr. Clyde Ben A. Gacayan Office PoliSci Cluster, Division of Social Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences, UP Visayas, Miagao Consultation Hours Mondays and Thursdays, 10:00-02:00, or by appointment Soc Sci Faculty Tuesday and Fridays, 08:00-10:00, or by appointment CM Faculty Lounge Class Email [email protected] (class queries and concerns) [email protected] (official business transactions only) Class Webpage http://gacayan.educ.wordpress.com Course Description This GE course in geography provides a holistic approach that will enhance the capability of students for multidimensional and inter-disciplinary thinking. The issues and problems that face contemporary society and the natural environment are too complex to be understood within the domain of one discipline alone. Geography offers a strong foundation to develop integrative perspectives in viewing our historically changing and dynamic world. Course Background & Approach This GE course is both a lecture and activity-intensive class. The reason behind this is that this course was designed to attract students to utilize geographic perspectives, methods and techniques at a theoretical and practical level. Select class meetings are purely devoted for inter-active lectures to introduce fundamental concepts and issues in main geographic units such as geo- economics, geo-political, geo-social, geo-cultural, geo-environmental and future geographies. Activity-intensive activities, which are pre-identified per specific unit topic, will enable students to connect geography and integrative approaches with the pressing human, technological, and environmental concerns of the day. This approach will result into the development of student’s ability to reflect on issues of urgent concern from a distinctly geographic and interdisciplinary viewpoint. General Objectives 1. To understand the basic concepts that govern the relationship between the individual and the society 2. To develop critical thinking skills 3. To appreciate and apply such understanding in the interdisciplinary analysis of issues and problems of society in general and the Philippines in particular Specific Objectives 1. To broaden student’s intellectual and cultural horizons by examining the broad variety of geographical issues and concepts within contemporary human geography, and relate them to 'real life' economic, environmental, 1 | Soc Sci 26 Gacayan© SS 2015- 2016 socio-cultural and political contexts. 2. To enhance the student’s awareness of various discipline by surveying the wide-variety of forms of explanation within human geography, and the dynamic and plural nature of the discipline. 3. To balance nationalism and internationalism by critically reviewing the multilevel economic, environmental, socio-cultural and political processes and patterns, and the manner in which they reflect, reproduce and remake social relations Learning Targets In the process of learning a geographical perspective such as thinking spatially, the student will: 1. Identify and understand the key concepts of human geography (i.e. the principles of location, distance and interaction) through readings, lectures, online modules and class activities 2. Apply and analyze the methods and techniques of human geography through class simulations, case analysis and group outputs on local environmental problems 3. Manifest and show appreciation of local and national problems from a geographical and interdisciplinary perspective Assessment Scheme Assessment of student’s performance will be based on the following: Oral Recitation……………………………..………25pts Thematic and Integrative Activities……………….55pts Output 1: Comm. Mapping……….………....15 Output 2: Class Simulation………………….5 Output 3: Comm. Mapping- Social Info …....10 Output 4: Comm. Disaster Plan…………….10 Output 5: Comm. Outreach………………......15 Topic Reports………... …………………………….10pts End of Sem Course Assessment……………………10pts 100 Cumulative Points Oral Recitation This GE course is both a lecture and activity-intensive class. The reason behind this is that this course was designed to attract students to utilize geographic perspectives, methods and techniques at a theoretical and practical level. Select class meetings are purely devoted for inter-active lectures to introduce fundamental concepts and issues in main geographic units. Moreover coming to class means you are interested to contribute and learn in classroom activities. Class time will not be wasted by discussing the basic details in the assigned reading/s that could be understood by students upon reading. There will no checking of attendance for this class but instead, a point system is adapted for every participation and recitation given by the student. All class sessions are scheduled and can be found in the course calendar and specific course topics have corresponding recitation points. It should be noted that class participation is not limited to answering questions but also engaging in argumentation. It is imperative that that exchange of ideas should always be in a cordial and non-antagonistic manner. Results of the daily oral recitations are made available upon request during consultation hours and can be contested for re-evaluation. Recitation Scheme for 1 Pt. Session Recitation Scheme for 2 Pt. Sessions 1.0 Outstanding 2.0 Outstanding 0.75 Satisfactory 1.5 Satisfactory 0.50 Present – Unsatisfactory 1.0 Present-Unsatisfactory 0 Absent 0 Absent *Instructor has the prerogative to use Recitation points for quizzes and home works if deemed necessary. Thematic and Integrative Soc Sci 26 is part of the Revitalized General Education Program of UP that is Activities required in all bachelor programs of the University. It aims to broaden the students’ intellectual and cultural horizons, foster their commitment to nationalism balanced by a sense of internationalism, cultivate their capacity for 2 | Soc Sci 26 Gacayan© SS 2015- 2016 independent, critical and creative thinking, and infuse a passion for learning with a high sense of moral and intellectual integrity. It is from this background that Social Sciences 26 prioritize an outcome of disposition/affects from students (the ability to question and inform social opinion and action). Because of this disciplinal thrust, thematic and integrative activities in this subject are treated as major component (more than standard written exam) where students engage themselves with activity that aims to develop spatial appreciation of social concerns. The series of integrative activities for this semester will be focused on the research about Surge Reach Initiative (SRI), a trans-disciplinal query led by the class instructor and other junior faculty members of the Cluster of History and Division of Physical Sciences and Mathematics. The aim of the SRI is to preliminarily translate the DOST-designed storm surge signals and levels to area-specific longitudinal measurement of reach, allowing coastal communities to decide and be informed of the actual dimension of storm surges. Since storm surge is a relatively new concept in disaster education, it is deemed necessary that efforts to the study of SRI would translate into a localized knowledge and area specific understanding of the surge signal systems that the DOST-PAG ASA has came up with. Students will be deployed to DOST-PAG-ASA identified areas at risk of storm surges and will conduct a semester-long series of activities both leading to (1) application of Human Geography concepts in real-life scenarios and vice versa; (2) creation of a community disaster plan/map as a form of community out-reach and (3) provision of baseline data from communities to help further the scope of SRI in other areas of Iloilo. Components, Description and Dates of Thematic and Integrative Activities Components – Deadline Description, Target Community Mapping (15pts) What you need to do: The class will be divided into two groups each tasked Release of Inst: 02/01-02/16 to select a coastal community from the pre-identified Storm-Surge prone- Deadline: 02/29/16, for CM: 03/01/16 coastal communities in Iloilo. The identified coastal community will be the area where the semester-long range of activities will be conducted. For the first component called Community Mapping, students will have to create a community map detailing and representing all the physical observations made during the site visit (houses, community facilities, community environmental landscapes, road systems and establishments near the coast) and non-physical characteristics (with a special focus to areas prone to storm surge and other factors that may affect surges (i.e. water breaks, foreshore characteristics). The group creating the community map is expected to use proper scaling and system of representation to depict properly the community represented. The community map should be kept as the semester progresses as this will be used in forthcoming modules. Why you need to do: Part of Unit I: Why geography matters: Knowing where you live, this class output measures