Cultural Geography - Index

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Cultural Geography

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General Information

Instructor: J. Lopez-Jimenez, Ph.D.

Telephone:

507-389-1890
507-382-0497

Office:
218 I Armstrong Hall

Electronic mail:
jose.lopez@mnsu.edu

Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

If I am not in my office, please call
507-382-0497

Required Textbook:
Rubenstein, James. 2024. The Cultural Landscape, 14th Edition.
Hoboken, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Course Objectives
This course provides students with an introduction to the basic concepts of cultural geography. It is designed to give students familiarity with topics about human-land relationships, from demography, migration, agriculture, language, and religions to political geography and ethnicity.

The course is designed in part to reflect the interests of the students taking it. We examine and explore cultural integration and landscapes, look at social regions, different aspects of folk geography and popular culture, and finally basic concepts of urban geography.

Expected Outcomes
At the end of the semester, the participants of this course should be able to:

1. Classify different types of cultural regions.

2. Interpret culture as an interrelated whole, a key to understanding our diverse world.

3. Demonstrate how different cultural traits spread from place to place.

Course Requirements
Students should complete the reading of the relevant textbook material before the day of an exam or quiz.

It is the responsibility of the individual student to review the course content materials (Book Chapters and Power Point Class Notes) well in advance, and to be prepared to take regular quizzes.

First Test: Chapters 1, 4, and 2.

Chapter 1: This Is Geography

Chapter 4: Cultures and Social Media

Chapter 2: Population

Second Test: Chapters 5, 6, and 7.

Chapter 5: Language

Chapter 6: Religion

Chapter 7: Ethnic Studies

Final Exam: Chapters 8, 10, 12, and 13.

Chapter 8: Political Geography

Chapter 10: Agriculture

Chapters 12 and 13: Urban Geography

Exams
Exam questions may be multiple-choice, matching, or true/false questions. They will cover materials discussed in your text. Your performance in the following four areas will determine your final course grade:

Exam 1 - 16.7% of course grade (50 points)

Exam 2 - 16.7% of course grade (50 points)

Final Exam - 16.7% of course grade (50 points)

Assignments and Quizzes - 50% of course grade  

Throughout the semester, quizzes will be given every week. This is to measure your comprehension of the materials presented on your book.

These quizzes do not serve as punitive action; they are designed to assess your learning experience.

These short examinations are a small portion of the assignment grade (10 points per quiz), not exam grade.

Course Policies and Rules
Experience indicates that grades correlate with regular and thorough review of course materials and the completion of chapter readings, and an absence on a test day is detrimental to one's grade.

Make-up exams will only be given in verifiable cases of hardship or illness (you need to provide a note from the physician, court, or police department to demonstrate a legitimate reason for missing a test).

Policies and Rules for Students Taking the Online Version of the Course:

Under special circumstances, I will give you additional time to complete a test. If you did not complete a test on time, I would give you a make-up exam if you provide a documented valid excuse.

Valid excuses include

• personal illness, as verified by a valid medical excuse;

• death or critical illness in the immediate family;

• participation in a university-sponsored activity;

• military service;

• law enforcement or public safety service.

If you examine MSUM’s Student Handbook (the “Students’ Responsibilities” section), you will find the following policy:

“Individuals will respect and foster the academic endeavors of others. Minnesota State Mankato exists to promote learning, and as such, students must behave in such a way so as to allow the process of learning to take place by group or individual. Examples of violations include but are not limited to: harassment of a faculty member; disrupting teaching or learning... intentionally altering, inhibiting, or stealing another person's research...”

Disrespectful e-mails or hostile phone calls won't be tolerated and I will ask disruptive students to quit the course. A student may be dropped from a course by the administration if disrespectful behaviors persist and I recommend this action. Raised voices, temper tantrums, and offensive e-mails will not change my 26-year-old policy. I give occasional quizzes during the semester. Please check the course calendar regularly.

Policies and Rules for Students Taking the Classroom Version of the Course:

It is my policy that disrespectful behavior, lack of consideration towards the participants of the course, tardiness, or any disturbance on your part will influence my decision regarding your final grade.

Attendance is not mandatory, but you are highly advised to attend. If you want to succeed in this course, you should come to every session. While about 90% of the material covered by the lectures could be found in the course book, some topics are not sufficiently covered by the text.

Even though attendance is not mandatory, points will be deducted for those students who leave class early, especially on days that test and quiz grades are returned (permission to leave early is required). I prefer that you are absent instead of having to witness students leaving the classroom disrespectfully.

Cell phone use (of any kind – voice, texting, calculator, or photography…) is prohibited during class. Phones must be turned off or at least set them not to make noise during class time.

The following activities are not to be engaged in during class because they are disruptive and detract from the learning focus of the course: listening to distracting electronic devices such as MP3 players, I-Pods, smartphones, CD players, or Walkman radios; playing electronic games; looking at pagers, Facebook/Twitter/My Space, or other social media; texting, internet faxing, or web browsing. In essence, all students are required to turn off laptop computers before class starts to avoid distracting activities. Reading the newspaper or other materials not related to the course is not permitted during the lecture. Audio or video recording of lectures is not permitted.

Students are not permitted to make unauthorized, electronic recordings of lectures or electronic copies of course materials (e.g., PowerPoints, formulas, lecture notes) using personally owned recording devices (e.g., smart phone, iPad, computer, digital recorder).

Recorded lectures or copied material must be destroyed at the end of the course or semester. Unauthorized downloading, file sharing, distribution of any part of a recorded lecture or course materials, or using information for purposes other than the student’s own learning may be deemed a violation of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s “Statement of Student Responsibilities” subject to disciplinary action.

Side conversations are discourteous to classmates, instructors, and guests. Conversations between classmates while I instruct won't be tolerated and I will ask disruptive students to leave the classroom if I deem it necessary. A student may be dropped from a course by the administration if disrespectful behaviors persist and I recommend this action. Raised voices, temper tantrums, and rude behavior will not change my 26-year-old policy.

Class time will be reserved for the definition of concepts, discussion of topics, and explanation of analytical techniques. Office hours are devoted to answering your questions.

There may be in-class assignments or quizzes, which are a portion of your course average grade. I give these occasional quizzes during the last 10 minutes of the session, throughout the semester. I am not obligated to announce most quizzes in advance.

The syllabus serves as a guideline and is subject to change, depending on circumstances as the semester progresses.

If you are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at (507) 389-2825. Minnesota State University, Mankato provides students with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in educational programs, activities, or services.
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