GEOGRAPHY 489 (special topics)
Geography of the European Union:
European Geography, Geography of Europe, and any other combination of the words Geography and Europe.
Texas A&M University, Spring Semester 2002
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Erik Prout
Office: O & M Building #803-A
Office Hours: open door and by appointment
pre-set times are Mondays & Wednesdays 2:00-4:30
Office Phone # 458-3379
COURSE
Geography 489-500 (special topic on E.U.)
Lecture format for three credits
Class meets in PETR 113 every M/W/F 10:20-11:10
UPDATED TOPICS & READINGS
Website: http://geog.tamu.edu/~prout
SYLLABUS COPY
Statement:
The political, economic, and cultural changes in Europe
occur at both governmental and individual levels; the European Union is an
institutional fixture as well as a contested symbol of the new Europe. Geography
of the European Union (GEOG 489) is a special topics course that examines
the European Union at various geographical scales. The three main scales
of inquiry are (1) the internal geographies of the current member States,
(2) the regional geography of the European continent, and (3) the global
ramifications of a unified Europe.
The initial scale defines the European Union members and
their component regions; the historical development (growth) since
the second World War; the structural links between regions as well as the
removal of State based controls on people and goods.
The regional scale is the more traditional Geography of
Europe content that includes the cultural and physical geography of Europe.
At this scale, the definition of Europe, future of Europe and upcoming membership
changes are discussed.
The global scale explores the emerging political and economic
trends that a unified Europe presents. Assuming a unified and coherent Europe,
the policy implications for world powers such as the United States and for
severely underdeveloped regions such as Africa can be explored.
Additional topics include those States (Norway and Switzerland)
that choose not to join, those States (of Eastern Europe) who desperately
want to join; the complex relationship between American and European security
interests (NATO's future); the need to democratize E.U. governance; and the
evolving European identity with particular interest in the European Charters
and movement away from an American model of Western culture.
The successful outcome of this course, which is my goal,
is to (1) facilitate your understanding of the European Union through the
use of various geographical scales of analysis, (2) increase your knowledge
and proficiency of the various cultural, political, and ecological contexts
in Europe, (3) develop a dialogue of "Europe" in regards to identity and
territory, and (4) convey the importance of intellectual pursuits that construct
geographical places, regions, and ideas.
Requirements:
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. While
there is no presumption of prior geographical study, it is a 400 level course.
It would be useful to have an interest in Europe (via language, policy, or
history) or be familiar with geographical concepts. One feature of a geography
course that differs from other university courses is the need to use atlases
and maps; be prepared for some memorization of geographical features and
their locations on maps of Europe.
Readings:
The European Culture Area: A Systematic Geography, 4th Edition.
Terry Jordan-Bychkov
and Bella Bychkova Jordan. Rowman & Littlefield, 2001. ISBN# 0-7425-1628-8
Modern Europe: Place / Culture / Identity.
Brian Graham, editor. Arnold, 1998. ISBN# 0-340-67698-1
Access to an academic atlas. Recommend Goode's World Atlas, 20th Edition.
Evaluation / Grading:
I use a 1000 point scheme for grading. Every evaluation
has a set value of points, and the final grade is determined from the total
number of points accumulated. The final grade is based on the total points and ranking
of your points, not the percentage of points. I set the point thresholds
only after evaluating the whole class and the point distribution.
EXAMINATIONS
Half of the points will come from two examinations:
the midterm exam and the final exam are each worth 250 points. The examinations
will consist of multiple choice, fill-in the blank, short answer, map locations,
and possibly one take-home essay.
TERM PAPER
The other 500 points consists of a written paper (broken
down by 50 for preparation, 350 for the paper, and 100 for the discussion
of papers). The paper will be 8-12 pages of writing and be on an approved
topic.
Classroom Policies:
• Conducive learning environment is foremost: late arrivals and early departures
should be extreme situations; disruptive behavior of any sort is wrong. Food,
drink, and smoking are limited by university policies. You must minimize
the distractions especially unnecessary noise because it interferes with
others ability to hear me. Discretely let me know if the screen is out of
focus or if my voice is too low. I will try to project my voice and I will
pester those who waste our class time.
• Excused absences are by university policy! Examination or due-date emergencies
require immediate notification (a phone call to me, the Department of Geography,
or an appropriate university official) and written verification of emergency.
Alternative evaluations are essay oriented and at my discretion.
• Questions: Ask questions. The best questions start with why, where, or
who. If you are curious or unsure, probably others in class are thinking
the same thing. I will respond.
• Academic Honesty: I will not tolerate any form of dishonesty. On examination
days, bring ID card and only what is necessary. Instead of devising ways
to cheat, devote that time to studying. There is zero toleration of plagiarism;
take special care when writing your term papers that you give credit for
other people's ideas.
• ADA Statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal
anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection
for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment
that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If
you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact
the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in
Room 126 of the Koldus Building, or call 845-1637.
• Copyrights: All course material is copyrighted. Taping, reproducing, and
downloading of course material for reasons other than personal use will be
regarded as copyright infringement and referred to University lawyers for
action.
Evaluation Schedule:
Date / Evaluation
% of Grade
Week 1
First day of class, Jan. 14 Syllabus
Week 2
No class on MLK day
Week 3
• Paper Topic and rough outline (Feb. 1st) 25 points
Week 4
Week 5
• Paper outline and bibliography (Feb. 15th) 25 points
Week 6
Week 7
• MIDTERM EXAM (Feb. 25th)
250 points
Week 8
Weeks 9 & 10
No class [Spring Break] and [AAG conference] --- Intensive reading and writing period
Week 11
No class on Good Friday
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
• TERM PAPER (April 15th)
350 points
Week 15
• Term Paper presentations/discussions 100 points
Weeks 16 & 17
Last day of class, April 29
•
FINAL EXAM -- May 7, 8:00-10:00
250 points