Module: Introduction to Human Geography

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Introduction to Human Geography
Module Code	GEO1008 (ITS: GY101)
Faculty	History & Geography	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module provides an introduction to some of the key concepts, seminal thinkers, theories and contemporary debates in Human Geography. It details the significance of the rise, reign and faltering of the ‘West’ over the past 500 years in shaping the key social, economic, political, demographic, environmental and cultural processes evident across the globe both historically and in the present day. These concepts and themes will be illustrated using a wide range of case studies that explore human geographies which are being made today in both Western and non-Western regions, including Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts, seminal thinkers and their theories in the field of Human Geography
2. Trace the story of uneven development globally in an historical and contemporary perspective.
3. Describe and explain key trends in contemporary population geography.
4. Detail historical and contemporary urbanisation processes.
5. Develop skills in accessing and interpreting geographical data.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	24	Attendance at lectures
Independent Study	48	Independent study
Assignment Completion	53	Preparation for quizzes and / or written assignments and completion of same.
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	10742	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Jonathan Cherry	Module Teacher	Gránia Shanahan

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Range of quizzes and / or short written assignments	50%	As required
Formal Examination	n/a	50%	End-of-Semester

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introducing human geographies

An unequal world: introducing human geographies

Human geography: a brief history

Population geography: the modern rise in world population, demographic transition

Environmental geography in the context of population growth: carrying capacity, ‘natural’ disasters [linking with Physical Geography module]

Population geography: the modern rise in world population, demographic transition

Urbanisation and urban growth: the rise of the urban industrial city, planetary urbanisation trends, slums and megacities in the Global South

Environmental geography in the context of population growth: carrying capacity, ‘natural’ hazards

Nation states, empires and geopolitics: the rise and fall of European empires, the European colonial (mis)adventure in Africa

Economic geographies and global inequalities

The global economy – OIDL and NIDL, Wallerstein’s World-Systems Analysis, world cities, Tiger economies of South-east Asia

Global migration patterns

Urbanisation and urban growth:
colonial urbanisation, the rise of the urban industrial city, planetary urbanisation trends, slums and megacities in the Global South

Nation states, empires and geopolitics:
the rise and fall of European empires, the European colonial (mis)adventure in Africa

Cultural geography: place, space and landscape

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Boyle, M: 2015, Human Geography: a concise introduction, Wiley-Blackwell,
Gregory D: 2009, The Dictionary of Human Geography (5th edition), Wiley Blackwell,
Cloke P, Crang M, and Goodwin M (eds.): 2014, Introducing Human Geographies (3rd edition), Routledge,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

1: Online learning resources will be made available via Loop,