Courses

GEOG 176, The State and Its Discontents

Catalog Description: The modern nation-state, with its emphasis on borders, national cultures, and internal sovereignty, has long shaped our collective political and spatial imaginary. When we map the world, we are still most likely to map it, first, by the contours of its nearly 200 nation-states. How did we get here, and is it where we want to be? This course helps us start to answer these questions by looking at the long history of the nation-state – from its prehistory, to its early development and maturity, through its possible future. Along the way we consider the...

GEOG 174, Ecological Marxisms

Catalog Description: This course explores the writings of Karl Marx, some of his critics, and some contemporary thinkers influenced by his critical project, with the goal of understanding whether or not Marxism and ecology are compatible. After reading relevant parts of Marx’s writings, we turn to environmentalist thinkers who saw in Marx an inherent commitment to industrialization, which they understood to be necessarily antithetical to the natural world. Finally, we turn to contemporary eco-Marxists who return to Marx in light of climate change and other pressing...

GEOG 173, Conducting Community Engaged Research

Catalog Description: This course offers students an opportunity to conduct Community Engaged Research (CER) as discussed in Preparing for Community Engaged Research. For our purposes, CER is broadly understood as research that is undertaken in support of the common good, in order to stage an intervention in civic life, in consultation with local community organizations, through participation in social movements, and beyond. In consultation with the instructor, students will begin designing research projects in the first few weeks of the semester; these projects will remain...

GEOG 169, Preparing for Community Engaged Research

Catalog Description: The first of two related courses, this course introduces students to the idea of community engaged research in general and Community Geography specifically. We first do some conceptual groundwork. What is the public? What are counterpublics? What is community? Why would we want to engage with them, who are we to do so, and how can we do so as members of UC Berkeley, among other communities? Next, we look closely at community-engaged research projects, giving special attention to the methods employed and the forms of research produced. This section of...

GEOG 128, Short-form Video for Place-Based Storytelling

Catalog Description: Students will critically analyze social media platforms through the creation and critique of short-form video stories in platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn. We will examine the politics of social media platforms and the role of individuals and states within public diplomacy and storytelling. We’ll also discuss the algorithmic impact on social media design and usage. This course will introduce students to concepts of visual storytelling through crafting basic shortform (1-2 minute) stories for social media using Adobe Premiere....

GEOG 117, Writing the World

Catalog Description: This course delves into written narratives that reflect and engage with diverse worldviews. Students will engage in close readings of texts from various cultures and regions, examining how writers navigate language, identity, and power. The course will use discussions, writing workshops, and collaborative projects, to refine critical thinking, research skills, and written expression. Topics in the course will include: • Cultural Perspectives in Literature: Analyzing how cultural backgrounds shape narrative styles, themes, and characters in literature...

GEOG 118, Storytelling in Place

Catalog Description: This course examines how places shape stories and how stories influence places. Drawing from the fields of geography, journalism, and creative writing, students will investigate the ways in which storytelling intersects with notions of place and identity. Through a combination of readings, short films, and audio, students will create their own place-based stories.

Units: 3.0

Prerequisites: None

Formats: Seminar

Grading Basis: Default...

GEOG 119, Audio Narratives of the Bay Area

Catalog Description: This hands-on course trains students in the art and craft of journalistic podcasting, covering research, interviewing, scriptwriting, scoring, and audio editing. Students will examine podcasts from the Bay Area and then create their own stories. Students will conceptualize, pitch, and produce audio stories, explore different podcast formats, prepare pre-production materials, and develop technical skills in recording and mixing. The semester culminates in the public release of a pilot episode focused on the Bay Area.

Units: 3.0...

GEOG 116, Reclaiming Jerusalem: Critical Readings in the Historical Geography of a Contested City

Catalog Description: This course explores the contested history of Jerusalem, examining how its geography evolved through competing religious and political claims. From its origins as a Canaanite city to its status as Israel's capital, Jerusalem’s landscape was formed through diverse influences, including the Israelites, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans, and British. We will analyze sacred sites, urban plans, films and maps and understand how each power visualized the city to reflect their own political and cultural agendas. The course offers students a deeper understanding...

GEOG 115, How Modernization and Colonialism Shaped Israel/Palestine

Catalog Description:This course uses the paradigms of modernization and colonialism to examine the dramatic spatial transformation of Israel/Palestine since the end of the Ottoman Empire. It explores British and Ottoman perceptions, the rise of Zionist colonization, and the establishment of the State of Israel to understand their impact on modern urban and rural spaces. Topics include the contested lasting effect of the Biblical gaze, town planning and architecture as colonial tools, urban heritage and its decolonization, and the ongoing displacement of Palestinian and...