Course Title: Regions in a Globalising World

Part A: Course Overview

Course ID: 036260

Course Title: Regions in a Globalising World

Credit Points: 12


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

SOCU2099

City Campus

Undergraduate

315H Architecture & Design

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2006

Course Coordinator: Fiona Harrisson

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3489

Course Coordinator Email: fiona.harrisson@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

In an era of accelerating concentration and increasingly unequal distribution of economic, social, cultural and information resources, the region has become an important site of interaction and interconnection within a globalized world. Regionality is in essence about identity, about a relationship to a place or a region. Like modernity it is a process rather than a location. To explore regionality means to understand both what is a region and to engage with the civil space of the region in its multiple forms.

Regionality runs counter to as well as in tandem with globalisation. Regions can be sites of resistance to perceived globalisation or are formed in part to attempt to deal with the perceived consensus of globalisation. Regionality for the purposes of teaching and learning then is the study of, and engagement with, communities in regions around areas of action and interest. It is not nor should it be simply descriptive or observations of those communities – but with engagement being facilitated in such a way that it brings new knowledge to both partners and is mutually beneficial.

In focussing on ‘Regions in a Globalising World’ this course aims to do two things:
1. To give you insight into theories of space and place in a globalising world through an exploration of regions as places of identity, engagement and creative reconstruction.
2. To provide you with the tools and skills to reflect, understand, question and apply these theories when they are working in and with diverse regional communities (local and global).
‘Regions in a Globalising World’ has two parts : a theoretical component and a field trip. It is intended that the theory module will prepare you for engagement with the field trip by providing exposure to a range of diverse theories of regions and globalisation. “Regions in a Globalising World’ is offered in such a way that you will have the opportunity to apply and analyze the theories they have examined in a regional setting and then reflect on that learning through the field trip.

12 contact hours @ 4 weeks x 3 hours

Field Trip

6 contact hours @ 2 weeks x 3 hours

39 contact hours

Note: The field trip will entail working with a regional community on a project or projects negotiated by the community and the university.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

At the completion of this course you will have gained:

- An insight into theories of regionality and globalisation as they relate to concept of place and identity

- An understanding of the complex processes that shape the relationship between peoples everyday lives lived in particular places and the globalising world we all inhabit

- A recognition of the relevance of theories to on-the-ground practice and the way in which practice can inform theory

- An understanding of how we can work with local communities in a way that enables mutual and useful learning to take place and for new knowledge to emerge

- And fostered relationships with people living in rural communities through working together in multidisciplinary teams on a community project to solve ’real life’ problems



Overview of Learning Activities

This course approaches learning from within a multidisciplinary framework, arguing that for you to understand the world around them you need to critically engage with theory and its relationship to practice.
In the first part of the course will explore theoretical perspectives on regions, regionality, and regionalism drawn from critical geography, area studies and cultural studies and key concepts and discourse embedded in these approaches. These include:
- Narratives of place and identity
- Mobility and belonging
- Boundaries and territories
- Resistance and renewal

The aim is to provide you with an insight into theories of regionality and globalisation, an understanding of the complex processes that shape the relationship between peoples everyday lives lived in particular places and the globalising world we all inhabit and in preparation for the field trip a chance to consider the relevance of theories to on-the-ground practice and the way in which practice can inform theory.
The field trip is intended to highlight the pitfalls and issues that can arise in context dependent understandings of the world, and to ensure that you are aware that theory and practice are mutually informing processes - one is not privileged over the other. In this module you will also be given insight into

- Tools and methods of action research
- Reflective practice and processes
- Community engagement principles and processes.

The aim of the field trip is give you an opportunity to work on a project in partnership with community members from a town or region in rural Victoria as a way of developing an understanding of how we can work with local communities in a way that enables mutual and useful learning to take place and for new knowledge to emerge


Overview of Learning Resources

Suggested Readings:

Achille, Membe ‘At the Edge of the World: Boundaries, Territoriality, and
Sovereignty in Africa’ in Public Culture 12.1 (2000) 259-284

Appadurai, Arjun 1996 Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Bourke, Lisa 2001.Rurality Bites the social and environmental transformation of rural Australia Annandale, N.S.W.: Pluto Press

Cvetkovich, Ann & Kellner, Douglas(eds) (1997) Articulating the Global and the Local pp 1-27 Westview Press Harper and Collins
Falk, Ian 2001.Learning to Manage Change: Developing Regional Communities for a Local- Global Millenium Leabrook, S. A. : National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd

Friesen, Gerald 2000 ‘The Evolving Character of Canadian Regions’ 19th
International Congress of Historical Sciences, Oslo, Norway August 6 –13

Garlick, Steve 2000.Engaging Universities and Regions Knowledge Contribution to Regional Economic Development in Australia Canberra: Evaluations and Investigations Programme, Higher Education Division

Kinkaid, Jamaica 1988 A Small Place Farrar Strauss and Giroux, New York

Rogers, M.F Collins, M.J. (ed) 2001The Future of Australia’s Country Towns Bendigo, Vic: Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University.

Sassen, Saskia 1998. Globalization and Its Discontents Essays on the New Mobility of People and Money

Sorensen, Ninna (ed) ‘Narrating Mobiltity, Boundaries and Belonging’ Centre for
Development Research Working Paper 99.7, December 1999

William G. Robbins The Great NorthWest: The Search for Regional Identity The University of Arizona Press 2000 pp 1 – 8

Williamson, Thad et al 2002 Making a Place for Community Local Democracy in Global Era Routledge Great Britain

Module 2

Docker, J & G Fischer (2000). “Adventures of Identity” in Docker, J & G. Fischer (eds). Race, Colour and Identity in Australia and New Zealand. UNSW Press, Australia.

Newson, J. (1998) “Repositioning the Local Through Alternate Responses to Globalization”, in Currie, J. & J. Newson (eds). Universities and Globalization: Critical Perspectives. Sage Publications. United Kingdom.

Turner, S. (2000). “Colonialism Continued: Producing the Self for Export”, in Docker, J. & G. Fischer (eds). Race, Colour and Identity in Australia and New Zealand. UNSW Press, Australia.

Fisher, R and Kling J.M. 1993 Mobilising the Community: Local politics in the era of the Global City. Newbury Park, California, Sage

Friedman, J., (1992). Empowerment: The Politics of Alternative Development. Cambridge Mass, Blackwell

Hart, Robert, (1997). Children’s Participation: the Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care. Earthscan: London

Ife, J.W. (1995). Community Development: Creating Community Alternatives - Vision, Analysis and Practice

Rappaport, J., Swift, C. and Hess, R (1984). Studies in empowerment: Steps towards understanding and action


Overview of Assessment

In the theoretical component of the course the main assessment is a weekly workbook. You will be required to complete required reading each week and write a short response (150 - 200 words) to the questions provided. Responses must demonstrate an understanding of both the question and the required reading. Completion of the workbook exercises each week will ensure that you can be involved in class discussions. The overall aim of the workbook is to reflect upon what you have learnt over the semester. It should be a resource that you refer back to and reflect on when undertaking the Field trip.

On the field trip the main assessment is a reflective field trip journal. Here the journal exercises will require you to reflect on your own assumptions and articulate how your learning relates to your experience. It will also entail identifying the kinds of engagement processes that you have been involved with and what skills and tools have been useful. You will be required to maintain this reflective journal during the course of the field trip that will also assist in recording your progress with the project and your presentations to the communities involved.