GEOG 157 - Psychogeography and Cultural Spaces

Human are forever inscribing themselves in the landscape; whether it be particular architectural forms or certain crop formations, the result is a complex palimpsest that records social life. Cultural geographies have unpicked this record, studying how and why grandiose monuments signify social status and, conversely, why other groups have been resigned to a ghostly presence. And yet these complex and intriguing geographies too often become buried underneath daily routines and multimedia bombardment. Psychogeographers look to reignite our awareness and engagement with the human environment; as one of its founders stated, psychogeography is “the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals”. This course continues on in this tradition. It does not simply look to engage with questions of how to identify and examine cultural geographies, rather it enlists students in an attempt to interact with the shaping of landscapes; recognizing how daily routines make our world and how critical understandings of cultural geographies can help effect social change. After an introduction to the psychogeographical and cultural geography literatures, students will engage in their own urban explorations and interactions; navigating Worcester via Berlin, partaking in “urban drifting” and constructing their own “detourements”. The course will therefore provide a foundation in cultural geography and connect classroom to outside world through the practice of psychogeography.


 

Course Designation/Attribute: VP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year