Cultural Geography: Climate Adaptation Governance

This course covers the fundamentals of climate adaptation governance, including key theories, actors, and processes. It focuses on developing students' understanding and critical analysis of adaptation governance through academic and grey literature. The curriculum includes active learning methods, case study research, and analysis, enhancing students' problem-solving skills in various professional contexts. It comprises sessions on climate change effects, global adaptation governance, adaptation finance, national strategies, field visits, and workshops. It also addresses climate-driven migration and includes a simulation seminar on adaptation negotiations. Students choose specific themes (like adaptation finance or community engagement), sectors (such as agriculture or urban adaptation), and geographical areas for their studies and role-playing exercises.

This course explores the key concepts and debates surrounding cultural heritage and identity in societies influenced by globalization, cultural shifts, and environmental changes. You will examine various theoretical perspectives through a critical lens, using real-world and hypothetical examples to illustrate these ideas. The course also connects these discussions to tangible situations, highlighting the role of cultural heritage in shaping both global and local identities, particularly in the tourism sector. You will synthesize diverse research trends and perspectives, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between cultural heritage, globalization, and environmental transformation.

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the methodologies and ethical considerations involved in fieldwork within the field of cultural geography. Students will engage with both the theoretical and practical aspects of conducting research in diverse cultural settings, focusing on the intersection of culture, space, and place. Students will critically examine the objectivity of data collected during fieldwork, considering how biases, backgrounds, and positionality influence research outcomes. The concept of reflexivity will be introduced, encouraging students to reflect on their own role in the research process. The course will cover the principles and practices of community engagement, including methods like Participatory Action Research (PAR). Students will learn how to effectively involve communities in the research process and address the ethical implications of this engagement. Students will explore how intersecting social identities such as gender, class, and race impact both the research process and the experiences of the communities being studied. This section will help students understand the importance of considering these factors in their analyses. A significant focus will be placed on the ethical challenges of fieldwork, including issues of informed consent, cultural sensitivity, confidentiality, and the management of power dynamics in researcher-community relationships. The course will include a series of practical exercises and roundtable discussions where students will present and critically reflect on the development of their reports. These activities are designed to build students' skills in data collection, analysis, and the application of ethical principles in real-world settings. By the end of this course, students will be equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to conduct ethically sound, critically engaged, and methodologically rigorous fieldwork in cultural geography. The course is linked with the Research Methods and Thesis Preparation courses. Ultimately, the course prepares students for their thesis as part of the wider programme, for potential further academic research, as well as for applied research in cultural geography

From the moment of our births, or possible even before, we are assigned a label of 'boy' or 'girl', and our assigned genders permeate every aspect of our lives from thereon in, from the clothes that we wear, the toys that we play with, the behaviours that are deemed 'appropriate'. Although increasingly the deterministic and dualistic model of gender is coming under scrutiny, gender continues to permeate most –if not all –of our interactions in the public and private spheres. Gender and sexuality always intersect with other social power systems –including but not limited to race, class, ethnicity, religion, age, ability, nationality, etc. –that nobody experiences gender in precisely the same way as anyone else. Further, as gender informs all of the ways in which our bodies move through and interact with our spaces, it must be understood as being central to the discussions regarding the most pressing issues of our times, including climate and sustainability.

You do not need to have a background in either Geography or Gender Studies to succeed in this class. We will be learning about core geography concepts, such as space and place, alongside different theoretical approaches to gender and sexuality, such as embodiedness and intersectionality. The course is broadly dividing along three intersecting themes: Gender and physical geographies, gender and cultural geographies, and gender and digital geographies.

In particular, the course will address the Sustainable Development Goals, Good Health & Well-Being (#3), Gender Equality (#5), Reduced Inequalities (#10), Sustainable Cities & Community (#11) and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (#16).

The course of Research Design is designed to guide the students in the initial phase of their research project, leading to a project proposal for their final thesis. The course will equip the students with two main sets of skills: 1) review the literature formulating a meaningful rationale for their research leading to an appropriately formulated research question(s); 2) choose the right methodology to answer the research question and obtain a tailored training in order to concretely apply it during the field work for their thesis. The final output is a thesis proposal to be evaluated (and assessed) by their own thesis supervisors.

The course focuses on urban climate change adaptation, combining political, technological, and social innovations. It extends learning from previous CAG Master's courses to urban settings, covering topics like urbanization theories, governance, and 'smart city' innovations. It includes critical literature reviews, active learning, and field activities. Students analyze urbanization dynamics and their impacts on housing, infrastructure, and governance, choosing specific cities or networks for their projects.

The Geographies of Migration course offers a deep dive into global migration discussions, focusing on human geography and worldwide population movements. It encourages critical thinking about prevailing migration narratives, analysis of global migration trends, and questioning of common assumptions. Students engage in examining societal phenomena linked to migration, borders, migration categorization, political identity, and place attachment. They analyze these topics through various socio-economic and cultural lenses within the context of global structures and power hierarchies.

Nature based solutions (NBS) are ways of working with natural systems to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems for water, climate change, biodiversity and livelihoods. In this course, you will gain an understanding of the NBS concept (and beyond), types and properties, with the aim of providing frameworks for its application in the context of transformative change.

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is a critical process for understanding, analyzing, and mitigating the potential social impacts of projects, policies, and programs. It plays an essential role in fostering sustainable development and ensuring the equitable distribution of benefits and risks. SIA fosters a more sustainable and equitable environment by informing both local communities and policymakers of the social impacts of projects and policy developments, enabling effective decision-making, preparation, and mitigation strategies.

This interdisciplinary course equips students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to evaluate social impacts in diverse contexts, with a particular emphasis on sustainable tourism and climate governance. Through case studies, discussions, and applied exercises, students will develop competencies in integrating social considerations into decision-making processes and advancing inclusive development. The course emphasizes active learning through various formats, including the use of relevant research and the analysis of case studies. This approach enables students to enhance their ability to apply knowledge in integrated, investigative, and reflective ways.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will learn to assess the social impacts of projects, policies, and programs, design mitigation measures, and implement sustainable solutions. The course covers a range of topics, including key theories and models (e.g., systems thinking, stakeholder theory, participatory approaches); data collection methods (qualitative and quantitative); baseline studies; management of social impacts; social impacts of climate policies; just transitions; displacement and adaptation; stakeholder engagement; addressing power imbalances; participatory impact assessments; ethical considerations; equity and inclusion; and integrated assessments that consider environmental and economic dimensions.

The Master Thesis is an individual research project that allows students to engage deeply with a topic of their choosing within the field of Cultural Geography. Throughout the process, students work closely under the guidance of a faculty supervisor, ensuring academic support and expert advice. The research topic must align with current ongoing projects at the Campus Fryslân Research Institute, providing students with the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge studies in cultural geography and its various intersections with environmental, societal, and global issues. The thesis serves as the culmination of the programme, offering students a platform to demonstrate their research capabilities, critical thinking, and ability to apply theoretical concepts to real-world challenges.