Reading the structures of space – geographical and historical approach 1600-SZD-ID-OSP
The aim of the course is to familiarize doctoral students with geographical, historical, and anthropological perspectives on the study of the spatial structures within which we live and function today. An interdisciplinary perspective will provide a bridge between the analysis of contemporary practices, ways of using and valuing space, and the reconstruction of processes and phenomena from the past. An important complement to traditionally understood historical geography will be the anthropological dimension of spatial analysis, focusing on the experience of place, memory, identity, heritage, and social relations. During the course, doctoral students will be introduced to a variety of historical, ethnohistorical, and cartographic sources, as well as methods for their critical interpretation. These sources will be used to explore local histories and to identify traces of the past preserved in the contemporary landscape. An important component of the course will be the development of skills in combining information derived from archival materials, maps, documents, oral accounts, iconographic sources, and contemporary field observations. The main task for participants will be to independently develop a research topic concerning their place of origin or current place of residence, using the methods and categories of sources introduced during the course. This will provide an opportunity to apply an interdisciplinary approach in practice and to recognize how contemporary spaces preserve and transform traces of earlier social and cultural processes. Another important element of the course will be educational field walks in Warsaw, focusing on the identification of historical and contemporary layers of the city's spatial structure. The analysis of these places will enable students to confront source-based knowledge with direct observation and with the perspectives of residents and other users of urban space. In this way, the course will contribute to the development of doctoral students' interdisciplinary scholarly capital by combining the approaches of geography, history, and cultural anthropology, while fostering the ability to interpret, from multiple perspectives, the relationships between space, society, memory, and cultural heritage.
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Knowledge | The graduate knows and understands:
WG_02 - the main development trends in the disciplines of the social sciences in which the education is provided
Skills | The graduate is able to:
UW_01 – make use of knowledge from various fields of science, in particular the social sciences in order to creatively identify, formulate and innovatively solve complex problems or perform tasks of a research nature, and in particular to: define the purpose and object of scientific research in the field of the social sciences, formulate a research hypothesis; develop research methods, techniques and tools and apply them creatively; make inferences based on scientific findings
UK_04 - participating in scientific discourse in the field of the social sciences
Social competences | The graduate is ready to
KK_01 - critically evaluating achievements within a given scientific discipline in the field of the social sciences
And others: The doctoral student has a basic knowledge of historical-geographical research methods, enabling them to independently use source materials. They understand and are familiar with the potential applications of concepts developed within cultural anthropology and social research in geographical-historical studies.
Assessment criteria
Description of requirements related to participation in classes, including the permitted number of explained absences: completion of assignments and active participation during classes; participation in scheduled activities (field walks); a maximum of two absences is permitted.
Principles for passing the classes and the subject (including resit session):
Methods for the verification of learning outcomes: Attendance list, activity during the class
Evaluation criteria: individual study of a selected topic
Practical placement
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Bibliography
Baker, A. R. H., On the relation of geography and history, in: Geography and History. Bridging the Divide, Cambridge University Press 2003;
Ingold, T., The Perception of the Environment: Essays on Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill. London & New York: Routledge 2001;
POLONA, Biblioteka Narodowa [online]: https://polona2.pl/;
Szukaj w Archiwach, Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych [online]: Tyszkiewicz J., Geografia historyczna: Zarys problematyki, Warszawa 2014;
https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/.
Vidal de La Blache P., Principles of Human Geography, London 1926.