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| Semester | fall semester 2021 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Shourideh Cherie Molavi (sc.molavi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course explores the past, present, and future of mapping across a range of geographic, political, cultural contexts. Maps reveal, delimit, confirm, navigate, historicize, erase, anticipate, persuade, and, sometimes, even lie. Far from a scientific reading of mapping as an objective representation of a stable reality, we explore the myriad of ways in which historical legacies of colonialism and imperialism continue to shape our gaze of the urban landscape—affecting our normative, political and personal considerations of the relations among subjects, objects and spaces. The course begins with a critical theoretical examination of how maps can be understood as instruments of violence and terrains of power. We explore the historical matrix within which mapping developed by looking at the epistemologies of various types of spatial and temporal maps produced that represent colonized, occupied and otherwise marginalized frontiers and experiences. Our discussions also actively engage with resistances to this practice in the form of other traditions of mapping, including counter-cartographic contestations that make visible otherwise marginal experiences and hidden histories of violence. While considering the social relevance, politics and ethics of mapping, course participants will also engage in a practical aspect of critical cartography. Starting from the power relations in our own urban context in the city of Basel, students will learn various hands-on techniques and technologies for mapping local relations in space and time. Experimenting with a range of critical mapping tools and interdisciplinary methods—including fieldwork, archival research, visual and material analysis and remote sensing—we will together develop creative techniques to produce and represent alternative urban landscapes and overlapping cartographies. |
| Learning objectives | - Examining the history and practice of mapping as a relation of domination. - Develop student capacity to critically read existing maps. - Develop new ways of observing and interrogating legacies of power in their local context, with a particular focus on the relationship between the lived experiences of communities and their overlapping urban geographies. - Foster practical skills of satellite analysis, remote sensing and mapping. - Producing maps using counter-cartographic tools and research methods. |
| Comments | This course is on a first come first serve basis with Master Students of Critical Urbanisms being prioritized over students from other subject areas. Maximum capacity 30 ***Important Note*** - This course starts in week 8 and takes place Thursday and Friday, 9-12 and 9-12 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| wöchentlich | Friday | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 11.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 12.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 18.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 19.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 25.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 26.11.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Dies Academicus |
| Thursday 02.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 03.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 09.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 10.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 16.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Friday 17.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 23.12.2021 | 09.00-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Modules |
Module: Projects and Processes of Urbanization (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms (Start of studies before 01.08.2020)) Module: Ways of Knowing the City (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Urban Studies |