GEOG 305 Population, Health and Society - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

A survey of major themes in population, health and social geography. An examination of the dynamics of population complements analyses of health and healthcare, the education sector, the welfare state, and the changing character of urban places.

Course Overview

Geographers maintain that the social and the spatial are deeply connected and are embedded in our experience of contemporary society. Critically understandings of how space effects societies, populations and health geographies are explored in this course with particular reference to Aotearoa New Zealand. The course will appeal to both Geography majors and students from a range of other majors and degrees including Arts, Global Studies, Social Sciences, and Health Science. The course adopts a critical approach to identify and explain underlying social processes and discusses the practices and policies employed to promote or contain the consequences.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of a critical understanding of the local experience of population, health and social issues. (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 8)
Describe and critically evaluate one’s own and others’ worldviews, enabling collaborative approaches to health, population and social issues in diverse places and communities. (Capability 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
Demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills in academic writing and tutorial activities. (Capability 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	40%	Individual Coursework
Final Exam	60%	Individual Coursework
2 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3
Assignments
Final Exam

This course does not contain plussage.

Tuākana

Tuākana Science is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/pacific-in-our-faculty.html
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-in-our-faculty.html

As part of the University-wide Tuākana community, The School of Environment Tuākana Programme aims to provide a welcoming learning environment for, and enhance the success of, all of our Māori and Pacific students. We are led by the principles of tautoko (support) and whanaungatanga (connection), and hope you find a home here at the School. Students who have identified as Māori and/or Pacific will receive an invitation to our online portal introducing the Programme, the resources we have available, and how you can get involved.

Māori and Pacific students are encouraged to contact Sonia Fonua (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) for information about the Tuākana programme.

Key Topics

Modules

Health and Wellbeing
Critically Understanding Society
Healthy Places, Healthy Communities
Population Change and Urban Wellbeing

Special Requirements

Lecture attendance is expected

Participation in all tutorials is required

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in (totalling 150 hours).

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, tutorials in each of 8 weeks, and about 24 hours of reading and thinking about the content and up to 94 hours of work on tutorial preparation/coursework/exam.

Coursework due dates are clearly stated on Canvas two weeks prior to semester so please make sure you plan accordingly.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials.
Lectures will be available as recordings but tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Course texts: there is NO set textbook for this course. This course has made a commitment to reduce costs where possible for students. All readings are electronically available through Reading Lists on Canvas. Thus University publishes the reading list once the semester begins. The required reading should be completed after the relevant lecture.

Lectures provide a comprehensive introduction to the topics to be examined but your grade will be greatly enhanced by reading widely and critically. We strongly urge you to take personal responsibility for your own learning, and increase your understanding and appreciation of the subject by following up lecture material with your own study programme.

At a minimum, you are expected to complete the required readings as part of your course workload (additional readings can be recommended by staff upon request). Best practice is to attend the lecture first then read the required reading. Try to do this as close to the lecture time as possible when the information is still fresh. You should only be spending about an hour per reading. Each lecture usually has one required reading or two short required readings.

Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

This course typically receives very positive reviews for its thematic content, the enthusiasm of the lecturers, and its varied forms of assessment

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

You must not have previously submitted your GEOG 305 coursework in this or any other subject.

Please note:

It is the student's responsibility to read and adhere to the University's policies, which can be viewed at: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/teaching-learning/academic-integrity/tl-about-academic-integrity.html
Staff encourage students to work together but do not share electronic copies of your coursework. Enabling another to cheat is also a form of academic misconduct
Referen©ite – this web resource provides guidance on correctly acknowledging sources of information: http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/

For the purposes of this course, no coursework should contain quoted material (quotes will not be marked). When critically engaging with academic sources, we want to see your understanding of these sources. All coursework must be paraphrased (put in your own words) with the appropriate in-text citation.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

GEOG 305 strives to be a safe, inclusive and equitable space that supports the University of Auckland's commitment to Zero Tolerance for Discrimination. Please contact the course coordinator if you have any concerns or questions.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.