Researching the City: Spatial Approaches SPS3003

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 3 (SCQF level 9)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

See field above

Timetable

Ten two-hour sessions to be delivered over three weeks in the first three weeks of teaching via blended learning. Lectures to be asynchronous with synchronous seminars and optional virtual office hours.

Requirements of Entry

Mandatory: IELTS level 6 with no sub-unit below 5.5

 

Completion of Years one and two of the Nankai University programme having achieved a Grade Point Average of at least 75% (or equivalent)

 

Recommended: basic statistic knowledge, including but not limited to descriptive statistics and multiple regression.

Excluded Courses

N/A

Co-requisites

Core:

1. SPP2a: Perspectives on Public Policy: Conflicting Ideas and Changing Agendas

2. SPP2b: Policy, Politics and Power

 

One of the options below:

1. Remaking Cities

2. Young People and Social Welfare

 

Two of the below options:

1. Housing: Policy, Welfare and Markets

2. Urban Economy

3. Fundamentals of transport studies

Assessment

The summative assessment will comprise a 3500 word report, answering the following brief: "Choose one area of Glasgow and examine the key characteristics as you can determine them from

existing sources. In answering the question please bear in mind the benefits and limitations of the

sources and methods." There will also be an online equivalent of a 60 minute exam where students must answer 1 question.

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

This aim of this module is to introduce students to three areas of urban studies scholarship: 1. Urban Research Methods; 2. Urban Research Sources and 3. Urban Profiles through conducting an analysis of changes to the city of Glasgow since 1980.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

■ Evaluate the strengths of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches in different urban contexts.

■ Critically reflect on the ways in which epistemology and ontology effects research methods.

■ Apply various research methods to an urban area in order to examine and interpret social and economic urban processes and issues.

■ Critically review and assess the available source material for urban profiles.

■ Demonstrate an understanding of the changes in Glasgow since 1980 using demographic profiles, housing, labour market and crime data

■ Demonstrate an understanding of the changes in Glasgow since 1980s using film, mapping, photography and archives.

■ Independently synthesise a range of data sources to develop a profile of a neighbourhood in Glasgow using relevant sources.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including final project report) of the course's summative assessment.