The seminar will discuss the ideas of key 20th-century authors, connecting topics such as ideology, political economy, and colonialism to our daily experience.

Why do we perceive certain places as "developed" and others as "backward"? How do categories like "center" and "periphery," " Occident " and “Orient”, "modern" and "traditional," or "us" and "them" come into being? And more importantly: whose interests do they serve?

These are only some of the questions the course will address. We will read and discuss groundbreaking ideas from Lefebvre, Marcuse, Milton Santos, Harvey, and others. As well as reflect upon movies and current events. Along the way, we will ask how these systems of thinking help us make sense of contemporary issues: gentrification and housing crises, borders and migration, climate (in)justice, gender disparities, and the persistence of colonial logics in global supply chains.

The seminar is offered through the Optionalbereich but is also recognized in the Wahlpflichtbereich Geography for BA and BSc students. A detailed description of the seminar can be found here.

The course is taught in English.

Registrations for recognition in the Wahlbereich Geography and in the Optionalbereich via email, quoting your matricualtion number, to Ricardo.GellertParis@ruhr-uni-bochum.de and info-geographie@rub.de.