GEOG 248: Political Geography

This course examines the state as a political structure—its emergence, development, and contemporary transformation—from a geographic perspective. The course covers the historical formation of the state as the primary political unit, how states have drawn on discourses of geopolitics and nationalism to structure political action both in and outside their territory, and the ways in which states are changing in the current context of globalization. Special attention will be given to debates about the value of state-centered frameworks for analyzing contemporary political power. The course concludes by considering how analyses of political relationships at subnational (i.e., local and regional) scales contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of the global system.

Daniel Trudeau, Associate Professor

Syllabus