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GEOGRAPHY Program Details

The Geography program aims to provide an overview of the fundamental notions of geography, exploring the main spatial, landscape, and environmental dynamics that characterize the contemporary world from a transcale perspective.

Overview

The course is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of human geography, emphasizing various perspectives of contemporary geography. Students will learn to read critically and use geographic and topographic maps. The teaching methods will be given special attention.

Aims and Content

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of human geography. By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the meaning of basic geographical concepts (space, territory, landscape, environment, place)
• Critically analyze contemporary issues with a multiscalar approach, from the local to the global
• Analyze the varied geographical narratives of territories, also with specific reference to the geo-literary approach
• Interpret the socio-territorial dynamics that characterize different geographical regions
• Interpret the factors that determine the impact of human activities on the environment and landscape

Prerequisites

Not required.

Teaching Methods

The course will be organized with alternating moments of frontal and participatory teaching. Frontal teaching will aim at identifying and understanding basic knowledge, while participatory teaching will be based on problem-based strategies to stimulate the ability to analyze spatial processes that characterize contemporaneity. Materials used in the course will be uploaded to AulaWeb, along with other materials for further exploration of specific issues.

Syllabus/Content

Students required to achieve 6 CFUs will cover the study of:

• Basic concepts of human geography and the basis of geographical thinking
• Geography of population
• Geography of languages
• Geography of religions
• Geography of migrations
• Urban and rural geography

Students required to achieve 9 CFUs will, in addition to the previous topics, also study:

• Political geography
• Regional geography
• Cartography and cartographic communication

Students required to achieve 12 CFUs will, in addition to the previous themes, also address the study of:

• Physical geography
• Environmental geography
• Geography and literature

Recommended Reading/Bibliography

Attending Students

• 6 CFU program: Notes and slides uploaded on AulaWeb, and "Il primo libro di geografia" by Varotto M.
• 9 CFU program: Additional texts include "Paesaggi rurali in ricomposizione" by Mazza G. and Zanolin G.
• 12 CFU program: Further texts include "Geografia come immaginazione" by Dematteis G.

Non-Attending Students

• 6 CFU program: "Geografia umana" by Bjelland M.D., Montello D.R., Getis A., and "Il primo libro di geografia" by Varotto M.
• 9 CFU program: Additional texts as for attending students
• 12 CFU program: All texts as for attending students, plus "Geografia e letteratura" by Marengo M., and one text to be selected from a list of options

Teachers and Exam Board

• Teacher: Giacomo Zanolin
• Exam Board President: Giacomo Zanolin
• Exam Board Member: Giampietro Mazza

Lessons

• Lessons start: I semester - 29 September 2025, II semester - 18 February 2026
• Class schedule available on the Portale EasyAcademy

Exams

• Exam description: Oral exam aimed at verifying knowledge acquired during lectures and through study of indicated texts
• Assessment methods: Evaluation of knowledge, critical thinking, and ability to make connections between topics
• Exam schedule:
  • 15 December 2025, 11:00, Genova
  • 14 January 2026, 09:00, Genova
  • 28 January 2026, 09:00, Genova
  • 4 June 2026, 09:00, Genova
  • 18 June 2026, 09:00, Genova
  • 15 July 2026, 09:00, Genova
  • 7 September 2026, 09:00, Genova

Further Information

All students are invited to periodically consult the course page on the AulaWeb e-learning portal for information and materials related to this teaching.