Seminar in Social and Behavioral Geography:

Space, Place, and the Politics of Memory

GEOG 760/MALAS 600B
Spring 2020

Course Information
Days and Times: Mondays, 3:30 to 6:10 pm
Location: Storm Hall 325
Mode of Delivery: Discussion
Instructor: Professor Fernando J. Bosco
Email: fbosco@sdsu.edu
Office: Storm Hall 301C
Office Hours: Mondays, 2:00 to 3:00 pm and by prior appointment

Seminar Description
This seminar explores the connections between space, place and the politics of memory and
remembering. People remember, interpret, and construct the past in different ways, sometimes
attempting to legitimize their own version of history or to challenge hegemonic versions of it. This
is often done by creating places of memory (e.g., memorials and monuments, museums, historic
neighborhoods, heritage sites) or by performing spatialized acts of remembering (e.g.,
commemorative ceremonies, parades, temporary and make-shift memorials, art, media and
exhibitions, food festivals). But these are often riddled with politics. For example, conflicts occur
when less powerful groups confront and/or challenge more powerful actors’ attempts to create
places of memory that reflect official or institutionalized views of the past. Often, conflicts about
place-based representations of the past are not really about the past, but rather about the present
and, quite often, about the future. The seminar explores questions such as:
• How do we theorize social memory from a geographic perspective?
• What does the field of memory studies look like and what does it share with geography?
• How do places contribute to the construction of social and collective memory?
• How does collective memory influence the trajectories of place?
• What is the relation between memory and urban politics?
• What are the relations between globalization and discourses and practices of memory?
• How do social movements spatialize and perform the politics of memory?
• How is social memory being shaped in a new age of information and technology?
• What are some of the methodologies to study social and collective memory?

The goal of the seminar is also to encourage graduate students to think about space, place and
memory in relation to their own research interests.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of critical social, cultural, and geographic theories and
methodologies on social and cultural memory and collective remembering
• Critically analyze advanced academic texts and synthesize information from diverse
sources
• Research advanced academic literature and link findings to specific research interests
• Communicate original ideas via oral and written outlets

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Course Materials
A series of books and refereed journal articles. All materials are provided in digital format in
Blackboard and the SDSU library and there is no cost to the student. See complete reading list in
the seminar schedule below.

Seminar Design and Assessment

Your work in this seminar will be assessed based on your performance in three areas and will be
assessed on pass/fail criteria:

1. Participation in the seminar: To fulfill this requirement, you are expected to be present
every week and contribute to class and on-line discussions in preparation for class (by
posting questions and/or reflections on Blackboard prior to class).

2. Written component: A literature review, original paper, or research proposal. I will

discuss format and topics with each student. I encourage written work that relates to the
seminar and that supports in some way your thesis or dissertation project—ranging from
literature review or synthesis type papers, to research proposals, or more empirical papers
(this will also vary according to where in your graduate studies you are). See requirements
below.

3. A final presentation: You will present a summary of your written component to the class
in a 10 to 15 minute presentation, where everybody can learn about your research topic,
the reasons you chose to write about it, and the key findings/take away points of your
review, proposal, or paper.

Attendance and participation are necessary to successfully complete this seminar. Reading prior to
class is required and essential to be able to participate in the seminar. The reading load is 5 to 6
book chapters or articles per week. You should expect to be asked to discuss the assigned reading
for the day at any time during the semester. Students are instructed to contact me in the event
they need to miss class due to an illness, injury or emergency.

Written component requirements: your final written component should be between 7 to 10 pages. Use
the following formatting guidelines: Times or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced,
1” margins on letter size paper (8.5" by 11") paper. This formatting yields about 300 words per
page. You should include a bibliography of all articles and sources read (bibliography does not
count towards length requirement). Use APA style for your references. Written work should be of
near publishable quality (i.e., it must be proofread for spelling, grammar and clarity, and it
should be properly formatted). Final written component should be submitted via Blackboard by
the due date (submit paper by clicking the “Assignments” tab in Blackboard). Late submissions
are not accepted as this is due on the day of the final exam at the end of the semester.

An initial outline discussing topic and orientation of the written component is required and is due
on Week 11 (see class schedule).

Grading Policy
3 passes = A, 2 passes = B, 1 pass = C, No passes=F

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University Policies
Accommodations: If you are a student with a disability and are in need of accommodations for this
class, please contact Student Ability Success Center at (619) 594-6473 as soon as possible. Please
know accommodations are not retroactive, and I cannot provide accommodations based upon
disability until I have received an accommodation letter from Student Ability Success Center.

Student Privacy and Intellectual Property: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
mandates the protection of student information, including contact information, grades, and
graded assignments. I will use Blackboard to communicate with you, and I will not post grades or
leave graded assignments in public places. Students will be notified at the time of an assignment if
copies of student work will be retained beyond the end of the semester or used as examples for
future students or the wider public. Students maintain intellectual property rights to work
products they create as part of this course unless they are formally notified otherwise.

Religious observances: According to the University Policy File, students should notify the instructors
of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances by the end of the second week of
classes.

Academic Honesty: The University adheres to a strict policy prohibiting cheating and plagiarism.
Examples of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to:
• copying, in part or in whole, from another's test or other examination;
• obtaining copies of a test, an examination, or other course material
without the permission of the instructor;
• collaborating with another or others in work to be presented without the permission of
the instructor;
• falsifying records, laboratory work, or other course data;
• submitting work previously presented in another course, if contrary to the rules of the
course;
• altering or interfering with grading procedures;
• assisting another student in any of the above;
• using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can
include phrases, sentences, paragraphs and/or pages of work);
• copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your
own;
• using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author
credit;
• replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases.

The California State University system requires instructors to report all instances of academic
misconduct to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities. Academic dishonesty will
result in disciplinary review by the University and may lead to probation, suspension, or
expulsion. In a case of academic misconduct students will receive a failing grade for the
assignment, which will result in a reduction of the overall grade.

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Seminar Schedule
The schedule is subject to changes; changes will always be announced in advance via email.

WEEK /DATE TOPIC

Week 1 - January 27th Introduction to the Seminar

Week 2 - February 3rd Landscapes of Memory I

Readings
Alderman, D. H., & Inwood, J. F. J. (2013). Landscapes of Memory and Socially Just Futures. In
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Cultural Geography (pp. 186–197).
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118384466.ch18

Foote, Kenneth E. (2003) Shadowed Ground: America’s Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy, Revised and
Updated. Austin: U of Texas. SDSU e-book:
https://sdsu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1ajv7u0/01CALS_ALMA51439391860002901
[Read Introduction and Chapters 1 to 5]

Week 3 - February 10th Landscapes of Memory II

Readings
Foote, Kenneth E. (2003) Shadowed Ground: America’s Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy, Revised and
Updated. Austin: U of Texas. SDSU e-book:
https://sdsu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1ajv7u0/01CALS_ALMA51439391860002901
[Read Chapters 6 to 9 and Afterword]

Clouser, R. (2009). Remnants of terror: Landscapes of fear in post-conflict Guatemala. Journal of

Latin American Geography, 8(2), 7–22.

Week 4 - February 17th Urban Public History, Public Space and Memorials
Readings
Doss, E. (2008). The Emotional Life of Contemporary Public Memorials: Towards a Theory of Temporary
Memorials. Amsterdam University Press. https://doi.org/10.5117/9789089640185

Hayden, Dolores. (1995) The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. Cambridge,
Mass.: MIT Press.
[Read Chapters 1, 2 and 3)

Orozco, E. F. (2019). Mapping the Trail of Violence: The Memorialization of Public Space as a
Counter-Geography of Violence in Ciudad Juárez. Journal of Latin American Geography, 18(3),
132–157. https://doi.org/10.1353/lag.2019.0053

Week 5 - February 24th Memory Studies

Readings
Sturken, M. (2008). Memory, consumerism and media: Reflections on the emergence of the field.
Memory Studies, 1(1), 73–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698007083890

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Levy, D., & Sznaider, N. (2002). Memory Unbound: The Holocaust and the Formation of
Cosmopolitan Memory. European Journal Of Social Theory, 5(1), 87–106.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431002005001002

Reading, A. (2011). Identity, memory and cosmopolitanism: The otherness of the past and a
right to memory? European Journal of Cultural Studies, 14(4), 379–394.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549411411607

Sturken, M. (2016). The objects that lived: The 9/11 Museum and material transformation.
Memory Studies, 9(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698015613970

Sturken, M. (2004). The aesthetics of absence: Rebuilding Ground Zero. American Ethnologist,
31(3), 311–325.

Week 6 - March 2nd Geographic Expressions of Memory

Readings
Rose-Redwood, R., Alderman, D., & Azaryahu, M. (2008, November). Collective memory and
the politics of urban space: An introduction. GeoJournal, 73(3), 161–164.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9200-6

Azaryahu, M., & Foote, K. E. (2008). Historical space as narrative medium: On the
configuration of spatial narratives of time at historical sites. GeoJournal (Vol. 73, Issue 3, pp.
179–194). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9202-4

Hoelscher, S. (2008). Angels of memory: Photography and haunting in Guatemala City.

GeoJournal (Vol. 73, Issue 3, pp. 195–217). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9203-3

Jenks, H. (2008). Urban space, ethnic community, and national belonging: The political
landscape of memory in Little Tokyo. GeoJournal (Vol. 73, Issue 3, pp. 231–244).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9205-1

Perreault, T. (2017). Mining, meaning and memory in the Andes. Geographical Journal, 184(3),
229–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12239

Week 7 - March 9th Memory and Social Movements

Readings
Bosco, F. J. (2004). Human rights politics and scaled performances of memory: Conflicts among
the Madres se Plaza de Mayo in Argentina. Social and Cultural Geography, 5(3), 381–402.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1464936042000252787

Daphi, P., & Zamponi, L. (2019). Exploring the movement-memory nexus: insights and ways
forward. Mobilization An International Quarterly, 24(4), 399–417. https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-
671X-24-4-399

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Rajevic, M. (2019). The Chilean student movement: challenging public memories of Pinochet’s
dictatorship. Mobilization An International Quarterly, 24(4), 493–510.
https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-671X-24-4-493

Iturriaga, N. (2019). The evolution of the grandmothers of plaza de mayo’s mnemonic framing.
Mobilization An International Quarterly, 24(4), 475–492. https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-671X-24-4-
475

Taylor, D. (2002). You Are Here: The DNA of performance. TDR - The Drama Review - A Journal
of Performance Studies, 46(1), 149–169. https://doi.org/10.1162/105420402753555912

Taylor, D. (2011). Memory, Trauma, Performance. Aletria, 21(1).

Week 8 - March 16th Memory and Film

Film Screening:
Martel, Lucrecia (2008) The Headless Woman

Readings
Sosa, C. (2010). A Counter-narrative of Argentine Mourning: The Headless Woman (2008),
directed by Lucrecia Martel. Theory, Culture & Society, 26(7–8), 250–262.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276409349279

Week 9 - March 23rd Social Memory in the Age of Information

Readings
Freeman, L. A., Nienass, B., & Daniell, R. (2014). Silence, Screen, and Spectacle: Rethinking Social
Memory in the Age of Information.
(Read Introduction and Chapters 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and Conclusion)

Spring Break - March 30th No Class

Week 10 - April 6th No Class – AAG Meeting

Tasks/Homework:
Develop topic and outline of written requirement for seminar, include references and abstracts.

Week 11 - April 13th Memory, Media and Technology

Tasks/Homework:
Outline of written component due

Readings
Boulton, A., & Zook, M. (2013). Landscape, Locative Media, and the Duplicity of Code. In The
Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Cultural Geography (pp. 437–451).
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118384466.ch36

Elwood, S., & Mitchell, K. (2015). Technology, memory, and collective knowing. In Cultural
Geographies (Vol. 22, Issue 1, pp. 147–154). SAGE Publications Ltd.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474014556062

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Kinsley, S. (2015). Memory programmes: the industrial retention of collective life. Cultural
Geographies, 22(1), 155–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474014555658

Wilson, M. W. (2015). Paying attention, digital media, and community-based critical GIS.
Cultural Geographies, 22(1), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474014539249

Van House, N., & Churchill, E. F. (2008). Technologies of memory: Key issues and critical
perspectives. Memory Studies, 1(3), 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698008093795

Week 12 - April 20th Memory and Methods

Readings
Bryant, L., & Livholts, M. (2007). Exploring the Gendering of Space by Using Memory Work as
a Reflexive Research Method. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 6(3), 29–44.

DeLyser, D. (2004). Recovering social memories from the past: The 1884 novel Ramona and
tourist practices in turn-of-the-century southern California. Social and Cultural Geography, 5(3),
483–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/1464936042000252831

Duncan, N., & Duncan, J. (2010). Doing Landscape Interpretation. In The SAGE Handbook of
Qualitative Geography (pp. 274–286). Sage Publications.

Maus, G. (2015). Landscapes of memory: A practice theory approach to geographies of memory.

Geographica Helvetica, 70(3), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-70-215-2015

Till, K. E. (2008). Artistic and activist memory-work: Approaching place-based practice. Memory
Studies, 1(1), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698007083893

Week 13 - April 27th Work on Written Component & Presentation

Tasks/Homework:
No formal class meeting – Consultation on written component and presentation during class time

Week 14 - May 4th Class Presentations

Week 15 - May 11th Final Written Component Due