Territory, State & Nation

Module description

This module gives an overview of political geography's historical and contemporary treatment of the questions of territoriality, state and nation. Topics covered will include Nations and nationalism and Boundaries and territorial disputes and will answer questions of how territoriality, nation and sovereignty are viewed in developing regions of the world. 

 

Assessment details

Group presentation (30%); Examination (70%)

Educational aims & objectives

The module traces how the discipline of political geography and the social sciences more generally have evolved to cover the issues of territoriality and the issue of territorial contestation between states. The majority of the lectures will deal with how international boundaries and territorial disputes have been viewed by political geographers from the 1890s to the present day with regional case study explorations of how disputes are conducted. The fundamental relationship between territory, state and nation and how this has changed provides our core focus.

Learning outcomes

The module aims to provide students with:

• An effective overview of political geography’s (with the Social Sciences more generally) historical and contemporary treatment of the questions of territoriality and sovereignty
• An insight into the historical determinants of the establishment of political geography
• A critique of evolving theory, models and typologies developed to explain territorial patterns at the state, regional and global levels
• An appreciation of how notions of territoriality, state and nation are relevant to regions of the developing world – particularly the Middle East and East Asia

Teaching pattern

14 hrs lectures; 6 hrs seminars

Module structure:

Wk 1: From classical boundary to critical border studies: back to the barrier function?
Wk 2: Traditional territorial geopolitics and imperial boundary-drawing
Wk 3: Sovereignty and the state/Nations and Nationalism
Wk 4: Boundary and territorial disputes: a tour d'horizon
Wk 5: The curious geopolitics of island sovereignty disputes
Wk 6: The geopolitics of borderlands and borderscapes
Wk 7: Territory, State and Nation in the Middle East and North Africa
Wk 8: Partitions, agreements and uncertain futures: the case of the Irish Border
Wk 9: Stateless Nations and Emergent States: another tour d-horizon
Wk 10: Contemporary boundary securitisation and fortification

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.