Mobile Worlds

The scale of contemporary travel is staggering. Tourists, businesspeople, refugees, passengers, commuters, students, backpackers, migrants, stowaways, pirates, terrorists—and many more—are on the move. Travel has often been seen as devoid of economic, political and socio-cultural significance. But issues of movement—too much or too little; too fast or too slow; or the wrong sort at the wrong time—are central to many present-day controversies. From airport expansion to design responses to climate change; and from the spectre of driverless cars to the plight of homeless people, issues of ‘mobility’ are centre stage. To better understand power in our contemporary world, we need to understand the meanings attached to these movements; how these movements feel; how fast things move; the routes these movements take; and how and when things stop. Through this subject we will explore how mobility is a fundamental part of our world. This subject is taught intensively over two weeks through lectures, seminars, workshops, and fieldtrips involving fieldwork in different areas of central Melbourne.

• 1Recognise the most recent advances in geographical thinking about mobilities.
• 2Develop ideas about mobilities into arguments with reference to historical and contemporary examples of mobility processes.
• 3Distinguish the different ways in which mobilities are positioned within contemporary media and policy debates.
• 4Select and interrogate relevant academic literature concerning the cultural, social and political aspects of contemporary mobility issues.
• 5Communicate findings in written and oral form with reference to broader debates within geography and related disciplines.