Study Abroad Year Report: Conclusion

As April rolls around, my year abroad and therefore my SAY blog enter their final stages. The entire process has been an overwhelmingly positive adventure with new lessons learned, friends made and perspectives developed on a daily basis. I would therefore like to briefly reflect on my experiences of living and studying abroad and the process of documenting my year through the SAY blog.

Reflections on living abroad

Having grown up in London it was to many people’s surprise that I chose to study at UCL. My response to suggestions that I leave the city to experience somewhere different was that London is an enormous and beautifully varied city. Moving from N6 to WC1 would therefore be an exciting change which indeed it was. However it was not until I moved to Los Angeles that I realised how thrilling living in a new city and country could be.

Los Angeles, my home for the year

Before coming to the US my father graced me with one piece of advice: ‘don’t be deceived; the only thing Americans have in common with the British is our language and even that we don’t really share’. While this is partially true, it has been the differences between our two cultures which have made living abroad such a rich learning experience. These differences have also encouraged me to adopt new lifestyles and philosophies. For example the slower pace of life here in Southern California encourages you to enjoy the moment rather than worry too much about the future.

There are of course many things I do not like about living in Los Angeles. As mentioned in several posts, poor public transport infrastructure and horrific congestion make moving around the city a constant challenge. I have also found the insular views of many Angelenos to be quite frustrating. These are often facilitated by a belief that the US is the single most important country in the world with everywhere else being its subordinate. This outlook is mostly held by those who have not travelled beyond its borders. However I can only see these as positive experiences for helping me appreciate other places and people, and making me more aware of our differences in opportunity.

Reflections on studying abroad

Studying for a year abroad is a fantastic and refreshing experience, one that I would recommend to anyone for whom it is available. I think it is very different to studying full time as an international student. Having already spent two years studying Geography at UCL, I came to UCLA with prior experiences and future expectations that would shape my entire year of studies.

Throughout my time here at UCLA I have been constantly comparing my studies with those at home: the size, length and content of my classes, their various forms of assessment, and the overall major/minor degree structure adopted in the US. While I was initially critical of a system that forced students to extend their degree by a year* in order to take a wider breadth of classes, I have come to appreciate the opportunity to broaden my academic horizons by taking courses from a range of different departments. Many of these have supplemented my geographical studies while others have allowed me to engage with passions I would not have been able to explore otherwise.

Numerous UCLA clubs and societies advertising on Bruin Walk 

The experiences of studying abroad extend beyond the classroom to the whole university. At UCLA I have been exposed to many aspects of college life that are not present in the UK. These include extraordinary pride in college sport, ‘Greek life’ (fraternities and sororities) and an enormous variety of different clubs and societies. Taking part in these and many other aspects of American university life has been both fun and deeply insightful, allowing me to draw my own conclusions on what I believe is conducive to a positive university experience in both countries.

Reflections on the SAY blog

As a geographer living and studying in a new place, I am always making comparisons between life here and at home. My SAY blog has not only enabled but also encouraged me to do this. By providing me with a platform to write about my thoughts and experiences, it has helped me understand and explain many differences between the UK and US both at university and beyond.

My favourite spot for working on my SAY blog

The flexibility of the SAY blog has also allowed me to explore themes and topics that are of particular interest to me, urban transport being a key example. While I initially intended to write a single post on the matter, this blog has encouraged me to look further into the subject by writing a series of linked posts. This has been of wider use in helping me choose a thesis for my dissertation. The SAY blog has also encouraged me to examine topics I had previously not studied at much depth, fortification being an example. All of the issues examined in my blog have been formative as I generate views and opinions about UCLA, Los Angeles and the US.

Working on my blog has developed my ability to write concisely (this post perhaps being an exception) and passionately about things that matter to me. It has also opened my eyes to how something that appears mundane, such as a food truck, can in fact be a fascinating topic when forming an argument. The end result has been a series of blog posts that reflect how my thoughts have evolved throughout the year. I am therefore grateful for all the fantastic and formative experiences I have had along the way.

* Undergraduate degrees in the US are typically four years, one year longer than undergraduate programmes available in the UK.

Spring Quarter Classes

After a short yet sweet Spring Break, I enter my final term here at UCLA. My choice of classes for the spring quarter are as follows:

Geography 6 - World Regions: Concepts and Contemporary Issues
Convened and taught by the controversial Jared Diamond, Geography 6 explains the importance of geographical circumstances on our lives. It does this by examining the varied histories and environments of the different regions of the world. In this class we will examine what geographical factors have led to such stark differences in income, health, education, etc. between America and Haiti, Nigeria and Germany, and North and South Korea. Jared Diamond is known for holding views sympathetic towards environmental determinism, a concept we at UCL have learned to approach with an especially critical perspective. I therefore hope studying under him will be a particularly interesting experience.

Assessment: 25% attendance and participation, 25% mini papers, 25% mid-term exam, 25% final exam.

Music History 68 - Beatles
This class will allow me to study one of my favourite bands while also offering a fantastic chance to study the social geography of Britain from a specific perspective. This perspective will be contextualised by the Beatles' rise to stardom during an era characterised by drastic changes to the country’s social climate. It will also be interesting to study the UK, my home country, from an American perspective. Already the concepts of terraced and semi-detached housing have caused confusion. While this is amusing, it is also a great chance to see which aspects of life that I consider quite normal appear to be fairly unusual to an outsider. It is classes like this that make me truly appreciate the extreme flexibility of the US higher education system.

Assessment: 15% attendance and participation, 20% online writing assignments, 15% mid-term, 20% final paper, 30% final exam.

Psychology 88 - Mind over Health Matter: Social Psychology behind Modern Health Controversies
As students we are frequently exposed to many health controversies that affect both our peers and those in wider society. These include access to healthcare, vaccinations and the abuse of substances, especially those popular among students such as Adderall, Cocaine and Ecstasy. Psychology 88 encourages students to look at the cultures, practices and beliefs behind western health, while also examining the psychological phenomena that drive them. Almost entirely made up of discussion seminars, this class will once again provide a fascinating opportunity to learn about American perspectives towards such issues.

Assessment: 20% attendance and participation, 30% mini papers, 50% final paper.

The empowerment of NGOs: Looking at BRAC in Bangladesh for Geography 141

My final paper for Geography 141 (Uneven Development Geographies: Prosperity and Impoverishment in Third World) gave students great flexibility with their topic choice. This offered me the chance to build on something I had looked at briefly in last year’s GEOG2014 class at UCL. Using the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) as an example, I chose to examine how NGOs in Bangladesh have gained considerable power at the expense of government in the past few decades.

My findings suggested that NGOs like BRAC are taking power from government through both local and global forces.

Locally, BRAC has become empowered through its relationship with Bangladeshi people. This has occurred due to its involvement in healthcare, education and other service-based programmes. As a result many people have become directly involved with the NGO. It now has over 3 million members from over 15,000 villages (Newnham 2000). This extensive relationship with Bangladeshi people has given BRAC a far greater public image than state agencies, prescribing them more power over local political and social issues.

Globally NGOs such as BRAC have achieved increased power through two main streams. The first of these is the ‘new policy agenda'. Dictated by the doctrines of the Washington Consensus, this encourages a withdrawal of the state and a consequent increase in power and autonomy held by NGOs and private enterprises. The second is the increased support BRAC and other NGOs receive from development agencies and donors who see them as a more effective form of development and democratisation than governments.

The impacts of this empowerment on development have been felt on a local and global scale. Locally it allows NGOs such as BRAC to expand their operations and to act under their own terms. This has allowed BRAC to efficiently train over 130,000 farmers to use modern agricultural techniques, provide over 12,000 people with legal and human rights information, and to establish over 300 new schools across the country (BRAC 2015: 12-15). Globally, increased power and autonomy has allowed BRAC to expand its development agenda to other countries including Sri Lanka, Haiti and Afghanistan. BRAC’s empowerment and a greater global image has also led to it being used as a template by other NGOs around the world with similar aims.

This was a great opportunity to independently research something that has always interested me. It has also challenged my views of both NGOs and the development industry as a whole.

References

BRAC (2015) ‘BRAC Annual Report’ (WWW), BRAC (http://brac.net/sites/default/files/ar2014/BRAC-annual-report-14.pdf, 29 February 2016).

Newnham, J. (2000) ‘The BRAC Poultry Programme in Bangladesh: A Performance Measurement Framework.’ Paper presented at the International Conference on Business Services for Small Enterprises in Asia, 3-6 April, Hanoi.

Wildflower Bloom: El Niño brings life to Death Valley

Wildflower 'superbloom' in Death Valley

I recently wrote about how UCLA is not only a brilliant place to study Geography, but is also located in fabulous region to study the geography of. Having learned about the marine layer in my EPS 9 class, I was thrilled to wake up one morning and experience the weather event firsthand. Another such phenomenon I have been fortunate enough to witness while studying in Southern California has been the El Niño Southern Oscillation.

Occurring roughly every two to seven years, El Niño is characterised by abnormal weather conditions. These include increased temperatures and rainfall on both coasts of the Pacific, alongside other unusual weather events around the world. This is caused by prolonged heating of the central and east-central band of the Pacific Ocean which replaces the cool surface waters of the Humboldt Current. Arguably as a result of climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA 2016) has reported the current El Niño episode as being the strongest in history.

El Niño weather conditions are known for having severe impacts on agriculture and health, especially in developing countries in Central and South America. Thus a stronger episode will likely have a harsh outcome for many. However in Southern California a silver lining has appeared in El Niño's thick clouds: an unprecedented amount of unseasonal rainfall has caused a rare wildflower bloom in Death Valley, covering it's usually barren desert landscape with a glorious sea of glowing yellow.

A 'superbloom' of this scale is exceptional and relies on a selection of rare weather events occurring in perfect conjunction with each other. These include strong desert winds early on to spread the seeds, light winter rainfall to clear a layer of mud and expose them for growth, and heavy spring rainfall to hydrate them and encourage growth. All enabled by the strength of the current El Niño episode, these factors have resulted in a magnificent bloom which has drawn people from across California and even the rest of the US to bear its witness.

Desert Gold (Geraea canescens)

As the current spell of El Niño weather conditions bring life to Death Valley, I am once again reminded of how fortunate I am to study abroad and experience the subjects of my geographical studies first hand.

References

Ashok, K. and T. Yamagata (2009) 'The El Nino with a difference', Nature, 461, 7263: 481-484.

NOAA (2016) 'February 2016 El Niño Update' (WWW), Silver Spring: NOAA (https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/february-2016-el-niño-update-q-a…and-some-thursday-morning-quarterbacking; 7 March 2016).

Learning about and experiencing the marine layer

My EPS 9 (Solar Systems and Planets) class has taken a recent break from astrology to focus on Earth’s atmosphere. In doing so we have looked at the marine layer. This occurs when an air mass forms over the surface of a cool ocean or lake. Because this body of air is higher in density than the warm air above, it becomes trapped below forming a flat layer (NOAA 2011).

This is not a rare phenomenon in Southern California where cool waters moving down from Alaska allow the marine layer to form. Due to a high pressure gradient from desert heating, the marine layer often moves inland engulfing much of the coast in heavy fog.

Last week exactly this happened. For two days Los Angeles became grey and cloudy with poor visibility. While locals find this deeply disturbing, I found it fantastic for two reasons: first it gave us a respite to the glaring sun which has been belching out days with high’s of 27ºC. Secondly because it was very exciting to experience a weather event that, only a few days prior, we had learned about in class.

Un unusual view of UCLA with the marine layer blocking out the Sun

UCLA is not just a brilliant place to study geography; it is also situated in an extraordinarily interesting region to study the geography of, both human and physical. This was one of my key motivations for choosing it as my host university for studying abroad. I am glad that, through my EPS class, I have had yet another chance to engage with my geographical studies first hand.

References

NOAA (2011) ‘The Marine Layer’ (WWW), Silver Spring: NOAA (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/ocean/marine.htm; 26 February 2016).

Grades in the UK and US continued: liberal arts versus STEM

Continuing on from my previous post, I have looked a little further into the differences between grading systems in the UK and the US.

In my earlier post I argue that it is somewhat easier to achieve higher grades in the US than in the UK. However my perspective on this topic is warped by the fact that, rather than belonging to the sciences, I am a liberal arts student. As such it is only appropriate to consider whether grading also differs for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students.

Following some secondary and informal primary research, I have come across an interesting observation: non-STEM students in the UK seem less likely to achieve higher grades than STEM students, while in the US the opposite appears to be true.

In 2012 the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reported that only 8.1% of law students compared with 30% of mathematics students were awarded first class degrees. The table below further demonstrates this disparity. This contrasts with Todd and Ralph Stinebrickner’s (2011) findings that while 19.8% of US students begin university with the intention of majoring in STEM fields, only 7.4% remain true to their word as the remaining 12.4% move towards liberal arts where grading is less harsh.

First class degrees awarded by subject for the academic year (UK) 1998/99 (HESA 2001)

From what I gather this is partly linked to the mechanisms through which liberal arts and STEM subjects are graded. As previously mentioned, from a liberal arts perspective 100% is valued differently in both countries. In the US it refers to the highest expectation placed upon students while in the UK 100% is a standard measured against the entire academic community. However this only holds true when marking subjective and argument driven essays. From a STEM perspective 100% means getting all the questions in a paper correct. In short, getting 7/10 in a STEM subject will result in a 70% being awarded in both the UK and the US, but not the same grade. Rather as my previous post indicates, 70% equals a ‘first’ in the UK and a barely passable ‘C’ in the US.

For the sake of brevity I will not look too much further into this. Certainly with 70% being an entirely different threshold for both countries, I am sure that STEM questions would be much more challenging in the UK to prevent everyone getting artificially high grades. Curving of grades is also something that needs to be taken into consideration. However, the fundamental differences in grading style between both countries do point to it being more possible to achieve higher grades in STEM subjects than the liberal arts in the UK, and the reverse in the US.

References

HESA (2001) ‘Statistics Focus’, Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2, 3, 1-22.

HESA (2012) ‘Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institution in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2010/11’ (WWW), Higher Education Statistics Agency (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/pr/2355-statistical-first-release-169; 12 January 2016).

Stinebrickner T.R. and R. Stinebrickner (2011) ‘Math or science? Using longitudinal expectations data to examine the process of choosing a college major’ (WWW), Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research (http://www.nber.org/papers/w16869; 12 January 2016).

Grades in the UK and US: what’s the difference?

One of the first things I noticed as I began my studies in September was the difference in grading systems between the US and UK. When asked by another student about my ‘GPA’ (grade point average), the best response I could offer was my average percentage of 71 that I had achieved over the past two years at UCL. ‘71?’ they asked, ‘you must be really struggling!’ I was quickly informed that 70% equates to a C- in the US higher education system, the minimum score required to pass a class at UCLA.

Having completed my first quarter of classes abroad, I have now become more acquainted with the American grading system and how it translates to the UK’s. As the table below illustrates, it is a fairly simple conversion (Fulbright Commission n/d). In each case grade classifications are separated by 10%. With both systems offering five classifications, the highest grade is therefore separated from a fail by 31%.

UK Classification	UK %	US Grade	US %	GPA
First-class	70+	A	90+	4.0 (A+ = 4.00; A- = 3.67)
Upper second-class	60-69	B	80-89	3.0 (B+ = 3.33; B- = 2.67)
Lower second-class	50-59	C	70-79	2.0 (C+ = 2.33; C- = 1.67)
Third class	40-49	D	60-69	1.0 (D+ = 1.33; D- = 0.67)
Fail	0-39	F	0-59	0.0

UK versus US grade classifications (Fulbright Commission n/d)

The only difference between the two models is the absolute percentage values of each grade range. However this carries particular significance when considering the highest grades offered by each system. In the US an A-grade (90% or above) informs a student that they are at most 10% below an entirely perfect piece of work. By contrast, in the UK a first-class (70% or above) could be as much as 30% below this level.

I first realised the significance of this when I was awarded 98% for a reflective coursework essay written for my UCLA FTV106 class. While I was pleased with this mark and proud of my work, I could not help feeling that this paper was nowhere near 2% below a perfect argument of my thesis. Rather I am sure that had I spent more time and care on the essay it could have been a far better piece. Contrasting with this, my highest mark achieved at UCL to date has been 77%. This somehow felt like a much greater achievement and I am still unsure what I could have done to improve by 23%.

In an attempt to find out what separates these two marks from 100% I have looked at the marking criteria offered by both universities. UCLA’s (n/d) measures are very concise. Students are offered an A-grade (90-99%) for work of ‘superior’ quality, while an A+ (100%) is reserved for work of ‘extraordinary’ quality. UCL’s (n/d a) grade descriptions are a little more comprehensive:

First-class (70-79%): Shows a deep understanding of the question, and is very well organised and expressed. Evidence of very good analytical skills, critical thinking and appropriate reading. Very good grasp of concepts. Comprehensive use of relevant examples. 

First-class excellent (80-89%): Surpasses the standards associated with the 70-79% level. The work displays a deep, critical understanding of the question, with excellent level of organisation and expression. Evidence of excellent analytical skills, critical thinking and appropriate reading. Excellent grasp of concepts. Extensive and critical use of relevant examples. 

First-class outstanding (90-100%): Exceptional thoroughness and clarity. Exceptional insight or originality in the use of evidence. Outstanding critical ability based on extensive reading. Clear ability to formulate responses to questions in novel and relevant ways.

Clearly, the two grading systems value 100% very differently. It seems that in the US 0-100% is a measure of what is expected of students, thus full marks are perfectly attainable. At British universities 0-100% appears to be a measure of what is expected in the academic community. This is suggested by UCL’s usage of words such as ‘originality’, ‘critical’ and ‘novel’, implying that an outstanding first-class should be awarded to an article of journal standard. Indeed many university departments state that work receiving above 85% is publishable (see Nottingham University 2011; UCL n/d b). Thus students in the UK mostly receive marks in the 60s range, rarely reaching above the high-70s. I believe the impact this has on the psyche of British students is quite significant. A score of 70% informs us we do not need to do any better, but that we can do almost 1.5 times better. For those students not only driven by grades but also by doing the very best possible, this extra 30% is an enormous incentive to improve the quality of their work. This perhaps helps lay a clearer path towards a career in academia amongst UK graduates than it does in the US.

It is important to note that this blog is written from the perspective of a liberal arts student and that this article refers to the marking of essays rather than short answer questions such as those found in the sciences.

References

Fulbright Commission (n/d) ‘Marks’ (WWW), London: Fulbright Commission (http://www.fulbright.org.uk/pre-departure/academics/marks; 5 January 2016).

Nottingham University (2011) ‘Writing essays’ (WWW), Nottingham: Nottingham University (https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/philosophy/documents/ug/essay-guidelines.pdf; 6 January 2016).

UCL (n/d a) ‘Grade Descriptors and Marking Criteria’ (WWW), London: UCL (http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/undergraduate/grade-descriptors; 5 January 2016).

UCL (n/d b) History Department Undergraduate Marking Criteria’ (WWW), London: UCL (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/undergraduate/current-undergraduates/marking-criteria; 6 January 2016).

UCLA (n/d) ‘UCLA General Catalogue: Grades’ (WWW), Los Angeles: UCLA (http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/archive/catalog/2005-07/catalog/catalog05-07acadpol-2.htm; 5 January 2016).

Geography 141 - Not letting go of the 'third world'

A key reason I was interested in taking this class (Geography 141 - Uneven Development Geographies: Prosperity and Impoverishment in Third World) was to explore the differences in how Geography and development are taught differently at my home an host institutions.

Without having even started the class an immediate difference has already caught my attention: the use of the term ‘third world’ in the class’ title. At UCL students are taught not to use the term as it inaccurately portrays parts of the world as a standard for which ‘development’ should be measured against. However ‘third world’ is casually thrown around throughout the Geography 141 syllabus. This is hardly surprising considering the US was an early ‘exemplar’ for development, with President Truman’s 1949 inaugural address spurring the rhetoric that the ‘first world’ was dutifully bound to develop the ‘third’ (Donovan 1982).

With the Cold War over, terms used to describe ‘first world’ allies, ‘second world’ enemies and ‘third world’ non-aligned countries to the US should have been made obsolete (Gaddis 1998). In fact even their successors, ‘developed’ and ‘un-’ or ‘underdeveloped’, have been hugely criticised by post-development theorists. Such thinkers argue that these terms are equally problematic for merely reinforcing Western and Northern hegemonies, therefore allowing such countries to create development discourses (Sachs, 1998).

Mapping of the 'three worlds' during the Cold War 

It will be interesting throughout this class to see if the term is challenged, or whether universities in the US choose to hold on to Cold War imaginaries and terms which maintain the nation's status as a global superpower in the field of development.

References

Donovan, R. (1982) Tumultuous years: The Presidency of Harry S. Truman, New York: Norton.

Gaddis, J. (1998) We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History, Oxford: Oxford University.

Sachs, W. (1998) The Development Dictionary, London: Zed Books.

Winter Quarter Classes

With the mercury gently dropping below 14°C here in Southern California, we enter the winter quarter. As outlined in an earlier post, my rationale for choosing classes while abroad is to explore new fields that I hope will add further breadth and depth to my Geography degree. My choices for the second term are as follows:

Geography 141 - Uneven Development Geographies: Prosperity and Impoverishment in Third World
The purpose of this class is to explore how and why development initiatives across the world have resulted in such a wide variety of outcomes. While I have previously studied development at UCL (GEOG2014), this focussed more on explaining different forms of development, the actors involved and the main theories opposing it. These theories included post-colonialism, post-development, and even critiques of post-development (Escobar 1995; Kothari 2005; Matthews 2004). UCLA’s Geography 141 class focusses more on how livelihoods have been affected by development. I am not only interested in this class for the opportunity to study development from a different perspective. It will also be a great chance to further explore how a topic, and by proxy Geography, is taught differently at my home and host institutions.

Assessment: 10% attendance and participation, 30% mid-term exam, 30% research paper, 30% final exam.

History M155 - History of Los Angeles
As a geographer, Los Angeles is not only a fantastic place to study geography, but also an extraordinarily interesting place to study the geography of. Considered to be the ‘archetypal postmodern city’, urban geography takes a particular interest in Los Angeles (Sardar 1998: 149). History M155 is an excellent opportunity to study how the city came to hold such a glorious moniker. The class examines how forces such as race, culture, gender, class and sexuality came to shape Los Angeles’ history dating back to the colonisation of California by the Spanish in the 1540s.

Assessment: 33.3% mid-term exam, 33.3% paper, 33.3% final exam.

Earth, Planetary, And Space Sciences 9 - Solar System and Planets
Again following Bonnett's (2008) definition of Geography being routed in exploration both in the traditional and non-traditional sense, I have chosen to take a class that looks beyond Earth and at its surroundings. While not directly connected to the human or physical geographies that I have studied in the past, this class will provide a helpful insight into the environment (or lack there of) that Earth occupies. With an exploration of our solar system, galaxy and universe, the scale of Earth and its geographies can be fully put into context.

Assessment: 10% project, 30% labs, 20% in-class exams, 40% final exam.

References

Bonnett, A. (2008) What is Geography?, Los Angeles: Sage.

Escobar, A. (1995) Encountering Development, Princeton: Princeton University.

Kothari, U. ( 2005) ‘From Colonial Administration to Development Studies: a Post-colonial Critique of the History of Development Studies’, in Kothari (ed.) A Radical History of Development Studies, London: Zed Books, 47-66.

Matthews, S. (2004) ‘Post-development theory and the question of alternatives: a view from Africa’, Third World Quarterly, 25, 2, 373-384.

Sardar, Z. (1998) Postmodernism and the Other, London: Pluto Press.

Religious Studies at UCLA and in the US

I recently read an article in the LA Times (Pearce 2015) that outlines the difficultly of teaching religious studies at schools in the US. In response to the numerous Islamic terrorist attacks that have taken place in the past decade or so, most recently in Paris and San Bernardino, Islamophobia in the US is at an all time high. This has particularly manifested itself in schools where parents fear religious indoctrination in the classroom. The aforementioned article reports on the closure of all schools in Augusta County, Georgia when an angry parent body responded negatively to a Religious Studies assignment where students were asked to copy the Shahada (the Islamic statement of faith) in order to encourage an appreciation of the importance of calligraphy to the religion.

The keeping home of 10,500 students that this caused was, in my opinion, something of an overreaction. I can appreciate parents’ fears of indoctrination in schools where religious studies is taught with an overly dogmatic syllabus. However there is an equal danger that by whitewashing the importance of religion, students will not appreciate both the historical and contemporary relevance it has to the world we currently occupy.

As someone who is not remotely religious, there is little I like less than preaching (this includes the preaching of atheism). I maintain that everyone has a right to their own beliefs and practices and it is not anybody’s duty to change that. In addition to this, and despite going to a secular high school, I feel that religious studies is an essential aspect of gaining a holistic education. Through this I believe students will be equipped to make their own decisions regarding religion and to respect the faith of others. It was in this light that during my first quarter at UCLA I enrolled in a class entitled Judaism, Christianity, And Islam: Interrelated Religious Traditions.

I would like to suggest the model in which this class was taught be used in all schools where parents fear either an over- or under-consideration of religion. Rather than taking an overly theological approach, the three Abrahamic religions were studied through a historical and analytical examination of the texts that dictate their doctrines. Alongside this came a deep consideration of how these religions impacted the development of human civilisation and the tensions that have arisen between the three since their creation. I found the process to be a deeply rewarding and enlightening experience. This was extended by my final research paper which examines the causes, commonalities and differences in fundamentalism across the three religions. Through this I was able to look further at the extremist sects which, particularly in the case of Islam, have been inaccurately generalised to define an entire religion.

It is no surprise that, in a country whose constitution separates Church and State, religious studies is such a contentious issue. Indeed as a geographer abroad, examining this tension has been particularly interesting. Despite the US being a secular country, I have never experienced people (both on and off campus) so deeply entrenched in and proud of their religious beliefs. This surprisingly contrasts with my experiences in the ‘non-secular’ UK where I feel religion, while still hugely important, is not such a visible component of people’s lives. I truly believe that if students were taught about religion in a similar manner to my class last quarter they would have a much more well-adjusted, critical and comprehensive understanding of religion, free of overzealous dogma or cynicism.

A public display of religious expression, not an unusual sight in the US

References

Pearce, M. (2015) ‘Public schools struggle with lessons about Islam amid renewed fears of terrorism’ (WWW), Los Angeles: LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-na-islam-schools-20151220-story.html; 20 December 2015).

Comparing UCLA and UCL class content through IDS 191

A key development critique covered at UCL in last year’s GEOG2014 (Development Geography I) class was the neocolonial argument. Since joining UCLA I have revisited the topic in my International Development Studies 191 class: China’s Trade with Africa: Neocolonial or Win-Win? The class follows a question proposed by Howard W. French in his book China’s Second Continent (2014).

As discussed in a previous post this class aimed to answer the above question by examining and writing a group paper describing China’s relationship with a specific African country, in my case Tanzania. For the sake of brevity I will not delve too much into the details of this paper (which can be found here) other than to say that we found Tanzania, while having an asymmetrical trade relationship with China, not to be dependent on the Asian giant. In addition, while Chinese infrastructure projects in Tanzania may be evocative of neocolonial administrative power, we argue that these should instead be seen as investment projects in response to Tanzania’s promising pool of natural resources. Thus while China can be seen as benefitting from easy access to these reserves, Tanzania also benefits greatly from an efficient and reliable partner to monetise them.

As well as providing a chance to study a particularly salient issue in Geography, this class has also been an excellent opportunity to explore how Geography is taught differently here at UCLA compared with UCL.

The most interesting difference I came across was the structure and content of the class. In GEOG2014, neocolonialism was contained within a single lecture with Africa being given as a mere case study. IDS 191 on the other hand affords 10 weeks (thirty hours) to examining one question. This is not the only example: UCLA IDS 192 (Africa’s Changing Classes) and IDS 102 (Gendered Development) both focus on themes that are covered by UCL's GEOG2014 in single lectures. I believe this to be an exemplary difference between the two universities. Indeed UCLA IDS is an entire department devoted to studying a field that UCL Geography covers in only two modules. I must also add that, beyond a detailed understanding of Sino-Tanzanian trade, I do not feel this class has offered any more than what was covered in a single lecture on neocolonialism last year.

I therefore believe that, at least when comparing the two universities’ Geography departments, UCL teaches a greater breadth of content at a faster pace than UCLA. While UCLA’s lower division courses do offer more breadth than its higher division classes, for example GEOG 4 (Globalization: Regional Development and World Economy), comments made by students suggest this comes is at the expense of depth. Indeed such classes are mostly taken as a prerequisites for others such as IDS 191.

It is important to state that these observations are limited to this one class, complemented by other class syllabuses and student comments. I hope that next quarter’s GEOG 141 class (Uneven Development Geographies: Prosperity and Impoverishment in Third World) will add further insight into this comparison between the two universities and their Geography departments.

References

French, H.W. (2014) China’s Second Continent, New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

University Pride

This weekend UCLA will take on its local rivals, the University of Southern California (USC), in their biggest football game of the year. The atmosphere around campus in anticipation of the event has been electric with the buildup culminating in a rally held last night to burn an effigy of USC’s mascot ‘Tommy Trojan’. The fire was surrounded by students wearing ’doUSChebags’ t-shirts and chanting ‘fight fight fight!’.

USC's mascot 'Tommy the Trojan' on flames

The event has had me asking why UCL, or for that matter any university in the UK, does not take such pride in university sport? Aside from the rare exception, the Henley Regatta being perhaps the most notable, the scale of money and excitement is not a patch on the US. While American sport is flooded with million-dollar sponsorship contracts, sensational fandom and controversy, British university sport is a far more modest affair. Instead it is often limited to a small pitch in the middle of an obscure field, watched by six or seven fans (or more likely passing dog walkers), and sponsored by the local pharmacy whose main obligation is to provide sliced oranges for the players at half time.

UCLA Bruins fans filling the 92,542 capacity Rose Bowl Stadium, larger than London's Wembley Stadium

Having conducted a little informal research, I tried to find out why students in the US are so passionate about college sports. Responses varied from ‘its a great way to meet people’ to ‘because the US is the best country in the world, that’s why!’ However, a frequent reason that I found particularly interesting was that supporting your college team is a great way to express pride in your university. 

Back in the UK university pride is not as rampant and I think this is a shame. Of course rivalries do exist, KCL versus UCL being a prime example, but never has this led to the burning of a foe’s mascot. In fact I don’t even know what UCL’s mascot is, let alone Kings’! 

Walk around campus here and you will see students - or ‘Bruins’ as they are proudly known - wearing an enormous variety of UCLA branded t-shirts, sweaters, and even shoes. Drive around Los Angeles and you will see ‘UCLA Alumni’ license plates. Of course this is great merchandising and a clever form of advertising for the university, but I believe its more than that. At UCLA you feel part of a movement and its a fantastic experience. At UCL wearing university branded clothing is seen as overly keen and even dorky. Perhaps this is a reflection of UK university students trying to appear cool and nonchalant. However it is not reflective of the entire country where, for example, Premier League Football fandom matches college football in the US.

However ‘footy madness’ in the UK is predominantly dominated by men. At UCLA shared college pride brings people together, creating a great sense of community amongst all members of the university. With university life in both countries being a social and academic endeavour, it is interesting to note that in the US 28% of married couples meet at university versus 19% in the UK (Macskássy 2013; TSR 2014). In my opinion this is perhaps because the shared joy and sadness at UCLA’s win or loss in a sports game is a much more valuable bonding experience than drunken sports nights at Loop. 

References

Macskássy, S.A. (2013) ‘From Classmates to Soulmates’ (WWW), Menlo Park: Facebook Research (https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-data-science/from-classmates-to-soulmates/10151779448773859; 24 November 2015).

TSR (2014) ‘One fifth of British students meet the love of their life on campus’ (WWW), Brighton: TSR (http://tsrmatters.com/one-fifth-of-british-students-meet-the-love-of-their-life-on-campus/; 24 November 2015). 

Geography meets Film History: Urban economics in the early Hollywood era

I recently wrote about how the multidisciplinary nature of Geography encourages an exploration of other fields of study and the building of synoptic links between them. One such example is Film History. While film can itself be a method of geographical investigation, the film industry is also a particularly fascinating topic of study within the field of urban economics. This is something I have looked at in a recent piece of coursework.

In this paper I argued that vertical integration and localisation economies of scale, which characterised the Hollywood studio system, enabled much faster and more widely adopted innovations in the film industry than when it was centred in New York. This was done through a comparison of the swift and widespread incorporation of sound into cinema during the Hollywood era - in the space of a year, films went from being almost all silent to entirely spoken - with the more disparate and localised advancements that occurred on the East Coast.

Hanssen’s (2010) defines vertical integration as the process by which a business manages its entire supply chain. The Hollywood studio system clearly demonstrated vertical integration from its earliest days. This dates back to 1915 when Adolph Zukor merged the distribution company Famous Players with the Laksy Company and Paramount Theatres and moved to Los Angeles. The business born out of this would manage all three key stages of the film industry: production, distribution and exhibition*.

Localisation economies of scale, as defined by Storper (2013), occur when clustered companies of the same industry experience greater productivity and innovation. Scott and Soja (1996) explain why Hollywood is seen as the archetypal localisation economy of scale. Here companies are able to hire talented and short-term employees from a large labour pool, something of particular benefit in the project orientated film industry. Additionally, companies are able to learn from one another through ‘knowledge spillovers’ which is of particular significance when considering why innovations spread so quickly in Hollywood (Glaeser et al. 1992).

The rapid adoption of sound by the film industry is a perfect example of vertical integration and localisation economies of scale at work. While the technology for sound had been around since the 19th century, a previous inhibitor of this incorporation was the potential magnitude and cost of wiring studios and theatres for sound synchronisation and amplification. Without a guarantee of theatres that could play your films or a steady supply of talking pictures for your theatre, nobody wanted to take the first step (Sklar 1975). However once they owned both the theatres and studios, film companies were finally able to facilitate the transition at both the production and exhibition end. In addition to this, an ability to learn from surrounding companies through localisation economies of scale played a key role in the transition. A salient example of this is the boom microphone, first used to capture Clara Bow’s voice in The Wild Party (1929). This was swiftly adopted by other companies who quickly learned about the technology either through observation, spying or labour transfers (Mayne 1995). Thus, without these processes it is unlikely that the adoption of sound into cinema would have occurred in such a rapid and widespread manner.

To demonstrate this further, I examined the film industry when it was spread around the state of New York. During this time there were advancements in film, prominent examples being increased film lengths, large format film and panning camera shots (Sklar 1975). These innovations do however differ in their nature. Without vertical integration or economies of scale, such advancements were disparate and more locally fixed within the confines of the company that had pioneered them instead of being spread across the entire film industry.

Thus the film industry creates an interesting backdrop to examine the role of urban economics in the creation and growth of businesses in a certain time and space. This further demonstrates the interconnectivity of Geography as a field of study that expands into many others, in this case Film History.

*This ended in 1948 when the US Supreme Court’s anti-trust rule broke down the Hollywood oligopoly.

References

Hanssen, F. (2010) ‘Vertical Integration during the Hollywood Studio Era’, Journal of Law and Economics, 53, 3, 519-543.

Glaeser, E., H. Kallal, J. Scheinkman and A. Shleifer (1992) ‘Growth in Cities’, Journal of Political Economy, 100, 6, 1126-1152.

Mayne, J. (1994) Directed by Dorothy Arzner, Bloomington: Indiana University.

Scott, A.J and E.W. Soja (1996) The City: Los Angeles and Urban Theory at the End of the Twentieth Century, Berkeley: University of California Press.

Sklar, R. (1975) Movie-made America, New York: Random House.

Storper, M. (2013) Keys to the City: How Economics, Institutions, Social Interaction, and Politics Shape Development, New Jersey: University of Princeton.

Fall Quarter Classes

In his book What is Geography?, Alastair Bonnett (2008) attempts to address a question which has since my first day at UCL constantly reappeared as a inherent query in this overly-introspective field of study. His answer, while typically ambiguous like those that have come before, is in my opinion one of the best. Bonnett believes Geography to be the fundamental fascination with exploration. This is not just meant in a traditional sense, but also in a more conceptual way that sees us looking to study all aspects of the world both near and far. Indeed, the scope of what can be studied in Geography is enormous with the four classical groupings of environmental, economic, political and social only drawing further attention to the infinite breadth of the subject.

Out of this breadth and ambiguity is born a fantastic opportunity for a geography student abroad to explore new and unfamiliar territories. Enabled by the US’s university structure, which encourages a far more diverse educational experience than that of the UK, this exploratory drive has been my rationale while selecting the following classes for the Fall Quarter at UCLA:

Film And Television 106A - History of American Motion Picture

The purpose of this class is to explore the history of the American film industry from its origins to its current form. While it may not be initially apparent, the class is linked to Geography in multiple ways. Indeed, as frequently as film comes up in Geography, through studies of cultural and historical representation (Rose 2012), the ‘reel vs. the real’ (Aitken and Zonn 1994) and its role in the US’s global cultural hegemony (Wasser 2009), so too does Geography make itself known in film studies. Such examples include:

- the urban economics of vertical integration and economies of scale that hastened the creation of the Hollywood studio system,
- the importance of changes in social classes across the 20th century in the US that enabled film’s rise to become the most powerful and accessible means of entertainment to the masses,
- and the place of film as a geopolitical ploy, both during the era of wartime propaganda but also today as a means of reasserting US dominance around the world (Sklar 1975).

Assessment: 20% attendance and participation, 20% research paper, 20% mid-term exam, 20% reflective paper, 20% final exam.

International Development Studies 191 - China’s Trade with Africa: Neocolonial or Win-Win?

Perhaps demonstrating the most obvious links to Geography, this class examines the new and asymmetrical relationship between China and Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on concepts also covered in UCL’s Development Geography (GEOG2014) module, such as neo- and post-colonialism and the development of the African middle classes (Birdsall 2010; Kothari 2005), IDS 191 raises the question of whether China’s trade with Africa will be mutually beneficial or solely neocolonial and exploitative. While the class is an excellent opportunity to study what looks to become one of the world’s most lucrative trade ‘partnerships’, it is also a valuable chance to gauge an American perspective over its greatest global opponent. Indeed, the class taught by an ex-consultant for U.S.A.I.D and the World Bank meaning the overall impression of China given to students is overwhelmingly negative. It therefore seems unlikely that ‘win-win’ will be the answer to the class’ title question. Whether or not this is true will be seen through the group research projects undertaken by students. In these each group will investigate a specific African country’s trade relationship with China. My group assignment will be Tanzania.

Assessment: 100% group research project.

Religious Studies 120 - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach

One of the most appalling and tragic conflicts that has gripped the world for decades is the spread of violence through much of the Middle East. While clearly political, these conflicts are also deeply religious. Having studied such issues from a geopolitical standpoint, both at UCL and through the informative documentaries of Adam Curtis, I am now keen to gauge why such conflicts exist from a religious sense. As a student of a secular senior school my religious education was limited to the confines of a grudgingly attended Jewish Sunday-schooling. Thus RS 120 will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about the interconnectedness of the three Abrahamic religions and the conflicts arising both between them and internally among their many denominations. Composed by students from a range of religious backgrounds (an aspect which itself lends the opportunity to learn about others’ religious experiences and perspectives), the class is taught through a mixture of readings, discussions and guest speakers. It aims to cover topics from religious ancestors to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Assessment: 20% weekly reflective question/comment, 30% mid-term exam, 50% research paper. 

I hope that through their synoptic ties, these classes will expand my geographical studies both inside and outside the classroom.

References

Aitken, S.C. and L.E. Zonn (1994) Place, Power, Situation, and Spectacle: A Geography of Film, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. 

Birdsall, N. (2010) ‘The (indispensable) middle class in developing countries; or, the rich and the rest, not the poor and rest’, Centre for Global Development Working Paper 207, Washington DC.

Bonnett, A. (2008) What is Geography?, Los Angeles: Sage.

Kothari, U. ( 2005) ‘From colonial administration to development studies: a post-colonial critique of the history of development studies’ in Kothari, A Radical History of Development Studies, London: Zed Books, 47-66.

Rose, G. (2012) Visual Methodologies, London: Sage.

Sklar, R. (1975) Movie-made America, New York: Random House.

Wasser, F. (1995) ‘Is Hollywood America? The trans-nationalization of the American film industry’, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 12, 4, 423-437.

Arriving at UCLA: First Impressions

Wide-eyed and sweaty, I arrived at sunny UCLA last week to be greeted by friendly ‘We’re here to help!’ volunteers, who proceeded to guide me to my room: 664 Sproul South. As appears to be tradition in US college culture the first person I met was my roommate, Daniel, and his family who immediately proceeded to grill me on all things British (an encounter I am sure will be repeated throughout the year). Following a humorous discussion about the possibility of Donald Trump as a future presidential candidate, I left Daniel to say goodbye to his family and went to register for my ‘Bruin’ ID card.

By no means was this a nearby endeavour. Kerckhoff Hall, the location of the registration office, can be found at the centre of UCLA’s enormous heart shaped camp. Sproul Hall on the other hand is located in its the North West ‘atrium’, sat amongst the other dorms in an area quite aptly referred to as ‘The Hill’. UCLA's bowl shaped topography means any journey across campus will result in an uphill climb, thus the claim that ‘you can tell a UCLA freshman by his calves’. This first hike across campus was however a great opportunity to get a first glimpse of what would be my new home for the next year. I was immediately struck by the campus’ beauty. Unlike the Los Angeles that I had seen on my way from the airport - dominated by elevated freeways, unimaginative office buildings and sprawling bungalows - the UCLA campus is green, pedestrianised and occupied by stunning Romanesque Revival buildings such as Royce Hall and the Powell Library.

While the campus appeared to be a microcosm separate from the rest of the city, it clearly shared one major characteristic with Los Angeles: its vast size. It is not just UCLA’s 419 acres that make it seem huge, but also its over 43,000 students (almost 1.5 times the size of UCL’s student body). This became even more apparent over the next few days as ‘Zero Week’ events such as the Bruin Bash and Enormous Activities Fair (equivalent to UCL’s ‘Freshers’ Fayre’) demonstrated the challenges of crowd control on such a large scale.

My first few days at UCLA have therefore left me with a generally positive first impression of UCLA. The campus is stunning (albeit enormous), the people are friendly and there is a fantastic aura of shared excitement as everyone appears to be looking forward to what the coming year will bring.

East facing view of UCLA from my dorm

Students attending the not so well organised Enormous Activities Fayre

Students on Bruin Walk

Students 'queueing' for tickets to Bruin Bash

UCLA campus map with Sproul Hall circled in red

Study Abroad Year Report

Hello and welcome to my Study Abroad Year Report!

Here I hope to share with you my experiences as an exchange student from University College London (UCL) studying for a year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In doing so I aim to provide a critical academic reflection of the discipline of Geography as it is taught at both my home and host universities, seeking to prove that an additional 'A' is not all that separates the two. I will do this by exploring and comparing the contents of my classes and the ways in which they are taught and assessed.

Alongside I also plan to document and discuss my experiences of American university life, Los Angeles and more generally the USA. I will do this by exploring, from a geographical perspective, themes and topics ranging from transport to campus life to commodification and much more.

Enjoy!