| dc.description.abstract | This thesis is set out to study how Geography and the Society as a whole, today and throughout history may have contributed to create strong preconceptions in Western culture about the subjects; Demography and Development. According to an ongoing discourse, involving both Human Geographies and Educational Theories, these preconceptions have resulted in a constructed dichotomy, between us (Western population) and the Others (third world population). Through a pre-post-survey, performed with students in Upper Secondary School, this study has sought to get insight into these preconceptions and the students’ attitude to the population in Developing Countries. In addition, the survey studied how Geography, through teaching, may give students an updated and new conception about these subjects. The results of the survey are compared, analyzed and discussed with theories encompassing historical and ongoing discourses about Demography and Development. In addition, the analyzes involved Learning Theories, to explain individual and social processes, which furthermore can affect the students’ learning outcome. The survey revealed corresponding preconceptions about the Others amongst the students that can be described as deterministic and Malthusian. This supports the ongoing debate about Western attitude towards Demography and Development. However, significant and distinct changes in the students’ answers in the post-survey revealed that Geography teaching has a big potential of changing and enlightening preconceptions in students, if conducted the right way. As a conclusion, this study therefore proposes how teaching preferably should be carried out, to ensure an updated and reflecting outcome for students learning in Geography. | nb_NO |
