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Chapter 1 Study Guide

This document discusses the importance of geography in today's rapidly changing world. It argues that geography provides a conceptual framework for understanding global transformations and connections, and for informing decisions through a spatial perspective. However, geographic knowledge has declined in recent decades. This poses serious risks, as leaders need robust knowledge of cultural, political and environmental conditions around the world to make well-informed time-sensitive decisions. The document advocates increasing geographic literacy to address issues like national security challenges from China's rise and environmental changes.

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Emma Singleton
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242 views

Chapter 1 Study Guide

This document discusses the importance of geography in today's rapidly changing world. It argues that geography provides a conceptual framework for understanding global transformations and connections, and for informing decisions through a spatial perspective. However, geographic knowledge has declined in recent decades. This poses serious risks, as leaders need robust knowledge of cultural, political and environmental conditions around the world to make well-informed time-sensitive decisions. The document advocates increasing geographic literacy to address issues like national security challenges from China's rise and environmental changes.

Uploaded by

Emma Singleton
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Why Geography Matters More than Ever

knowledge is power
more competitive world
faster changing world
Arab Spring
revolutionary wave of riots and protests in middle east starting 2010
faster rate of cause and efect
causes leaders to make decisions faster
based on available knowledge on cultural, political, economic,
environmental conditions
but how well informed are they?
not well
recent geographic history
right after one of tumultuous periods
collapse of soviet union and yugoslavia
transition to democracy in South Africa
emergence of NAFTA
Gulf War
map makers basically gave up
recently slowed down
change in maps over time
mapmaking to scientifc to technology
geography
conceptual framework that can accommodate all these changes
understand the transformations and interconnections
inform our thoughts and decisions through particular perspective
Hendrick Wilham van Loon
What is geography?
history of geography
all about discovery
Eratosthenes
measured sun angles
calculated circumference of earth
exploration and cartography
came to close with Alexander von Humboldt
technological age
geography traditions
natural world
natural as well as human world
relationships!
work at diferent levels of scale
disease
foreign cultures and distant regions
decrease in knowledge
serious national security risks
location
human-geographic relationship
why is it there?
tend to talk history
unite as well as divide geographers
Looking at the World Spatially
spatially
underpins geographic traditions, methods, and technologies
ways in which the physical and human worlds are laid out, interconnect, and
interact
used all the tie by social scientists
others tend to lag behind though
patterns tend to get generalized
mistake to think not as complex
dangerous to generalize social-environmental relationships
The Spatial Specializers
Schools of Geography
came to refect European nationalism and expansionism
tended to be divided by country
USA
divided by scholarly ideals
most signifcant Carl Sauer at Berkley
a societys life ways would be imprinted on the Earth as a cultural
landscape that could be subjected to spatial analysis wherever it was
found
non-concrete environment map
geography....
must be put in perspective
is synthesis
try to link info to solve questions
age of specialization
but should connect to the big question or goal
need to be able to communicate in plain language
areas
urbanization
gravity model
measures interaction between cities
multiply the two populations and divide by square distance between
them
economics
politics
technology totally opened up geography
but does have its benefts
African Rift Valley system
source of humanity
But is Geography Important?
Most people cant really read maps
tech makes us dependent
Tilly Smith
in Thailand during tsunami
geographic knowledge helped save life + 100 people
Public not exposed to geography can easily confused or misled
60s climate change (cooling)
leaders dont know enough
Mauritius
tropical island
Mauritania
desert country in West aftrica
Vietnam = Iraq
IMPORTANT Geography antidote to isolationism
How did it come to this?
Geography used to be popular
World wars through 60s
Social Studies
caused teachers to need to reach new requirments
no time for geography
general popular knowledge decreased because wasnt being taught
Reversal of Fortune
worsening geographic illiteracy
Georgetown
how can we make better?
Enter the Society
de Blij forged alliance between geography and NGS
bad relationship
NGS gained respect
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
launched massive fnancial aid to teach new geography teachers
used society for campaign
Christopher Salter
appointed to do
came up with fve themes
Dont know much about geography
not helping much though
being pushed out because of math and english requirments
mirrors larger educational crisis
campaign did bring new interest
students and media
Will Geography be History?
two reasons why geography not relevant:
history-obsessed culture
history replacing geography?
because of confusion within geo community
history: when
geography: where
inadequate explanation to the public
Carl Sagan
Geographic Literacy and National Security
three really important issues
China
nukes
environmental change
prevent this through knowledge

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