Using Qualitative Methods in Medical Geography: Deconstructive Moments in a Subdiscipline?

As medical geography reinvents itself as health geography, the linkages between social theory and the deconstruction of central categories organizing its medical orientation are being explored. This paper discusses the contribution of qualitative research to this process. In providing access to alternative ways of understanding health concerns, and emphasizing issues of power in the production of knowledge, qualitative methodology carries the potential for reconceptualizing key issues framing investigation of the relationships between place, people, and their health. In pursuing current issues in social theory, qualitative research also contributes to the blurring of the subdiscipline's boundaries and revitalizes its agenda.     

Transformations in the discipline of geography experienced over 60 years by a Norwegian geographer

ABSTRACT

The article presents the changes in the discipline of geography over 60 years as experienced both in fieldwork and in practice by a Norwegian geographer. Based on diaries and collections of memoirs, the author, Arild Holt-Jensen, presents his life story and how it has been impacted by people, places and special events. His intention is to show how geography and his own work reflect social, political and intellectual changes since the late 1950s. Initially, a regional geography approach was adopted in the fieldwork for his master’s thesis but the approach was challenged by new ideas and methods from both the spatial science school and model thinking. As a young lecturer in 1968, the author was shocked by the positivism debate and critical philosophy, and his spatial science and quantitative approach in his PhD project had to be adapted. His political engagement and interest in planning led him to research social exclusion in European neighbourhoods. His need to trace the identity of geography as a discipline resulted in a textbook that throughout the years has been updated by following up on research trends to the present. Thus, the book and the article show Holt-Jensen’s shifts in disciplinary identity and research practice.     

Land reclamation and Deep Ecology: in search of a more meaningful physical geography

Deep Ecology provides a complete and practical philosophy to guide practice, research and teaching in physical geography. This proposes that long–term human self–interest is served best by serving the needs of Nature, which also provides an agenda for research. Understanding is constructed in three steps from the realization of the internal self, through the social self and ultimately the ecological Self, which provides an agenda for teaching and learning. Being 'useful' is proposed as a duty for geography. Its first priorities should be environmental management, mitigating the ecological footprint of humanity: first for the benefit of society, but ultimately for the benefit of the Self – within Nature. Systems thinking should guide investigation because Deep Ecology conceives Nature as a single interacting, multidimensional whole.     

人文地理学学科体系与发展战略要点

本文属于《中国学科及前沿领域发展战略研究（2021—2035）》地理科学学科规划的系列成果之一,写作组在对人文地理学学科发展进行系统梳理与分析判研的基础上,在本文中侧重介绍未来15年的中国人文地理学学科体系与发展战略要点。人文地理学是研究人类活动地理分布格局形成和演变规律的一门学科。随着人类发展临近和进入后工业化阶段,人类活动的经济社会过程对人文地理分布规律的影响越来越重要,社会科学研究思维和方法已成为探讨和理解变化的人文地理过程和格局的重要途径,人文地理学研究方法论也呈现出自然科学和社会科学综合集成的特色。人文地理学研究的成果产出,揭示了人类活动地理分布格局和演变的科学规律,成为调控和优化国土空间开发保护格局的科学基础,在国土空间规划、区域战略和区域政策制定、空间治理现代化等方面有着广泛的应用,人文地理学的科学研究与决策应用之间具有紧密的关系。根据学科发展现状、趋势及主要产出结果,中国人文地理学可按照5个分支学科群进行学科战略布局,包括综合人文地理学、经济地理学、城市地理学、乡村地理学、社会文化地理学和政治地理学。各分支学科在新时期地理科学学科体系下,具有其优先发展领域与重点方向,相互协调,不断创新。     

Some Suggestions Concerning a Course of Study in Geography

Abstract

Over the next decade or so, the National Assessment for Educational Progress in Geography and the Geographic Education Standards Project promise to give geography a new definition as a school subject. This will challenge the educational community to re-examine how geography is taught and learned across all the grade levels, K-12. If geography is to be perceived as an essential subject in preparing students for citizenship as adults, not only must its image change, but its content and the pedagogy that delivers it must be modified as well. To achieve those ends, new curricular models grounded in cogent and applicable research must develop through partnerships of teachers, teacher educators, learning theorists, and professional geographers.     

In the Critical Zone: Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey

Geography is again becoming an integral part of the premier natural‐science agency of the federal government. Geographic research emphasizes the surface of the earth, a portion of the earth system that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defines as the “critical zone.” Although geography was part of the USGS from the creation of the agency, in recent years geography in the agency has largely been limited to topographic mapping. Recently, the USGS and an advisory committee of the National Research Council (NRC) reviewed the role of geography at the Survey. The committee's report, along with ongoing decision‐making in the federal government, is likely to reshape geography in the USGS. The newly defined USGS has a regional structure and four disciplines: geology, hydrology, biology, and geography. The NRC report emphasizes the need for the creation of a spatial database called the National Map to replace the existing series of paper topographic maps. The report also outlines the need for geographic research in geographic information science (GIScience), nature‐society connections, and bridging of science to decision‐making. The NRC report has been briefed throughout the USGS, in the federal executive branch, and in Congress. The changing role for geography in the USGS requires change in the agency culture, revised budgetary decisions, and the establishment of a long‐term core agenda for research. Academic geographers will need to prepare a new generation of geographers for participation in the USGS and similar agencies.     

The Role of a PhD Field Exam in Preparing Graduate Students for Academic Careers*

The Department of Geography at Arizona State University implemented a field exam as part of its PhD program requirements. This field exam requires students to develop an independent field‐based research project based on a general question in the student's specialty area. A survey of current and former PhD students and faculty members document how the field exam assists students in developing skills necessary for continuing graduate research and for preparing them for the rigors of academic employment. The outcomes of the exam include both long‐term, process‐related benefits and more immediate tangible rewards. For some students, the preliminary fieldwork and results redirect student interests and form the basis for their eventual dissertation. The field exam is adaptable to a diversity of geography research methods, subject areas, and graduate degree programs, while remaining grounded in the discipline's vibrant, widely respected fieldwork tradition.     

弱点,还是优势?对学习“地理科学是自然科学和社会科学的汇合”的一点体会

自近代地理学建立之日起,一百多年间,关于地理学性质的讨论,始终绵延不绝,贯串着整个地理学思想史。这次,由我国著名科学家钱学森同志发起的地理科学大讨论,已在全国地理学界引起普遍反响,热烈地讨论着。固然,钱学森同志所说的地理科学并不完全等同於我们日常所说的地理学,就科学分类上所居的层次而论,地理科学显然高出於地理学,是没有疑问的,但二者有其辐合一致的地方,也是无可否认的。     

Transforming New Orleans and Its Environs: Centuries of Change

Abstract

Geography is again becoming an integral part of the premier natural-science agency of the federal government. Geographic research emphasizes the surface of the earth, a portion of the earth system that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defines as the “critical zone.” Although geography was part of the USGS from the creation of the agency, in recent years geography in the agency has largely been limited to topographic mapping. Recently, the USGS and an advisory committee of the National Research Council (NRC) reviewed the role of geography at the Survey. The committee's report, along with ongoing decision-making in the federal government, is likely to reshape geography in the USGS. The newly defined USGS has a regional structure and four disciplines: geology, hydrology, biology, and geography. The NRC report emphasizes the need for the creation of a spatial database called the National Map to replace the existing series of paper topographic maps. The report also outlines the need for geographic research in geographic information science (GIScience), nature-society connections, and bridging of science to decision-making. The NRC report has been briefed throughout the USGS, in the federal executive branch, and in Congress. The changing role for geography in the USGS requires change in the agency culture, revised budgetary decisions, and the establishment of a long-term core agenda for research. Academic geographers will need to prepare a new generation of geographers for participation in the USGS and similar agencies.     

“A world in a grain of sand”: towards a reconceptualisation of geographical scale

Difficulties in relating local scale change to broader dynamics of social and economic restructuring continue to be reflected in much geographical research. This paper argues that inadequate conceptualisations of geographical scale restrict the relevance of much research to the agenda of an applied peoples' geography. A framework which conceptualises geographical scale as dialectically and internally related to the totality of social relations, is proposed and discussed with examples from remote mining regions in Australia.     

Fifteen Year Follow-Up Geography Skills Test Administered in Indiana, 1987 and 2002

Abstract

After fifteen years of geographic education efforts, a baseline geography skills test was repeated in Indiana. In 2002, 2,278 students in college freshman geography courses were tested with a revision of the National Council for Geographic Education Competency-Based Geography Test, Secondary Level Form II. The test measured geographic ability in map skills, place name location, physical geography, and human geography. As in 1987, the 2002 test gathered personal information from each student on age, gender, travel experience, and prior geographic education. Test scores were lower by two percent in 2002. Travel and lifetime experience are again the best teachers of geography as opposed to high school geography course work. Significant performance differences persist between gender and ethnic groups. Arts and science students perform significantly higher than students from education, business, and other schools. Test results underscore the need to emphasize more intentional classroom focus on state standards and preparation of classroom teachers.     

转型中的中国人文地理学

1978年改革开放以来,人文地理学,作为地理学的重要分支学科,在为国家发展服务中发挥了重要的作用,与此同时,在国家发展的过程中学科发展蓬勃兴旺.然而,关于人文地理学的科学地位始终处在议论之中.尤其对人文地理学的研究方法长期处在争沦之中.在全球化的大背景下,世界需要了解中国.中国需要走进世界,发挥人文地理学的作用越来越重要.本文从地理学发展历程阐述人文地理学是地理学的重要组成部分:中国人文地理学的发展具有重要的地位和作用,一方面经济社会政治制度环境的转变需要中国人文地理学的发展,另一方而随着中国经济国际地位的增强,需要人文地理学为国家发展做出更重要的贡献.人文地理学具有自身的发展规律和研究方法,需要解放思想,注意在经济学的价值规律、社会科学的社会公平价值规律、自然科学的景观分析方法和历史学的历史分析方法以及数量分析等方面进一步深入挖掘.中国人文地理学研究,既需要对已有成果的概括提升,也需要有一种深度挖掘和创新的过程.     

A Folk Guide to Geography as a Holistic Science

Abstract

This article defines geography as a holistic science that seeks to explain variations in the human-environment relationship over the earth's surface. By critically evaluating the ontological, epistemological, and methodological commitments of geography, an attempt is made to bridge the gap between the specialized, professional discussion of geography and practical pedagogical needs. The central argument is threefold. First, by combining natural and social science, the geographical perspective is crucial as a means to explain, and to help solve, real world problems. Second, such a multidimensional science demands a holistic approach. Finally, if this message is to be heard, geographers will need to put more effort into translating their professional discourse into that of nongeographers. The key is to change the prevailing “folk model” of geography held by nongeographers as a means to render the geographic project more intellectually coherent and institutionally legitimate.     

OUTREACH TO PRECOLLEGIATE AMERICAN HISTORY TEACHERS: THE UTILITY OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY THEMES *

The utility of introducing historical geography topics into pre-college American history courses is explored through surveys of social studies teachers in New England and at a meeting of the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE). Many history teachers claim to use geography in their courses, but use mostly map skills, place locations, and determinism. History teachers are interested in materials and workshops on historical geography themes, however, and sample, materials were well received by teachers in attendance at a national and a regional conference.     

德国全球变化研究中的人文方向

随着研究的不断深入,人文因素在全球环境变化研究中的作用愈来愈被显现出来。任何研究机构都应充分重视人为驱动因子以及由此产生的各系统之间的相互作用。其中,人文地理学在全球变化研究中具有十分重要的作用。本文概要介绍了德国全球变化研究中的人文领域,从中可以看出自然科学与人文科学交叉渗透的重要性     

21世纪中国人文地理学研究的国际影响定量分析与挑战

本文从当代人文地理学的跨学科特点出发,以2000年以来美国科学情报机构156个SSCI人文地理学期刊的10万余篇论文为基础数据,通过文献计量法从期刊的分类、发文总量、高引用率、世界一流学术机构和明星学者的分布、热门期刊和关键词等方面深入分析当前中国人文地理学在国际学术界的地位、发展趋势以及面临的问题和挑战。结果显示：①21世纪以来,中国人文地理学在国际学术界的迅速崛起已经成为不容争议的事实,中国人文地理学者在国际SSCI期刊的发文总量、高引用率、世界一流机构和明星学者等方面都处于领先地位(世界排名第6)。②当前,中西方人文地理的学科发展存在较大差异,中国人文地理学有着很强的“发展主义”和“实证主义”属性,发文期刊多以规划与发展、遥感、景观等领域为主;而西方人文地理学的社会学偏向非常明显,社会公平、制度和文化嵌入性是西方学者关注的重点领域,在经济地理、文化地理、政治地理等主流期刊中占主导地位。③最后,文章呼吁中国人文地理学应加强在创新研究、社会网络、区域治理、社会正义等方面的理论创新以及与西方理论学派的对话。     

Computer Science and Programming Courses in Geography Departments in the United States

Geographic information systems (GIS) are fundamental information technologies. The capabilities and applications of GIS continue to rapidly expand, requiring practitioners to have new skills and competencies, especially in computer science. There is little research, however, about how best to prepare the next generation of GIScientists with adequate computer science skills. This article explores how U.S. geography departments are introducing and developing computer science and programming skills in their geography and GIS degree programs. We review the degree requirements in fifty-five geography departments and discover that forty-four of them offer some kind of GIS programming course. Of the 210 separate degree options identified, however, only 22 require one of these courses for a degree. There is little consistency or emphasis on computer science and programming skills in geography or GIS degrees, despite the immense importance of these components in geography and GIS careers. We propose future research along distinct investigative tracks to build a research-based understanding of the educational interactions among GIS, computer science, programming, and geography.     

人文地理学的“神经转向”研究进展及启示

“神经转向”是在后现代语境下提出的,运用神经机制诠释人的心智与空间的关系,超越“社会文化”与“生物神经”的边界,强调情感、身体、“非理性”等的主体特征,为人文地理学研究提供了新的认识论和方法论。同时,人文地理学研究的“空间传统”有益于对批判神经科学关于“心智—大脑—环境”的理解产生知识溢出,实现学科交叉的良性循环。论文梳理了国内外涉及神经科学理论与方法的人文地理学研究,基于具身认知和非表征理论分析人文地理学中“神经转向”研究的理论基础,并围绕空间感知、情感认知、行为实践等主题进行介绍。另外,神经科学技术手段为人文地理学研究提供了新的方法,大脑成像、眼动追踪技术已经在地理学科中得到应用,呈现可期的未来愿景。最后,论文提出“神经转向”对中国人文地理学研究的理论创新和实践路径的启示。     

2000年以来中国社会地理学发展的回顾与展望

2000年以来,中国社会地理学呈现出良好的发展态势。梳理和分析该时期中国社会地理学的发展,对了解当前国内本学科的现状和指导未来一段时期的发展都具有重要意义。首先对社会地理学的发展进行简要介绍,探讨了社会地理学的研究主题。通过对大量文献和著作的梳理,在对2000年以来中国社会地理学发展的总体分析基础上,从城市社会地理学与乡村社会地理学两方面对社会地理学研究的主要内容进行了归纳和评述,最后对中国社会地理学未来的发展进行了讨论和展望。在未来的学科建设与研究中,中国社会地理学应积极合理地借鉴西方地理学与其他学科优秀成果,继续拓展并深化已有的研究内容,探索建立具有中国特色的社会地理学理论框架,同时发挥社会地理学问题指向性优势,提高解决实际问题的能力。     

Context in Human Geography: A Multilevel Approach to Study Human–Environment Interactions∗

One of the shortcomings of quantitative methods in human geography is an overreliance on models that can only account for the average outcomes of spatial events. Although methodological advancements in the form of multilevel models now allow human geographers to account for average outcomes as well as deviations about average outcomes of spatial events, it is not without question that such models can fully account for the cultural, political, and social contexts that affect human behavior. In this article I argue for the adoption of a multilevel approach to the study of human behavior to address some of the criticisms of quantitative methods in human geography. Using a transportation geography research agenda as an example, I discuss how a multilevel approach can complement qualitative methods. Such mixed research methods offer human geographers the opportunity to identify the appropriate role for quantitative methods and explore how context affects behavior.