Up Against the Law: Legal Structuring of Political Opportunities in Neighborhood Opposition to Group Home Siting in Massachusetts

Abstract

Conflicts over siting of group homes for people transitioning out of homelessness or struggling with addiction illustrate the multiscalar dynamics at play between locally-based activism and supra-local laws. In Massachusetts, the state-scale legal environment limits the effectiveness of opposition to group housing; nonetheless, such opposition occurs at the municipal level. Drawing on media accounts, official documents, and interviews with stakeholders in conflicts over group home siting in Worcester, Massachusetts, I investigate the dynamics between neighborhood place claims, the responses of the local state, and the state-wide laws governing group home siting. Examining the legal frameworks relevant to social movement grievances demonstrate that law structures the political opportunities available for protest and local government response.     

SCALING TECHNIQUES IN THE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL COGNITION DATA∗

The utility of nonmetric, multidimensional-scaling techniques is demonstrated for the analysis and collection of environmental-cognition data. By comparing the multidimensional-scaling solutions of a real-setting map to scaling solutions for sketch maps and two psychophysical, distance-scaling procedures, we demonstrate that magnitude estimation of actual interpoint distances is comparable in accuracy to sketch maps when produced without constraints, or when subjects are given a specified list of landmarks to include on their maps. Triadic comparisons of actual interpoint distances were less accurate than the three other techniques.     

Multimedia Guided Writing Modules for Introductory Human Geography

Abstract

This article describes a pilot project initiated in the fall term of 1993 that implemented and tested an interactive system of multimedia computer learning modules for an introductory human geography course. Modules actively involved students in learning and collaborative writing about topics illustrative of the breadth of contemporary human geography. Evaluation was achieved by means of analysis of student essays, electronic logs of student time spent in various portions of the system, and a comprehensive survey administered to students at the end of the term. This information suggests that the use of interactive multimedia lab modules can greatly enrich the learning environment for a wide range of students taking introductory human geography courses, though careful attention must be paid to ensure ease of use. The modules are now being refined based on these results; our hope is to make them available to other geography departments in the near future.     

Challenges of Teaching Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

The new Advanced Placement (AP) human geography course is a wonderful opportunity to ensure the availability of high quality geographic education for high school students. As with any course, in addition to the students' interest and ability, their success is also closely linked to the teachers' preparation. In order to be as well prepared as possible, most AP human geography teachers want and need to know several things in addition to the course content. Questions addressed include how to promote the course, who to promote it to, necessary geographic background for both students and teachers, recommended texts and other resources, how to prepare students for the examination, and how to incorporate the course into the school curriculum.     

Industrialization and Economic Development in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

This article discusses the contents and significance of the industrialization and economic development section of the Advanced Placement human geography course. It also describes how the course outline breaks into four sections the concern of economic geographers with the analysis of the spatial character of economic activity. In summarizing the content of these sections attention is given to links with other course modules and to the use of effective pedagogies for articulating key concepts.     

MAP-TEXT COORDINATION IN GEOGRAPHIC WRITING

Conventional practices in positioning maps within books and journals and in referencing illustrations from the text tend to discourage the reader's careful examination of supporting graphics. By actively pursuing a close coordination of maps and text, both author and editor can improve the communication of geographic facts and ideas. Future developments in computer-assisted cartography will aslo promote this coordination. The professional press should reconsider dysfunctional stylistic guidelines that might inhibit authors from more completely directing the attention of their readers.     

Notes

Abstract

J. N. L. Baker. The History of Geography. Barnes &; Noble, Inc., 105 Fifth Ave., New York 3, N.Y., 1963. xxviii and 266 pages with table of contents and index. $7.50.

R. J. Harrison Church. Environment and Policies in West Africa. D. Van Nostrand Co. Inc., 120 Alexander St., Princeton, N.J., 1963. 135 pages with table of contents, maps, diagrams and general index. $1.45.

Richard M. Highsmith, and J. Granville Jensen. Geography of Commodity Production, Second Edition. J. B. Lippincott Co., East Washington Sq., Philadelphia 5, Pa., 1963. 515 pages with table of contents, maps, photographs, graphs and index. $7.95.

Oliver H. Heintzelman and Richaid M. High-smith, Jr., World Regional Geography. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1963, 2nd edition. 391 pages with table of contents, pictures, maps, diagrams, and index. $7.95.

Gerd Fraenkel with Lindley J. Stiles. Today's World in Focus: Israel. Ginn and Co., Statler Building, Boston 17, Mass., 1963. 122 pages with table of contents with black and white photographs with colored illustrations, appendices and bibliography. $1.40.

Thomas Sterling. Exploration of Africa. Horizon Caravel Books, 551 Fifth Ave., New York 17, N.Y., 1963. 153 pages with table of contents, maps, color and black and white illustrations and index. $3.95.

C. W. Harrison. Conservationists and What They Do. Franklin Watts, Inc., 575 Lexington Ave., New York 22, N.Y., 1963. 170 pages with table of contents and index. $3.95.

William Trout Chambers and Lorrin Kennamer, Jr. Texans And Their Land. The Steck Co., P.O. Box 16, Austin, Tex., 1963. 232 pages with table of contents, black and white pictures, colored maps, appendix, bibliography and index. $4.88.

Olive Burt. The First Book of Utah. Franklin Watts, Inc., 575 Lexington Ave., New York 22, N.Y., 1963. 66 pages with table of contents, general map of Utah, photographs and an index. $2.50.

Bernt Lloyd Wills. North Dakota: The Northern Prairie State. B. L. Wills, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D., 1963. 318 pages with table of contents, black and white pictures and black and white illustrations and index. $4.80.

Mary Foley Horkheimer and John W. Differ, (compilors and editors). Educators Guide to Free Filmstrips. Educators Progress Service, Randolph, Wis., 1963. 15th Annual Edition with 159 pages, table of contents and indices. $6.00.

Patricia Horkheimer Suttles, (editor). Educators Guide to Free Social Studies Materials. Educators Progress Service, Randolph, Wis., 1963. 402 pages with XV pages editorial comment and table of contents. $6.75.

C. B. Hitchcock and O. M. Miller. Nine Glacier Maps, Northwestern North America with Text. Special Publication No. 34. American Geographical Society, 156th St. and Broadway, New York 32, N.Y., 1960. 22 pages with table of contents, three appendices, one table, one locational text map, 15 photographs and nine separate topographic maps. $3.00.

Harry M. Caudill. Night Comes To The Cumberlands. Little, Brown &; Co., 128 Oliver St., Paterson 1, N.J., 1963. 394 pages with table of contents and black and white photographs. $6.75.     

Overcoming Geographic Innocence in Geography Education

Abstract

This article deals with the issue of providing geographic training to prospective teachers from the perspective of a secondary school teacher who also teaches a social studies methods course. Research in educational journals provided a background for describing the lack of geographic training among social studies teachers. While the National Geographic Society's alliance network is addressing this issue among practicing teachers, there is still a need to include some geography training for preservice teachers. Suggestions are offered for including geography within the context of the social studies methods course. A plea is also made for geography professors to include the new National Geography Standards in their courses, especially in introductory courses.     

Observational Work for Children

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer-based tools for geographic data analysis and spatial visualization. They have become one of the information and communications technologies for education at all levels. This article reviews the current status of GIS in schools, analyzes the requirements of a GIS-based learning environment from constructivist perspectives, and discusses the major issues in the design of a constructivist GIS-based learning environment based on experience from the development of World Explorer, a GIS-based learning environment that provides a theme-oriented data and information base, supports multiple representations and multiple linkages of information, and facilitates interactive learning and knowledge construction.     

Cities and Urban Land Use in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

This article examines key topics and concepts in the cities and urban land use section of the Advanced Placement human geography course. Among the topics discussed are definitions of urbanism, the origin and evolution of cities, functional character of contemporary cities, the built environment and social space, and responses to urban growth.     

THE FAILURE OF FEDERALISM IN CENTRAL AFRICA: A POLITICO-GEOGRAPHICAL POSTMORTEM

Basic concepts of cultural historical geography have been applied to a variety of community issues in St. Paul, MN. Through the process a sense of place has been developed at several scales. This inclusive sense of place has provided a link among various factions and made possible several compromises in land use and economic development issues. Most of the work was done through undergraduate field seminars.     

Political Organization of Space in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

The political geography section of the course offers the opportunity to introduce students to one of the most important ways in which humans have divided up the surface of the Earth for purposes of management and control. By challenging students to consider what lies behind the patterns on political maps, this segment of the course can encourage the development of a critical geographical perspective while enhancing student appreciation of the link between geography and current events.     

Linking Theories of Service-Learning and Undergraduate Geography Education

Abstract

Service-learning, or community-based experiential learning is receiving much deserved attention as an alternative or addition to the traditional university lecture. This approach to learning not only establishes valid linkages between the university and the community or public sector, but allows course participants to practice responsible citizenship while acquiring practical work experience. The main objective of this article is to establish the theoretical linkages between undergraduate geography education and service-learning. It is argued that community service-based learning is allied with pragmatic and constructivist theories, and may enhance undergraduate geographic education. Second, some of the strategies employed to establish effective university-community partnerships and offer students “hands-on” experience are introduced. In an upper-division land use planning course, the class first compiled a draft comprehensive plan that was adopted by the planning commission of a recently incorporated municipality, then assisted with plans for open space preservation and environmental protection in the community. A review of the course objectives and the planning project exemplifies the benefits of service-learning and its appropriate application to geography.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:

Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing Aerial photography and image interpretation for Resource Management. DAVIDP. PAINE.

Analytical Models and Techniques Spatial Processes Models and ApplicationsA. D. CLIFFAND J. K. ORD

Quantitative and Statistical Approaches to Geography: A Practical ManualJOHNA. MATTHEWS.

Cartography and Maps Map Data Processing. HERBERTFREEMANAND GOFFREDOG. PIERONI, eds.

Computer-assisted Cartography: Principles and Prospects, 1982. MARKS. MONMONIER.

Cultural Navajo Architecture: Forms, History, Distributions. STEPHENC. JETTAND VIRGINIAE . SPENCER.

Rational Landscapes and Humanistic Geography. EDWARDRELPH.

Economic The Structure and Control of a State Economy. W. L. L'ESPERANCE.

Economic Geography. JAMES O. WHEELER AND PETER O. MULLER.

The Myth of the Family Farm: Agribusiness Dominance of U.S. Agriculture. INGOLF VOCELER.

Libya: The Experience of Oil. J. A. ALLEN.

Geography of Public Finance, Welfare Under Fiscal Federalism and local Government Finance. ROBERT BENNETT.

Environmental Management, Resources, and Systems Mountains and Man. LARRY W. PRICE.

Environmental Geology. DONALD R. COATES.

An Introduction to Environmental Systems. G. H. DURY.

The Environment: Chinese and American Views. Edited by LAURENCE J. C. MAAND ALLEN G. NOBLE.

Land Use in America. RICHARD H. JACKSON.

Medical Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Medical Geography. MELINDA S. MEADE (ed.).

Philosophy and Geographic Thought Birds in Egg/Eggs in Bird. GUNNAR OLSSON.

PhysicaI Climatology: Selected Applications. J. E. OLIVER.

Geomorphological Techniques. ANDREW GOUDIE (ed.).

Political Politics, Geography and Behaviour. RICHARD MUIR AND RONAN PADDISON.

The State of the World Atlas. MICHAEL KIDRON AND RONALD SECAL.

Population The Population of the South. DUDLEY L. POSTON, JR. AND ROBERT H. WELLER, eds.

Regional Latin America: Economic Development and Regional Differentiation. ARTHUR MORRIS.

Developing the Amazon. EMILIO F. MORAN.

Western Europe: A Systematic Human Geography. BRIAN W. ILBERY.

Settlement Systems in Sparsely Settled Regions: The United States and Australia. RICHARD E. LONSDALEAND JOHN H. HOLMES, eds.

African Perspectives: The Economic Geography of Nine African States. HARMDEBUJAND ESMOND MARTIN, eds.

Rural Nonmetropolitan America in Transition. AMOS H. HAWLEYAND SARA MILLS MAZIE, eds.

Social Crime and Environment. R. NORMAN DAVIDSON.

The Ghetto: Readings with Interpretations. JOE T. DARDEN, ed.

Urban Urban Problems and Planning in the Developed World. MICHAEL PACIONE (ed.)

Problems and Planning in Third World Cities. Edited by MICHAEL PACIONE.

The City in West Europe. D. BURTENSHAW, M. BATEMAN, AND C. J. ASHWORTH.     

Early Instruction in Geography: An Exploration in the Ecology of Kindergarten and First-Grade Geography Education

Abstract

Student drawn maps have been relatively neglected as an evaluation tool, despite their potential utility for assessing geographic knowledge. Comparison of students' sketch maps at the beginning and end of the year can inform the teacher about how students' representations of the world change over the course of instruction. Used as a pretest, they can be used to diagnose areas of strength and weakness within a class; as a posttest they can be used to assess students' achievement and the effectiveness of instruction. In this paper we provide an easy method for sorting and summarizing sketch map data, which is illustrated using maps collected from two sixth grade classes. We also outline a framework to guide teachers in generating questions to ask about their own students' maps.     

Multi-Method Research: An Introduction to Its Application in PopulationGeography

This paper sets the context for four papers on multi-method research inpopulation geography. It begins by outlining the various ends to which multi-method research may be employed. The focus then shifts to the broader plane of method, epistemology, and research design. It is argued that epistemological position only determines how methods can be used: it does not preclude the use of particular methods. The possibilities for multi-method research are therefore considerable. Finally, some issues pertaining to multi-method research thathave not yet been resolved are raised for future debate.     

Editorial Notes and News

Abstract

Bibliographic instruction is aneglected component of undergraduate education in many geography curricula. Significant research problems are difficult to formulate and self-education cannot be achieved without the ability to use reference materials effectively. The research methods course is a logical vehicle for providing bibliographic instruction at the undergraduate level. Library training can be incorporated in this course through a series of instructional modules that requires students to work with a wide variety of bibliographic materials. Students should be allowed to focus on publications pertaining to topics of individual interest in all phases of their work. This paper outlines a methods course that emphasizes bibliographic instruction and gives suggestions for incorporating selected developmental materials.     

A Debt to the West: Recent Developments in the International Financial Situation of East-Central Europe

East-Central Europe is undergoing a rapid political and economic transformation. The unprecedented depth and speed of the economic reforms have produced serious questions about the stability of the region, and its future relations with western Europe and the world economy. This paper surveys and evaluates the size and character of existing debt stocks owed to the West by Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. The future political and economic stability of East-Central Europe and the European Community depends, to a large extent, on the ability of the Western financial system to respond to the long-term needs of the region.     

Problem-Based Inquiry on World Water Problems in Large Undergraduate Classes

Abstract

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project-based course—World Water Problems—that was introduced within the framework of introductory undergraduate geography education. The aims of the course were twofold: (1) to cultivate in students a world geographic perspective on water problems; and (2) to conduct an original research project on the search for detailed appraisals, or ex-post evaluations, of completed water projects and programs. The project involved problem-based inquiry and learning through several interrelated tasks including: hypothesis testing, systematic electronic library and database searching, corresponding with water resources experts; and synthesizing of results. Evaluation of the project, and the course more generally, was achieved through a questionnaire administered to the students and a focused in-class discussion. Overall, the students' comments about the course project demonstrate learning in the form of greater knowledge of world geographic regions and water sectors as well as enhancement of database search skills and critical thinking.     

Geographical Publications

Abstract

Project Marco Polo provided the opportunity for teachers and students to experience Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean firsthand through the lens of a geographer, archeologist, and oceanographer. The National Geographic Society and U.S. Navy collaborated to provide meaningful applied geography field experiences for teacher and student participants. In addition, participants developed a global perspective which enabled them to better understand the interrelationship of the region's diverse cultures and lands.