Exploring the Impact of Contextual Information on Student Performance and Interest in Open Humanitarian Mapping

The opportunity to engage university students in authentic, open humanitarian mapping raises important questions about how to guide the quality and productivity of volunteer spatial contributions while providing a valuable learning experience. It presents the unique chance to pique new mappers’ interest, satisfaction, and confidence in spatial technologies in particular, and technology in general, as well as pique their interest in the people and places that are served by the humanitarian mapping projects. This article shares the findings of a study that explores the importance of sharing authentic contextual information about the purpose of the humanitarian mapping task. Two groups of beginner mappers were given mapping tasks, with only one group being provided details on the purpose. Comparisons were made on their respective performance and changes in affective response to a series of questions about technology, education, good citizenship, and empathy. Measures of the quantity and quality of spatial data produced; their respective levels of interest, satisfaction, and confidence in technology; and affective responses before and after mapping show the relative effects of contextual information. Results provide insights about the potential effectiveness of authentic instruction on the performance of mapping as well as the potential effect on mappers themselves. Key Words: citizenship, data quality, empathy, humanitarian mapping, volunteered geographic information.     

A Long Way to Go: Collective Paths to Racial Justice in Geography

Despite decades of recognition and worry about diversity, our discipline remains persistently white. That is, it is dominated by white bodies and it continues to conform to norms, practices, and ideologies of whiteness. This is a loss. At best, it limits the possibilities and impact of our work as geographers. At worst, it perpetuates harmful exclusions in our discipline: its working environments, its institutions, and its knowledge production. This remains deeply concerning for many geographers, and there has been important research, commentary, and institutional activity over the years. Yet, research shows us that little meaningful progress has been made. We know that mentoring is one vital part of the journey toward change. As such, we reflect here on our experience developing a research collective built on a transformative mentoring practice. We outline the key challenges, strategies, and tentative successes of the collective in supporting women of color undergraduate, graduate, and faculty geographers, arguing that such feminist formations are a vital part of the path to intellectual racial justice in our field. Key Words: diversity, feminist geography, higher education, mentoring, race.     

Twitter and Academic Geography through the Lens of #AAG2018

Twitter has emerged as a global social network of active users who share conversations with one another in an online setting. Academics are one community that has increasingly taken to Twitter as a means of connecting with other scholars, sharing research, and obtaining meaningful feedback. Tweeting has become especially popular during academic conferences where conference attendees use Twitter hashtags to filter conference conversations into a separate dialogue. For geographers, the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) represents one such occasion to use Twitter to discuss contemporary developments in geographic research. In this article, we provide an overview of Twitter as well as the ways in which the academic community uses the platform. Following this, we discuss the tweets sent using the hashtag for the 2018 AAG Annual Meeting, #AAG2018. To analyze these tweets, we collected all tweets with this hashtag for a period of four weeks and examined the content using word clouds and sentiment analysis to explore general feelings and trends associated with geography and the AAG Annual Meeting. We conclude with suggestions for future research avenues that could use Twitter data to gauge the pulse of the geographic discipline. Key Words: academic conferences, American Association of Geographers, geography, sentiment analysis, Twitter.     

Courtroom Ethnography: Researching the Intersection of Law,Space, and Everyday Practices

This article argues for a more sustained use of courtroom ethnography by geographers as a means to research legal phenomena, especially in matters of court trials. To do this, I begin by referencing two main threads of courtroom ethnographies conducted in disciplines outside geography, specifically the spaces of the courthouse and courtrooms and the study of emotion and bodily performances by sociolegal and sociology scholars. To then underscore the ways in which a geographical perspective can enhance this existing research and point to topical and theoretical interventions that courtroom ethnography might offer geography, I draw on my experiences with courtroom ethnography on the criminal trial against former Enron chief executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. This experience produced a nuanced and lively understanding of how law, justice, and space comingle through the court’s physical spaces and performative embodiments. My conclusions emphasize courtroom ethnographies’ scholarly opportunities for researchers who study the intersection of law and space, while also reflecting on its challenges. Key Words: corporation, courtroom, Enron, ethnography, legal geography.     

The Hilliness of U.S. Cities

What is a hilly city, and which cities are hilliest? This study outlines a basket of methods for quantifying the differential hilliness of U.S. cities. We rank the 100 largest cities in the contiguous United States, using a selection of eight methods to evaluate their comparative hilliness. We then reflect on how four key “modes of encounter” with terrain shape human perceptions of urban hilliness: visual, pedestrian, automotive, and imagined/conceptual. Varying priorities among these different modes of encounter shape which of our indices may best correlate with lay understandings of urban hilliness or particular policy problems. We conclude with implications of this work for contemporary geographic scholarship and suggestions for further research, particularly with regard to the political and economic effects of hilliness.     

Clusters of Nonmedical Exemptions to Vaccination in Illinois K–12 Schools

Vaccination rates in Illinois schools are decreasing as more parents opt for nonmedical exemptions (NMEs). At the local scale, higher levels of exemptions affect herd immunity levels. Few studies have previously conducted or proposed methods to conduct local-scale spatial and temporal cluster pattern analysis. This study used vaccination exemption data from the Illinois School Board of Education’s annual Immunization School Survey for the 2003–2004 and 2013–2014 academic years. The Getis–Ord General G statistic was used to identify cluster detection by individual vaccine at the school level. The Getis–Ord Gi* statistic was used with two different parameter models to identify hot and cold spots. This study found that NMEs are highly clustered. More clusters of high and low NMEs were identified for the 2013–2014 academic year than for 2003–2004. The percentages of schools that were neither hot nor cold averaged 94.0 percent for the 2003–2004 school year and 78.7 percent for the 2013–2014 school year. NME rates in Illinois are rising. The increase in hot and cold spots is evidence that the polarity of vaccination choice is growing. As vaccination exemption rates continue to polarize U.S. society, it is essential for public health efforts to monitor and conduct local-level studies. Key Words: antivaccination, hot spot analysis, medical geography, nonmedical exemption, spatial statistics.     

We Are All Makers: The Method of Keyword Selection in Teaching and Learning Human Geography

Abstract

Geographers continue to engage in public debate “inside the Beltway” by participation within and through federal agencies and through the National Research Council. Several examples illustrate the level and kind of this engagement, which has been concentrated on environmental and spatial data and analysis themes. Most professional geographers have the opportunity to engage in this form of public debate through participation in the activities of the National Research Council. The level of this participation has been surprisingly strong, given the small size of the community of professional geographers, and has helped to shape both U.S. and international research agendas relevant to geographic research. Participation, however, is concentrated in a few programs and individuals, raising questions about the sustainability of geography's voice in this public activity.

     

From Microtoponyms to Landscape Using Semantics,Location, and Topography: The Case of Wald,Holz, Riet,and Moos in St. Gallen,Switzerland

To explore landscape properties using language, we analyzed the semantics and associated physical properties of four generic landscape terms through spatially located microtoponyms in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. We applied quantitative methods to physical and etymological data to understand how four common generic terms (Wald, Holz, Riet, and Moos) were used in microtoponyms in the canton. We observe that the meaningful elements associated with those generic terms characterize general properties of landscape independent of the feature type as well as specific properties linked to the feature. Moreover, using a toponym taxonomy, we compared co-occurrences of different terms (e.g., those associated with spatial relationships or vegetation) for the four generic terms. Holz, which we argue is more associated with land use than land cover, was markedly different in naming patterns from the other three generic terms, and we suggest that this was driven by a distinction between nature and culture. We conclude that the act of naming natural features is influenced not only by properties of the referent but also by broader scale landscape patterns and cognitive associations with landscape terms. Key Words: ethnophysiography, landscape, language, microtoponyms.     

A Spatial View of How United States Cesarean Section Rates Changed from 1990 to 2014

The overuse of cesarean sections (C-sections) in the United States is a contested issue. The rate of C-section births in 2015 at 32 percent was over double the World Health Organization recommendation of 10 to 15 percent. We employed spatial statistical methods and data visualization techniques to assess the temporal and spatial trends in C-section rates by county across the United States. Although the national rate of C-section remained stable at the beginning and end of this study period, an increase in rates from 1997 to 2009 was reflected simultaneously in national, state, and individual county rates. Local indicators of spatial dependence did not show spatial clustering as being connected to, or driving, the change, yet the visualization methods used here show details on individual county deviance from local temporal trends. By highlighting counties that do not follow the trends of their neighbors, we identify exceptional locations that could help further the study of the determinants of changing C-section rates in the United States. Key Words: cesarean sections, exploratory spatial data analysis, medical geography, spatial statistics.     

Assessing the Value of Scholarly Book Reviews among Geographers

According to the latest data available, in 2013 a staggering 68,000 scholarly books reached print in North America alone. Book reviews have long served as an important tool to keep tabs on the content and quality of all of those books. In decades past, perusing book reviews was essential in conducting a literature review and a tool for authors to demonstrate the impact that their book has on a field of study. Most important, though, book reviews play a vital role in academic advancement by calling attention to books that successfully add to new knowledge and warn against books with defects and deficiencies. Despite their overwhelming importance, no one has systematically analyzed the value of scholarly book reviews. Moreover, in our current age of the Internet, e-mail, and social media, it is important to know the worth of book reviews. Drawing on the results of a 2018 survey sent to select members of the American Association of Geographers, this article assesses the value of scholarly book reviews among geographers. It answers these questions: Who writes and reads book reviews? What are the characteristics of a useful book review? Is writing a book review considered a valued scholarly activity? Does writing book reviews help advance a person’s career? Because geography is a microcosm of academia, this study has applicability across the social sciences and humanities. Do scholarly book reviews still matter? Key Words: human geography, monographs, promotion and tenure, scholarly book reviews.     

Enhancing the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Model for Community Food Access Mapping: Case of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

In this article, a Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) model is applied to evaluate the geographical accessibility to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers. First, the proposed method considers the interaction between the food supply (in terms of categorized benefit redemptions) and demand (in terms of benefit-receiving households). Second, the model is used to visualize food access patterns at the level of refined administrative units (i.e., census block groups). The developed food access metric was compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Access Research Atlas, justifying the validity of this new method for small area estimation. The following are important observations: (1) the choice of catchment size had a considerable impact on the accessibility measure in urban areas (or when small statistical units are used); (2) the 2SFCA measurement had a higher level of correspondence with that of the USDA Atlas at a smaller catchment size for identifying low food access units; and (3) there was no significant inequality regarding SNAP accessibility with respect to different socioeconomic deprivation variables. This new method can better assist the SNAP administration with store authorization on a refined geographic scale. Key Words: food access, inequality, scale, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA).     

Temporal Point Pattern Analysis of Human Activities Using GIS Methods: A Case Study of Library Visiting Activities in Chengdu City,China

This article aims to develop a new type of temporal pattern analysis—temporal point pattern analysis (TPPA)—by treating the distribution of activities as a point pattern on a two-dimensional plane using the start time and end time of activities as axes. Geographic information systems (GIS) methods, which are originally used in spatial point pattern analysis in GIS, are introduced to support TPPA. This article presents a case study to understand the temporal patterns of the library visiting activities of university students using a four-week smart card data set in Chengdu City, China. Several methods from GIS are applied, including the measurement of mean centers, kernel density, nearest neighbor distances, and optimized hot spot analysis. Results show that the GIS methods can reveal a lot of information on the temporal pattern of activities, thereby proving the reasonability of the proposed TPPA of activities. Key Words: GIS, human activities, library visiting, smart card data, visualization.     

Population Change in U.S. Cities: Estimating and Explaining the Extent of Decline and Level of Resurgence

The revalorization of the U.S. metropolis and restructuring of the U.S. economy are leading to increasingly complex patterns of population growth and decline. In this article we provide an empirical context for understanding the embodied nature of these changes by analyzing the long-term, demographic changes for the 100 largest cities. In terms of population change we identify four model urban types: steady decline, continuous increase, growth interrupted, and slowly resurgent. We consider, in detail, cities where population decline has halted and others where there are indications of population resurgence. The article focuses on these resurgent cities, provides some causal explanations, discusses the role of gentrification, and explores policy implications.     

美国本土的外国投资与投资环境的地区差异

本文论述了美国的外国直接投资额、外国直接投资密度和外国直接投资年增长率的地区差异，并用这三个数量指标来综合评价各州投资环境的优劣，按综合得分值的高低将美国本土划分为四类区域：Ⅰ类投资环境区、Ⅱ类投资环境区、Ⅲ类投资环境和Ⅳ类投资环境区。     

A century of water supply expansion for ten U.S. cities

As population and water demand have grown, U.S. cities have responded by expanding their water supplies. This article traces this process over a century for ten U.S. cities. Most of the cities began by providing inexpensive local ground water. As the renewable supply capacity of local sources was exceeded, cities were forced to look further afield to obtain (or purchase) water (e.g., Marion, IL; Greensboro, NC), to access water from Federal projects (Tucson, AZ) or through international or interstate agreements (Waukesha, WI and Virginia Beach, VA), to combine with other localities in large joint projects (Greensboro, NC), or to use eminent domain to annex land for a new reservoir. This last approach has become increasingly limited by environmental statutes. The purchasing of water from other systems (Greensboro, NC) or water rights ( Tucson, AZ), aquifer storage and recovery systems (Tucson, AZ, Wichita, KS), and reclaiming wastewater for use in non-potable landscaping (Alamogordo, NM; Lubbock, TX; Tucson, AZ) are the more expensive options that cities are increasingly utilizing. Desalination represents the end of this process – expensive, but with a potential for enormous supply expansion that exceeds all likely demands. Demand management measures come into play only when the cost of securing additional water begins to exceed the cost of conservation or is induced by law. Reservoirs, well-fields, desalination plants, aquifer storage and recovery systems, and inter-basin water purchases have been abandoned because of the restrictions imposed by environmental laws or because less expensive demand-side options have been identified. The relationship between city size and its progression through these increasingly expensive water supply options is determined by local water resource endowments as determined by legal considerations and its physical geographic setting.     

美国外资R&D的空间集聚特征

本文考察美国境内的715家外资R＆D机构的空间分布和集聚现象,发现美国的外资R＆D机构高度集中在三类地区;一是以硅谷和研究三角园区为代表的科技园区,二是纽约等经济中心城市,三是以底特律为代表的专业化工业城市。不同地区的外资R＆D机构的行业结构与当地的优势行业完全一致,如硅谷的外资R＆D机构主要是从事计算机技术的研发,底特律的外资R＆D全部是从事汽车工业或与之有关技术的研发,纽约、洛杉矶和芝加哥的外资R&D机构所从事的行业则呈现与各城市优势行业一致的多样性。     

美国的区域政策及其对我国西部开发的启示

本文分析了美国区域政策的特点：区域政策的核心是提高受援地区的社会福利;致力于改善落后的投资环境;突出重点,实施增长中心战略;注重培育欠发达地区的自我发展能力;依靠法制化管理,保障援阻工作顺利进行。在此基础上,提出解决我国地区发展不平衡问题的一些措施。     

美国铁路网的形成、分布和改造

本文分析了美国铁路网迅速形成和急剧缩减的原因，指出其非均衡分布的特点，介绍其远景改造设想，对我国铁路网的建设有一定的参考价值。     

Identifying American Beer Geographies: A Multiscale Core-Cluster Analysis of U.S. Breweries

The recent growth in the U.S. brewing industry is remarkable, and the prevailing number of breweries has not been seen since the late nineteenth century. Several studies have shown that beer-producing facilities are spatially uneven across the United States. These previous studies used spatial units, however, such as metropolitan statistical areas, that might bias conclusions. Using a multiscale core-cluster approach, we explicitly identify where significant agglomerations of brewers are located. Our approach offers two refinements to standard cluster detection methods. First, instead of using fixed spatial boundaries, our method allows us to measure the concentration of brewery point locations across a spectrum of spatial scales. Additionally, our approach enables us to account for important underlying factors that influence the location of beer production. We use point data for all U.S. breweries in 2014. Our results show that the localization of beer production is significant and strongest at small spatial scales and diminishes rapidly with increasing distance, after controlling for population. We map the results to show the spatial variation in brewery agglomeration across the United States.     

美国外商制造业直接投资区域分异模式研究

本文以美国经济区为基本地域单元，以区位商和相关系数为主要研究指标，从一般投资区位和新建投资区位两方面研究了美国外商制造业直接投资区域分异模式。主要研究结论如下：外商制造业企业就业与美国制造业企业就业的区域分布很相似，但更倾向于集中在美国东南部；外商新建投资企业相对集中在新英格兰部分地区和东南部，得克萨斯和路易丝安那海岸地区，密苏里州和伊利诺伊州西部；外商新建企业倾向于分布在高人口密度区，但相关性没有美国本国新建企业强；外商新建投资企业与外商并购企业的分布略有不同。