BREEDING A BETTER CHINA: PIGS,PRACTICES, AND PLACE IN A CHINESE COUNTY, 1929–1937*

ABSTRACT. From 1929 to 1937, Chinese reformers in the Mass Education Movement attempted to transform pigs and pig breeding in Dingxian, Hebei, through the importation of an American breed of pig and its hybridization with local pigs. This episode provides a case study for the investigation of the roles played in scientific work by local Chinese materials and practices on one hand and Western scientific principles and methods on the other. Reformers were conscious that the wholesale importation and implementation of Western science had failed China in the past and suspected that it would fail again. Their chief concern was that the new pig should raise production levels but still “suit local conditions.” But “conditions” and “methods” do not play equal roles in science, and reformers did not require the scientific methods of pig breeding to negotiate with local methods. Despite their attention to local conditions, the reformers thus assumed that modern, Western science was universal in nature and that it could and should be applied universally, replacing local knowledge and practices.     

LOCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FOREIGN EQUITY JOINT VENTURE INVESTMENT IN CHINA, 1979–1985

An examination of the locational characteristics of intended foreign equity joint venture (EJV) investment in China during the period 1979 to 1985 indicates that foreign EJV investment was highly concentrated in the coastal region, in the more developed areas of the provinces, and in large cities. The locational characteristics, however, differed between economic sectors and between countries of origin of investment. Although foreign EJV investment became spatially more dispersed through time, the impacts on the development of inland regions and backward areas in China remained limited.     

CALCUTTA'S HAND–PULLED RICKSHAWS: CULTURAL POLITICS AND PLACE MAKING IN A GLOBALIZING CITY*

For more than a century, hand‐pulled rickshaws have been a prominent part of Calcutta's cityscape. Under the veil of modernization, progress, and globalization, however, the government of West Bengal State declared that rickshaws cause traffic congestion and constitute an exploitative use of human labor. Yet, despite the government‐imposed ban, rickshaws continue to ply the streets of central Calcutta. Based on interviews with rickshaw owners, operators, public officials, and local residents, we examine the cultural politics surrounding rickshaw pulling in Calcutta. This article shows that the rickshaw wallahs (pullers), who operate as part of the informal economy, provide an expansive range of services not limited to transportation. Indeed, the rickshaw wallahs form an integral part of Calcutta's social fabric, having made a place for themselves by facilitating social interaction and challenging hegemonic ideas and practices about who belongs where.     

REGIONAL AND TEMPORAL TRENDS IN POWER PLANT UNIT SITING, 1912–1978*

Regional trends in the siting of U.S. coal, gas, oil, and nuclear power plant units from 1912 to 1978 are examined. Results of a multivariate statistical analysis indicate that while these trends are comparatively individualistic, they tend to be governed more by factors affecting the choice of fuel than by regional differences in the siting process.     

THE USE OF QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN MAJOR GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNALS, 1956–1986*

Ninety mainstream quantitative methods used in 14 major geographical journals are analyzed for four selected years: 1956, 1966, 1976, and 1986. Mainstream methods are used in 53% of all articles in 1986, as opposed to 3% in 1956. Both the intensity and variety of methods used also increased, particularly in physical and techniques articles compared to human articles. Major methods that dominate the entire period include bivariate correlation and regression, multiple regression, factor analyses, and chi-square. The use of nonparametric methods is increasing, although their frequency of occurrence is still low. Spatial autocorrelation and advanced multiple regression appear to be strong newcomers to the discipline.     

HOMICIDE AND ASSAULT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ATTRIBUTES IN DALLAS NEIGHBORHOODS, 1981–1985*

A geographic perspective is utilized to test the hypothesis that the legal labels homicide and assault represent essentially similar behaviors. The data base describes some 1200 homicide and 32 000 serious assault victimizations in Dallas, TX, for 1981–85. Detailed comparisons across urban neighborhoods (differentiated by socioeconomic status) examine the demographic, temporal, locational, and weapons characteristics of both types of serious violence. The analysis indicates strong congruence between the offenses with respect to most attributes, implying that violence data should be classified differently for behavioral analyses.     

THE CHANGING LOCATION OF TRADE AND SERVICES IN GUADALAJARA,MEXICO, 1994–2004*

The location of trade and services in Guadalajara, Mexico, is in flux as suburban commercial centers compete with the traditional downtown for new businesses and employment. Since the mid‐1990s a factor driving the change has been the introduction of American‐style big‐box retailers, corporate franchise supermarkets, and large suburban shopping malls. In this article I analyze the changing patterns of commercial and service businesses and employment from 1994 to 2004 in order to compare suburban and urban growth. My analysis includes comparative measures of change in neighborhoods immediately surrounding Walmart stores and by disaggregated types of commercial districts. Results indicate that a complementary relationship has developed: Suburbs are increasingly strong in the services, but the downtown remains a commercial hub. Moreover, some traditional small vendors in close proximity to Walmart may suffer, but growth in employment and in the service sector near Walmarts is high.     

BUILDING A COLONIAL RESOURCE MONOPOLY: THE EXPANSION OF SULPHUR MINING IN NEW SPAIN, 1600–1820*

The discovery, extraction, and monopolistic control of key natural resources was a priority of New Spain's colonial administration. Managing the region's abundant resources, however, often proved difficult for the Spanish Crown. Human and environmental challenges impeded protoindustrial growth and development, and monopolistic control of resources often met resistance. In this article I examine these processes in the context of New Spain's little‐known monopoly on sulphur—a yellow, powdery mineral the Crown jealously guarded as its own. Sulphur was critical for gunpowder and explosives production, yet the Crown often failed to produce enough of it to meet the growing demand by its military and the silver blast‐mining industry. Colonial documents reveal administrators’ attempts to improve sulphur production through reform measures, which included advising sulphur miners on how to discover sulphur deposits and, eventually, how to develop their mines. Efforts to improve sulphur production were moderately successful, although the process was messy and inefficient.     

Geographic Patterns of Air Passenger Transport in China 1980–1998: Imprints of Economic Growth,Regional Inequality,and Network Development*

This research analyzes the geographic patterns of domestic air passenger transport in China from 1980 to 1998, with three foci: (1) impacts of economic reforms, (2) regional inequality in air transport development, and (3) network development. Accessibility to air transport improved significantly as China expanded its air transport system, 1980–1998. The dominance of major airports declined as the air transport system expanded to medium and small cities. The centroid of passenger volume migrated toward southeast, consistent with the expansion of economic growth in southeast coastal areas. The rule of distance decay in air traffic was more applicable to China in 1998 than in 1985 as the market economy worked its way into China's air transport system. The East Region had a much higher share of air passengers than its share of population and GDP, followed by the West and the Middle Regions, reflecting an interesting “flyover” effect. By 1998, a hub‐and‐spoke air transport system was clearly in place in China.     

ONE NATION OR TWO? THE CHANGING GEOGRAPHY OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1983–1988*

Unemployment affected large numbers of people in Great Britain during the 1980s. An economic upturn since the mid-1980s has resulted in declining numbers of unemployed. Disaggregated data show that the geography of unemployment decline has not led to regional convergence in numbers out of work: unemployment has fallen most in those regions which were least affected by it.