Where is the study of population geography heading

The results are summarized of the 1991 Survey of the International Geographical Union, undertaken by the Commission on Population Geography. Two divergent themes concerning the subdiscipline's future are described. One involves focusing on the spatial distribution of population, the other involves a broader approach that is practically indistinguishable from human geography in general. Most survey respondents feel that the distinction between population geography and demography should be preserved.     

中国人口地理研究进展

1978年以来是中国人口地理学复兴和发展时期。中国人口地理学工作者消化吸收西方经典人口学理论,讨论中国人口容量问题,认识到中国人口总量即将达到增长极限,强调控制人口总量、努力发展生产和转变生存方式是解决人口问题的关键。针对资源短缺和环境污染问题,提出了创建第四产业,实施环境抚育,推动劳动力就业,降低环境污染的策略。针对民生问题,提出深入开展微观社会调查,主动再造跨尺度的社区制度,推进对人口行为的尺度综合和文化自觉。针对中国人口快速转变和人口结构问题,提出了人口均衡发展理论。针对国土空间开发格局问题,提出了区域发展均衡模型,强调通过产业转移、人口流动、转移支付等手段,形成相对均衡的区域发展格局。针对区域人口发展不平衡问题,提出了人口发展功能分区指标和分区模型,初步实现了视野综合化、指标定量化、分析模型化,将人口地理学研究推向新高度。未来中国人口地理学研究,一要围绕人口普查和人口业务数据库,建设分布式人口地理信息系统,推动人口专题数据和人口计量模型共享,巩固和发展人口地理学定量化研究之特色;二要加强不同尺度的社区微观调查,主动调控人口快速转变情景下的社区行为,提高对人口地理学定量研究结果的理解和解释;三要加强国际人口情报交流,把握各国人口演化趋势,从经济全球化的分工合作体系的视角,合理配置中国劳动力资源和人才资源。中国人口地理学应坚持走跨学科的发展道路,努力在世界人口之巅辛勤耕耘,为国家发展、学科建设做出应有的贡献。     

(Re)theorising population geography

"Population geography has become separated from other branches of human geography by not engaging strongly with recent debates in social theory. The reasons for this partly lie in the wealth of data that population geographers have available to them concerning their major interest--demographic events....A case is made here for population geographers to consider in particular three areas of social theoretic debate--social construction theories, realist ideas on extensive and intensive research, and the politics of position. Suggestions are made as to what a (re)theorised population geography might look like."     

Population geography in China since the 1980s: Forging the links between population studies and human geography

This paper reviews the progress of population geography in China since the 1980s. The review results suggest that contrary to the common perception of its invisibility and marginalized status in the field, tremendous progress has been made in population geography in China since the 1980s. Population geographers have made significant contribution to the understanding of a wide range of population issues from geographical perspectives, including migration, urbanization, population distribution, the relationships between population, environment and resources, aging, marriage patterns, and migrants’ crimes, although such contribution often did not appear in the geographical circle. Furthermore, population geographers have played an indispensable role in revitalizing population studies in China and forging its links to human geography, occupying an important position in this multi-disciplinary field. Population geographers’ contribution to the areas of migration and urbanization research has been particularly significant, reflected in their leading roles in these areas’ research. The paper demonstrates that as latecomers in the field after more than 20 years of isolation, population geographers in China have gone through a process of catching up and increasing engagement with developments in social sciences and increasing interaction with social scientists since the 1980s, and have benefited greatly from it; however, there is a tendency for population geography to be increasingly alienated from the main stream human geography, a phenomenon similar to but not exactly the same as Anglo-American geography in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The paper argues that population geography is only half way in the course to forge the links between population studies and human geography, and it needs to return to geographical sciences to strike a healthy balance between the field of population studies and that of human geography, and promote its further development in a multi-disciplinary field.     

Asia on the move: research challenges for population geography

This paper "summarises some of the major changes which have occurred in international migration to, from, and within Asia in the last two decades....A number of theoretical challenges are put forward regarding the complex interrelationships between international population movements, economic development and social change. The employment of systems approaches, neoclassical economic theory, social networks and institutional approaches, and the potential role of population geography in developing a more comprehensive explanation of the changing dynamics of international migration in the region, are discussed. Also considered are the gender dimension in migration, remittance flows and their consequences, and policy issues."     

The population geography of Hong Kong, 1949-1981

"This paper attempts a comprehensive account of the changes in population of Hong Kong in 1949-81. It has given detailed treatment to the two major factors: migration and natural growth, that underly such changes. The spatial process of population is also examined against the government's post-war urban development policies."     

California's population geography: lessons for a fourth grade class

Purpose of this paper is to present a model for teaching fourth grade children some aspects of the population geography of California from a nontextual approach. The objective is to interest and instruct children in the mobility of the people, and on the reasons why so many families have moved to California from other states. Students should be alerted not only to internal migration problems, but to the excess of births over deaths. Materials necessary for the lessons are transparencies, overhead projector, marking pencils, chalk and chalkboard. After showing the students that California population has approximately doubled every 20 years, the students should be encouraged to find reasons explaining why people have moved to the state, should be able to categorize those reasons under the terms industrial/manufacturing, agricultural, urban or recreational, should learn how to plot population distribution on a California regional outline map, and should attempt to explain why certain parts of California are more popular than others. The teaching model described in this paper may be replicated with modfications for any grade level and area of study.     

新疆哈密盆地初冬鹅喉羚的地理分布与种群数量

2004年11月2日至25日,采用截线抽样法,对新疆哈密盆地鹅喉羚的地理分布和种群数量进行了考察。结果证实:鹅喉羚广泛分布于哈密盆地及其周边各类地理环境中,并可分为高、中、低三级密度区,各密度区的栖息密度和种群数量分别为,3.33±0.24头/km2和12 431±896头,0.95±0.055头/km2和21 651±1254头,0.056±0.042头/km2和3 026±2 270头,资源总量为37 108±4 420头。并讨论了过牧对草场的破坏和鹅喉羚生存面临的环境压力,提出了改良家畜饲养模式,以草定畜,恢复天然植被,在高密度区和中等密度区计划猎取鹅喉羚,控制种群数量,合理利用的建议。     

近40年来的中国人口地理学——一个跨学科研究领域的进展①

本文对20世纪80年代以来中国人口地理学的发展进行了全面综述。尽管近年来中国人口地理学在地理学科领域给人留下的是萧条、甚至被边缘化的印象,但从跨学科的角度看,该学科还是取得了巨大进展。人口地理学者在复兴中国的人口学研究中发挥了不可或缺的作用,并在这一跨学科研究领域中占据了重要地位。人口地理学者从地理学的视角出发,在人口迁移流动、城镇化、人口分布、人口与资源和环境之间的关系、老龄化、婚姻模式和移民犯罪等众多人口问题的研究上作出了重要贡献,尤其是在人口迁移流动研究和人口城镇化若干问题的研究中占据着领先地位。中国人口地理学者自20世纪80年代以来与社会科学领域学者间的交流互动不断增加,在促进学科发展的同时,也出现了一种逐渐偏离主流人文地理学的倾向;今后,中国人口地理学应更多地回归地理学领域,在人口学和人文地理学两个领域间寻求健康、平衡的定位,以促进其在跨学科领域中获得进一步发展。     

地理学区域研究与区域历史地理学的取向

地理学的区域研究传统由来已久,后形成了独立的分支学科——区域地理学,经历了古代地志的分区书写、区域差异的描述解释、空间关系的定量分析和社会过程的深度建构4 个阶段的发展过程。区域地理学演进中遭遇的计量革命与理论创新,实质上是对传统区域学派过分强调区域所导致的静止、孤立的研究僵局的打破与修正,是区域地理学不断总结和完善自身的发展之路。区域历史地理学的学科性质、研究范式与研究内容和方法深受区域地理学的影响和启发,并形成了连续的地理剖面复原研究、区域的景观文化生态研究、区位与结构—功能体系研究和分区分类分级的综合研究等多个分支。与西方相比,中国区域历史地理学的研究在研究内容和方法方面显得比较滞后,今后应加强对特定地方的社会、文化及经济空间的深度剖析,进一步深化人地关系理论及研究方法,不断拓展研究思维的深度和广度,争取有更多、更有影响力的区域历史地理研究成果问世。     

试论中国地理学的变革

文中正视地理学在中国出现危机的现实,剖析了地理学陷入困境的原因。认为提高地理学的理论研究水平,改善学科体系,加强与现实社会的联系,提高成果的决策效用价值,校正学科定位与方向,是地理学摆脱困境、实现变革的有效对策。     

Disrupting the 'whiteness' of fieldwork in geography

This paper argues that whilst fieldwork continues to make an important contribution to the learning and teaching of geography, analysis of the present-day practice of UK universities taking students on long-distance overseas trips remains apolitical and, by and large, concerned with practicalities. If this practice is analysed by locating it within a postcolonial theoretical framework of 'whiteness' it is then possible to look at the differing standpoint and positionality of those doing the viewing and those being viewed, and to also see the connections between the imperialist history of geographical exploration and present-day overseas field trips, in particular to developing countries. Using personal experience of taking UK undergraduates to visit historic slave trading sites in The Gambia as an example, the paper argues that the potential of field study to contribute to the critical pedagogy of geographical fieldwork within UK institutions of higher education requires stronger political analysis.     

Lesbian and Queer Sustainable Farmer Networks in the Midwest

Heteropatriarchy underpins contemporary U.S. agriculture, even within the alternative sector. This paper builds on the legacies of women farmers and farmers of color creating peer networks to circumvent heteropatriarchal hurdles by investigating how lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer (LBTQ) sustainable farmers access human resources. If and how did the farmers encounter or resist heteropatriarchy in this process? Drawing on four years of ethnographic research with 40 LBTQ Midwest sustainable farmers, I argue that resources through government agencies, neighborhood farmers, and like-minded practitioners did not necessarily align with LBTQ farmers’ sustainable practices or queer identities. LBTQ farmers convened with others at the intersections of their queerness and sustainable practices formally, informally, and through the labor market to access human resources removed from heteropatriarchal domination. I conclude that LBTQ farmer networks bolster human resources in sustainable agriculture and conservation practices.     

Postnonclassical geography in Russia

We examine the new period of advancement of geography in the 21^st century corresponding to the postnonclassical stage of advancement of science. The tendency toward interdisciplinary and problem-oriented research in contemporary geography is highlighted. The theoretical and practical significance of the evolution of geography at the postnonclassical period is demonstrated. Examples of contemporary geographical research corresponding to this period are given.     

Medical geography in Norway

The article gives an overview of the work pursued by the medical geography research group in Trondheim. Activities are centred on a mortality data base containing more than 800,000 individual records for 1966–1985, with very flexible options for geographical manipulation. In addition, several other data bases are being used. References are made to research on regional variations and trends in cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and their potential causes, to comparisons between mortality patterns in Iceland and Norway, and to a thesis on aspects of the health and health care system in Poland.     

The past,present, and future of population geography in China: Progress,challenges and opportunities

Population geography (PopGeo), although a sub-discipline of human geography, should have been well developed in China in light of its national population size and unique demographic issues, regional socio-economic development, and biophysical differences. Yet it typically lags behind the development of its parent disciplines, especially demography and geography. Specifically, PopGeo in Chinese higher education is still at a low level in terms of the three major aspects of disciplinary development: academic majors for higher education, academic conferences, and journals. The research content of PopGeo in China has focused on the growth, composition, change, distribution, and carrying capacity of population at the meso- and macro-spatial scales. As the most populated country in the world, questions about how and why the population changes, where the population settles and migrates to, its maximum carrying capacity, and how to guide sound development of population matter to society and the economy, are always important topics in the PopGeo studies in China. In contrast, some new population phenomena such as human space–time behaviors (commuting, remittances, and friends’ interaction), popular in the scientific community abroad, are not fully investigated at the micro-level. Presently, PopGeo in China may face both challenges and opportunities because of the adjustment of fertility policies and implementation of national new urbanization plans at the national level. It is this occasion that calls for a state-of-the-art review of the development of PopGeo since the 1980s, the turning point of an increasing number of PopGeo studies in China. We aim to reveal the current status of PopGeo in China to the world, and shed light on its further study.     

Placing geography in the New Zealand Curriculum

The design of a school‐based geography curriculum presents opportunities and challenges for teachers in New Zealand secondary schools. This article discussed the considerations that teachers need to make when developing a school‐based curriculum that is suited to the needs and interests of the students in their school and community. An example of a programme that has been developed to meet the needs and interests of students in a particular secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand, was outlined.     

知识经济给经济地理学带来的新课题

知识经济是经济的高级形态,是经济发展和产业升级的方向。经济地理学以产业布局和区域发展为己任,应当密切关注知识经济时代产业布局和区域发展的新动向。知识经济既给经济地理学带来了诸如知识经济组织结构、信息产业布局、高新技术产业布局、经济全球化、区域创新环境等新的研究课题,也给经济地理学提出了信息化和开放化等新的要求。