Tribe.net. Local Connections Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#b6e03584-e370-4ebc-996f-e3db27cc2e27 2004-03-01T17:38:20Z

What does the quantitative revolution and Geography have in common or not have in common? Why where Geography departments in schools removed in history? and what has changed since then?

Moco 2004-03-01T17:38:20Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#4d6c8808-be37-4b47-863b-cf7b465ef908 2004-03-01T22:45:00Z

In a nutshell, the Quantitative Revolution in Geography took place as a response to criticism both within and outside the discipline that geography was not scientific enough. Further a landmark school, Harvard, ended its geography department, which brought alarm to many within the discipline. The response was to make geography more of a science. As far as I know, it was American geography that took the largest beating in terms of departments closing or merging. The UK seems to have the fortune that geography is considered as important as physics, etc. As for the discipline today, a common perception is the “specialization” of the discipline and of course the impact of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The latter, in particular, is definitely breathing new life into many departments as they begin to offer certifications in GIS. Also, a key geography department, PENN State, is now offering GIS certification via distance learning. The AAG conference (100th) this month has a series of prominent geographers speaking on the future of geography. Perhaps, I will come back with more insight. Until then, I hope this helps!

Waypoints 2004-03-01T22:45:00Z Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#4d952681-a1dd-46a6-9c68-e17b9961a98d 2004-03-02T00:14:43Z

What is geographic thought and why geography is different from other disciplines. Is it just the "why in where". Is it just the "spatial and temporal aspects" that make it different or am I missing something. What is truly different about geography and what should you know as a "geographer"

Moco 2004-03-02T00:14:43Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#b6d4825d-6075-491a-a2f1-bf22eb860563 2004-03-02T01:38:02Z

hmmmm . . . are you a real person or just a puppy? If you are a puppy why are you so interested in geography?

Waypoints 2004-03-02T01:38:02Z Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#d0db1f74-88d0-44f5-8067-6280661e6593 2004-03-02T04:15:38Z

The issue that concerns me is that geography as a discipline continues to be questioned by the academic community while research within the field of geography and within sub fields continues to thrive. Geography prevails with its pragmatic applications and its dynamic interdisciplinary discourse. It's that very same synthesis that gives geography its distinctive identity. We as geographers must continue to focus on interdisciplinary synthesis as well as emphasize specialization to insure the life of geography within our major universities.

Moco 2004-03-02T04:15:38Z Rose http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#3b210015-c15a-4fc7-876e-5da8c41102f0 2004-03-02T04:25:33Z

My Geography department was housed in the School of Business and Public Affairs, and what make matters, I received a BA instead of a BS. I think geography as a discipline is truly multifaceted. Pending on your focus, Geography is a science – especially when you’re geared towards mapping. Mapping can be very precise, and too many people trivialize what work goes into creating accurate data. It’s frustrating that the general public assumes the only dimension in the field of Geography is strictly knowing political boundaries on a pretty wall map. Here’s a fun little quote from Albert Einstein… "As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working in the customs office I thought deeply about the matter and concluded that it was far too difficult a subject. With some reluctance, I then turned to physics as a substitute."

Rose 2004-03-02T04:25:33Z Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#53b329fd-1522-4562-b8ca-1928add6bc60 2004-03-02T04:37:07Z

Why the insecurity amoung geographers? It seems it comes most from those who contributed the most to the discipline. Geograpahy is and should be a firm independant discipline that does not need to borrow any prestige or scientism from other disciplines. I am reminded of one of my heros John Frasier Hart who said " We must stand on our own two feet as geographers"

Moco 2004-03-02T04:37:07Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#5ac3ae0f-f3dc-48fb-8f83-793462b1cba3 2004-03-02T12:50:48Z

I use to divide my own identity as a geographer/cartographer. Now I opt for billing myself as just a geographer. I think some of the difficulty lies in specialization and the interdisciplinary tendencies. I think we have to be geographers first and specialists second.

Waypoints 2004-03-02T12:50:48Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#9f500fe5-421a-4f8b-a895-e136f2e85acd 2004-03-02T12:54:34Z

Moco, I think you should list your last post as a new thread. That could take some time to hash out.

Waypoints 2004-03-02T12:54:34Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#50f1cb5b-8d80-4f08-a3ad-ee394707ea4f 2004-03-02T12:56:57Z

I would like to believe that Einstein's quote is true but I read somewhere that a geography professor had posted that on their door as a joke. Thus, the wonderful rumour started.

Waypoints 2004-03-02T12:56:57Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#bba341dc-e9f0-4c09-82e4-e5dd9e4914ef 2004-03-02T13:13:19Z

I think I read that statement in one of Hart's article. Wasn't it in an address? Anyhow, I think the discipline should take advantage of the popular interest in geospatial technologies. I think much of the scientism/prestige concerns are just a bit of post-quant backlash. I think specialization and geotechnologies will help the discipline reemerge. One of my favorite news nuggets was the fact that Jared Diamond who wrote "Guns, Germs, and Steel" finally realized he was actually a geographer and joined a dept. as such.

Waypoints 2004-03-02T13:13:19Z Otter Insurgente http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#3898353e-cd79-4891-b13a-e6dfd51c2fdb 2004-03-02T21:19:59Z

Of course, as a good postmodern social and cultural geographer doing qualitative (mainly ethnographic) research, I view all this 'science' talk with a little suspicion... ;-)

Otter Insurgente 2004-03-02T21:19:59Z Otter Insurgente http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#014ce3d8-b3b8-498c-93d7-5ba35bec0ca4 2004-03-02T21:28:02Z

In the UK there have been a number of departmental closures over the last decade. A number of departments in smaller, specialist institutions seem to have been taken over by larger departments in nearby multi-faculty universities. There have also been a number of cases where geography departments have merged with other subject areas within their universities. For example, my department at King's College London 'merged' (i.e. took over) the Geography Dept from the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies a couple of years ago and is in the process of swallowing up the KCL environmental scientists. At Manchester, I think Geography is in the process of merging with Sociology, Anthropology and Planning (or something like that) into a new mega-department. This is mainly because the restructuring of the high school national curriculum over the last decade has meant that fewer and fewer students are studying geography over the age of 14 and so there are less people around who consider applying for a university degree in the subject.

Otter Insurgente 2004-03-02T21:28:02Z Rose http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#51fb2c0e-5f0a-4503-ae3f-289bbd40cbf3 2004-03-02T23:04:16Z

Oh jeez. A PhD even gave that too me. I feel like such a heel. Can I remove the post?

Rose 2004-03-02T23:04:16Z Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#ad3fb69e-929b-4897-b0ee-f291b8153251 2004-03-03T01:13:25Z

Yes, It was Hart's address and Jared Diamond is one of my favorite geographers. I'm glad he finally figured it out.

Moco 2004-03-03T01:13:25Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#7998a291-2f04-419c-90be-90e1704eca90 2004-03-03T02:25:13Z

no worries . . . that is the beauty of a rumour, or disinformation if you will.

Waypoints 2004-03-03T02:25:13Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#7aa967ae-327f-4e13-a09d-4aefefce8d75 2004-03-03T02:29:07Z

yep, hopefully he will bring new debate in the whole human-environment interaction arena. There was an article of his on the Mayas in Harpers (this year) . . . I believe. Did you read it?

Waypoints 2004-03-03T02:29:07Z Rose http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#d4484f44-1e59-497d-9d04-d230bb0004f5 2004-03-04T02:38:21Z

I went out with some co-workers after I responded to this post. One of them is a geologist and she claims that Hans Albert Einstein said the quote, but was referening to sediment transport instead of geography. Anyway, this little rumor launched a ridiculous dinner discussion....

Rose 2004-03-04T02:38:21Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#2b90b289-d7b0-428e-a064-0e1b4637f7ab 2004-03-04T02:42:52Z

Sounds like great field work. Now I have a question for you. Is that image where he sticks out his tongue (the one on all the T-shirts) for real or fake?

Waypoints 2004-03-04T02:42:52Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#678ab7c6-1669-4d02-8579-b60fcf01c90d 2004-03-04T02:49:17Z

In the US, the lack of geographic understanding among secondary school graduates is now being realized. I went to one of my kids elementary class to teach the kids about mapping. I was surprised how much they knew before I got there. I am happy to report that the curriculm is changing compared to when I was a kid. I don't think I even had a geography class until college. At the university level, geography seems to still be considered an odd major but when you mention GIS it seems ears perk up. Anyhow, the majority of department are merged with other disciplines. At my universtiy, Georgia State, we share the dept with Anthropology.

Waypoints 2004-03-04T02:49:17Z Moco http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#bcd31906-220b-47d8-ad5f-98c77a76dc94 2004-03-04T04:24:36Z

No I haven't read that. I wanted to ask you where I could find some good literature on Diamond, especially on "why he decided on Geography" Let me know if you know where I can get that info

Moco 2004-03-04T04:24:36Z Waypoints http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#6b0e1750-9e31-4729-a496-f288b9e771cb 2004-03-04T13:37:50Z

http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/2003/Civilization-Collapse-EndJun03.htm - link to the Harper's Article . . . I don't recall any interviews where he talks about this. I do know he considered himself a biogeographer in the past but his new position at UCLA definitely is a shift towards geographer.

Waypoints 2004-03-04T13:37:50Z Rose http://geographie.tribe.net/thread/56a20fbe-bbd7-4a06-8916-a6c74a87008d#715ac486-486b-4d45-b573-28fb23272a8b 2004-03-06T02:53:28Z

I'll have to get back to you on that one :P

Rose 2004-03-06T02:53:28Z