Readings: Read introduction Skim chapter 1 Read chapter 2 o Skim pgs. 40-50 o Read pgs. 57-67
Key Concepts: Space, Location & Place Distance Distribution (spatial) o Density, Concentration/Dispersion, Pattern
Space: Measure of areal extent (how far an area goes) o Two ways we measure this: Absolute space = physically real Definable boundaries Objective Most commonly seen in maps Mathematical projections Ex. Space of McMaster campus Relative space Subjective = open to interpretation Will vary over time and from person to person Not definable from one person to another Topological maps (subway system) = distance between places/ direction do not really matter = getting from point A to point B Distort directions and distances to express point of the map Ex. McMaster campus being big, small, expansive, etc Ex. Room is cozy
Location: Refers to specific position in space Types of location: o Absolute (mathematical) location: GPS = latitude & longitude coordinates Do not change Can use topographic map o Relative location: Subjective Position relative to something else McMaster is 3h away from Toronto o Nominal (or toponym) location: A place name Ex. Hamilton, Toronto, Southern Ontario Can be contested = different groups use different names for areas Ex. Iqaluit vs. Frobisher Bay = different name for same area Gives locational understanding = I know where that is!
Place: Identity, meaning, significance o Can be to individual or to group Ex. Catholic Church is important to Catholics Ex. My home is important to me & my family (especially childhood house) Location + cultural/human meaning o Might not have been there but you still know what it feels like there o Ex. feeling spiritual about a Church that isnt your own Sense of place = why it is important & feelings that you get when you see the place o Local and regional characteristics = flavour Ex. going to an Irish pub o Sacred places Tend to be religious Can be sacred based on their contribution to others (ex. the airport can be sacred to people) o Placelessness = places with little sense of place or none at all Homogeneity & standardization Ex. East Side Marios, Walmart, McDonalds, the suburbs
Distance: Amount of space between two or more locations Types of distance: o Absolute/physical distance: Measured by standardized units (ex. meters, paces, etc.) o Travel distance: Distance for travelling (ex. an hour to Toronto) Depends on mode of transport, traffic, etc o Economic/communication distance: Transporting distance, phone minutes, sending a package Measured in dollars o Psychological distance: When you are intoxicated a walk might seem different than a walk when sober Mindset in which you are travelling makes a difference
Distribution: Things in space are organized in different ways Distance & organization Three forms of distribution: o Density = frequency that the geographic phenomena exists within space Ex. how many apartments within 5km area Ratio measure o Concentration/dispersion = how something is spread over an area Organization pattern Can be: Clustered (agglomerated) = all together Ex. Chinese restaurants in China town Dispersed (scattered) = spread out Ex. universities spread out over southern Ontario Dependent on spatial perspective o Pattern = how objects are arranged in space Linear Random Uniform/ordered
Tuesday, January 15 th , 2012
Key Concepts: Regions Landscapes Diffusion Perception & Mapping
Readings: same as Friday
Regions: Part of earths surface that displays homogeneity and is relatively distinct from surrounding areas according to some criteria/criterion o Internal homogeneity o External heterogeneity People in the region behave similarly Criteria: o Human geographic = ex. language o Physical geographic = ex. climate o Or a combination of both Regionalization = simplifying complex world into regions o Locations are assigned into regions based on criteria o Produces spatial pattern Spatial scale/perspective matters: o Ex. up the mountain or down the mountain, Westdale vs. being in Hamilton, when looking in Hamiltonwould not be important when looking at important regions in Canada
Landscapes: Outcome of interactions between people and their environments; the visible human imprint on the land Special characteristics of an area Ways we impact the natural environment by modification o Each cultural group imprints itself on the landscape in a different way Create different landscapes in different areas Consider: Southern Ontario o Country-side/rural areas = very straight roads, cut across environment, divide land into rectangular fields, little town or village o Different than urban/suburban areas Key: it is HUMAN impact on the natural environment
Diffusion: Movement of a geographic phenomena across space over time o Ex. spread of a disease (such as a pandemic) 2 main forms: o Relocation = spread of ideas, cultural characteristics, etc. from one area to another through physical movement by people Ex. immigration = bring language, religion, music, food, fashion, etc. Ex. consider Hamilton surnames in certain areas British = Jones, Smith Italian = Mancini, De Luca Portuguese = Silva, Santos Vietnamese = Nguyen, Pham o Expansion = spread of innovations within a single area in a snowballing process Couple people spread word to a couple people, etc 3 subtypes: Hierarchical = Ideas or innovations leapfrog from one important person to another, or from one city to another, temporarily bypassing other people or rural areas in between Do not spread evenly from one person to the next Ex. goes from New York to California, then to Florida, then to Denver, etc. Contagious = the rapid and widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population Ex. disease, video going viral Does not depend on the person Stimulus = spread of an underlying principle, even though a characteristic itself fails to diffuse Ex. Apple vs. IBM when computers came out o 1990s IBM takes over market Apple basically was left behind but mouse clicking still existed People used some features of Apple but did not use the computers themselves Innovations spread over area Can be socially diffused = look at iPod graph
Perception and Mental Mapping: Much of our engagement with real physical or human environments actually occurs through a personal lens o Experiences are actually how we perceive them to be, rather than how they actually are o Determines how we interact with environment o Mental map = personal representation of reality Imperfect knowledge = based only on how we think of world to be Different between different people Perceptions drive behaviors Ex. taking different paths to school in order to avoid certain obstacles
Friday, January 18 th , 2013
Key Concepts: What are maps? o Scale o Perspective o Projection o Map type GIS
Reading: Chapter 2
Maps: Two dimensional representation of the world Depict spatial relationships Communicate information to us o What is where? Why there? Why care? o Analyze spatial relationships (distribution, patterns, processes that produce those) Socially constructed = reflect perspective of the person/people who produces them = cartographer o Influence or instate power o Means we need to look at map with a critical eye Whether we believe it or not o Ex. Argentinian stamp = indicates that they own a part of Antarctica but they really dont
Telling Lies via Maps: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics How to lie with maps: o Different ways that cartographers can influence the reader of the map by the way they represent things Small scale map Shows very large area of earths surface Obscures a lot of detail from particular areas Ex. boundary between two countries Lines Area features Two types of lies: o White lies o Big lies
Social & Cultural History of Maps: Solving spatial problems o Ex. pictograph Navigational chart/map o Key to human survival Reflect current knowledge Reflect the state of the current thinking and anxiety about the world around us o Ex. map as an art piece Statement of power and authority Represent data and have things you are supposed to be looking for in maps to tell how to interpret them
Key Considerations in the Production and Understanding of Maps: Scale = indicates the spatial relationship between real-world locations, distances and areas and their representation on the map o All maps are scaled representations of the real world Cannot produce a 1:1 scale o Typically expressed as a ratio (1:50000) or a representative fraction (1/50000) o Large scale vs. small scale Representative fraction: 1/50000 is small number = 0.00002 1/250000 is an even smaller number = 0.000004 A map that is a 1/250000 scale is a smaller scale map than one at 1/50000 o However a 1/2500000 shows a much larger area of the earths surface Small scale shows large area and generally depict very little detail Large scale shows a smaller area and generally have greater levels of detail Perspective = how is the map oriented? o Are there tools provided to help me orient myself on the map? Tend to put north at the top of the map o Antipocentric map = upside down map, south is at the top Have just chosen to put north at the top in most maps Students in Australia tend to see this map more Projection = how do you depict a 3D sphere into 2D? o Mathematic technique for representing 3D into 2D o Can have distortions = distance, direction & area o 3 main types = varying levels of accuracy (pg. 70) Azimuthal Cylindrical Conic Map type = depends on the spatial data o 2 primary purposes: Accurately represent data Solve spatial problems o Ex. topographic map of Hamilton o Ex. dot map = reveal patterns of spatial concentrations or dispersion o Ex. choropleth map = indicate graduated variations in data (ex. population density) o Ex. isopleth map = connect locations of equal data value (ex. temperature o Ex. cartograms = space is distorted to emphasize particular attributes (ex. election map)
Population Geography Tuesday, January 22 nd , 2013
Outline: Objective and introduction o The Study of Population & Growth History of Population Growth
Reading: Chapters 4 & 5
Objectives & Introduction: Where do 7 billion people live? What factors underlie this distribution? What are the implications and consequences of this distribution?
Population Geography: Demography = study of population o Demos = people o Graphe = to write about Study of spatial components of demography Of concern to population geographers: o Growth/decline of population over time Ex. Canadians having not enough children Ex. not enough food to provide for big population leads to decline o Spatial differential growth or decline of a population Ex. children growing up in third world countries or in very rich countries will they be able to sustain populations? o The causes, and consequences, of population change Ex. political changes, aging populations, etc. o Spatial distribution of the population and the consequences with respect to global resources (water, energy, food)
History of Population Growth: How have global population levels change over the past 12000 years? (the Holocene period = since last ice age) o 12000 years BP o 2000 years BP o 1650 AD (~350 BP) = 500 million o 1800 AD (~200 BP) = 1 billion o 12000 years = 2 billion o <50 years = 4 billion o <25 years = 6 billion What factors have contributed to these population increases/decreases? o Significant populations associated with: First agricultural revolution (12000 years ago) Mesopotamia (then Egypt, India, China & Mesoamerica) Keys: Increases food production = food surplus o Ability to grow your own food Used to have to follow migrating packs of animals, use harvests, etc. o Ability to raise animals, use irrigation, germinate seeds Increasing labour specialization o Ex. bakers, machine operators, etc. Permanent settlement o No more migration to follow animals o Ex. farms, communities, businesses Industrial revolution (18 & 19 century) Keys: Increasing food production o Use of machinery in the agricultural world (ex. tractors) o Fertilizers o Types of seeds Increased standard of living o Better housing, clothing, heat o Stabilizes population Declining death rates (prior to changes in birth rate) o Population growth o Due to food production & standard of living Epidemics (ex. the plague) = population would grow and then a large chunk of population would be wiped out by epidemic/pandemic Grow & fall model One step forward two steps back
Population Distribution & Density: Distribution = how things are spatially arranged World population distribution: o Asia vs. all other areas Areas of population concentration Large areas of planet are sparsely populated Density = frequency with which a geographic phenomena occurs in a certain area o The spatial scale used affects the density: Consider Canada: 3.1 persons/sq.km. Southern Ontario: 85 persons/sq.km Most dense area in Canada Variation in different areas Factors that affect distribution & density: o Physical factors: Some areas more suited for human habitation than others Ex. desert vs. Southern Ontario In general: Temperature Water availability Physiography Soil quality o Human factors: Cultural and economic factors State formation = politics Health care systems Economic system = communism, capitalism, etc
Friday, January 25 th , 2013 MISSED LECTURE!
Tuesday, January 29 th , 2013
Population Growth Theory: Malthus Wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) Argument = two key things going on over time: o Food supply increase linear Steady increases in food supply with ability to cultivate the land o Population increase exponential 3 time periods we need to be thinking about: o Food > population Ample supply to feed population o Food = population Assumed this occurred in about 1800 o Food < population Concerning time period Central to Malthus ideas about population Preventative checks on population: o Cultural changes will effect population Ex. getting married later = fertility rates decline Positive checks on population = positive in the sense that it lowers the amount of population o War = insufficient food leads to global combat o Famine = people dying of hunger o Environmental issues o Disease Neo-Malthusians = current people who agree with Malthus & rehashing his argument Is his theory true? o Inability to predict what would actually happen with the food supply Not linear Since 1800, there has been an exponential increase in food supply Still have more food than we need at this point in time Industrial revolution & agricultural revolution
Demographic Transition Theory (DTT): Fertility and mortality are the important part of population dynamics o Have economical impacts o Changes in population over time Over time crude death rates and crude death rates change DTT Diagram: o Stage 1 High BR & High DR Equilibrium War & disease cause fluctuations in death rate o Stage 2 High BR & Declining DR Economic development Increased standard of living (ex. industrialization) Better food, housing, health care, life, etc Sanitation introduced = better water Population explosion o Stage 3 Declining BR & Low DR Children are expected to live = fertility rates decrease o Stage 4 Low BR & Low DR Equilibrium Canadas current stage To what extent does this matter? o Developed world = matches perfectly with experiences of all richer countries in the world Model was based primarily on countries like Canada, US, Britain, etc.. o Developing world = fit less well to the DTT but still similarities Many countries are in stage 3
Fertility Transition Theory: Explains experiences going on in developing world Developed world (19 th -20 th century) = fertility declines o Connected to economic development = increased standard of living Developing world (20 th century) = fertility is declining o More about social and cultural changes, not economic Ex. contraceptive use 85% of people using are using modern forms (ex. condoms & the pill) Result of public education messages sent through media and governments in attempt to change cultural behaviors Control the growth of the population Large families = no longer a need for large families o When death rates were high, people had more kids because they knew that many of them would not survive into adulthood Social safety net = have kids so then they can support parents when they are older Social status o Especially for women = dramatic shift in last couple of decades for empowerment of women Right to chose whether they want children/not and how many they want Cultural transition = changing and resulting in decline in fertility rates Role of government in affecting fertility: o Role in changing levels of fertility and population dynamics o 3 main ways to alter population: Increase/decrease births: Pro-natal policies = want more babies Ex. lowering marriage age, Canadas baby bonus Anti-natal policies = design to decrease about of births Ex. Africas sterilization project Decrease (or increase) deaths: Via health care, etc Encourage/discourage migration: Via immigration laws Ex. hard to migrate out of Cuba
Population Structure: Draw connections between government policies, the changes in population (migration, birth & death), etc Population pyramid = representation of age and sex structure of a population o Expanding population = fertility rates are high Each level of the pyramid is bigger than the one above it Each couple is having enough children to increase population o Diminishing population = fertility rates are low More people in the post-reproductive stage than in the pre-reproductive stage Not enough children to replace dying population
Friday, February 1 st , 2013 MISSED LECTURE!
Social and Cultural Geography 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, February 5 th , 2013
Outline: Intro Culture & society Defining culture Folk & popular culture Cultural regions & landscapes
Reading: Chapter 6
Introduction: Routines of daily life and commonalities between people = attributed to culture = Cultural Attributes o Ie. Religious beliefs, languages spoken, ethnic/ancestral origin, age, gender, and individual personality Dominance in our society Other parts of the world = different cultures o May not be key in other parts of world o Consider: Culture of London, England vs. New Guinea Would they be familiar with your culture? Would you be familiar with their culture? Would they be more or less familiar with your culture than you are with theirs? Culture = way of life of members of a society o Varies over geographical space o Tied to beliefs, values, lifestyles, etc o The emergence and history of culture = civilization o Subculture: Ex. ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, teenagers Is there a distinct Canadian culture? o Or do we share common culture with others? o Canadian vs. American culture: Shared traits: Same language Same form of governments Same economic system (capitalist) Broad sweep of religions Interests in pop culture Unique traits: Different cultural symbols Different role in global politics Peacekeepers vs. fighters North American culture: o Related to nations and nationalities Cultural geographers = spatial distribution of cultural activities, their health areas, and the process of diffusion across space
Forms of Culture: Non-material: o Mentifacts = key attitudinal elements/values Ex. religion, language o Sociofacts = involved in group formation Social norms that govern interpersonal relationships Ex. respect for elders Material: o Artifacts = all tangible elements related to how people live their lives Ex. modes of transit, housing, clothing, etc o 2 categories based on scale: Folk culture = cultural practices and material culture associated with usually relatively small and isolated cultural groups Group is homogenous Small amounts of interaction Popular culture = cultural practices and material culture not associated with small groups or isolated groups Heterogeneous = different across population Wide spread spatial distribution = large group High amounts of interactions Ex. wearing jeans Communication: o Very important role today o Stops isolated groups from being so isolated o Exposed to cultural phenomena from other cultures o Ex. internet, phone, media, etc o Folk culture is becoming less significant because popular culture keeps growing
Cultural Regions and Landscapes: Cultural region = spatial area in which cultural practices are dominant o An area with a degree of homogeneity in cultural characteristics o Spatial scale matters Ex. McMaster map = different regions on campus because of different faculties Ex. Hamilton map = McMaster turns into an academic area, vs. residential, industrial, etc. areas o Regionalization is important = varies from one person to the next Cultural landscape = outcome of interactions between people and their environments; the visible human imprint on land o Reflect human modifications o Region & landscape are interrelated Cultural adaptation = adjustment by people and cultures, to the challenges posed by the physical environment o As cultures change, they produce a new landscape o Ex. clothing choices reflect environmental circumstances in which we live Clothing space in closet for cold weather, as well as hot weather o Each culture becomes more and more different o Not a static process = constantly changing and adapting o Physical environment is always changing (ex. climate change) o Modify physical landscape based on needs of culture o Evolution constantly
Tuesday, February 12 th , 2013
Outline: Introduction Language o Different types o Classification and regionalization o An example o Global Dominance of English o Dialects & accents
Reading: Chapter 6 pg. 226-235
Introduction: Mother tongue = language that you first learn Languages spoken by Canadians/Hamiltonians: o Canadian: 19 million = English 7 million = French 6.6 million = other o Hamiltonian: 379k = English 7k = French 118k = other
Language and Cultural Groups: Important cultural variable Can study the regional extent of language groups Fundamental way that cultural groups differentiate themselves from one another Survival of cultural groups is very much connected to the survival of languages o Ever evolving Quebec sign law = use of English on their signs = believe very strongly that they need to preserve their language = do not want English to take over so then they have their own cultural group How many languages are there: o Best estimate = 7000 languages prior to period of European colonization Today = less than 6000 languages o Is the loss of language a problem? Negative = if languages are connected to cultural identity, then cultural diversity is being lost Positive = fewer languages = chances of us all being able to communicate is stronger o Language family: A group of closely related languages that likely originated from the same ancient origin 2 biggest: Indo-European: 430 languages 2.5 million speakers Sino-Tibetan Within a language family there are language branches: A subset of a language family, and with a more recent origin Ex. Indo-European: Romance languages (ex. French, Spanish, Italian, etc.) Germanic languages (ex. English, German, Dutch, etc.)
Classification and Regionalization: European colonization = Indo-European languages diffused to other parts of world o Isolation and diffusion o Brought English and French to North America o Mainly Spanish to South America o List goes on
An Example: Indo-European Languages: English = a global family One source started it and then diffusion led to spread of language o In and around the Black Sea Cultural groups adapted to their local environment and by doing so created new languages o Adapted cultural practices and over thousands of years made new languages o As population diffuses, the languages change more English = mixing of many other languages = very complicated language o 3 times as many words in English as there are in German, and 5 times as many as French
Global Dominance of English: Is there a global language? o English vs. Mandarin About a billion people who speak Mandarin Vast majority live in a single country Very isolated language About 340 million people speak English English is spoken around the world Geographical distribution around the planet Official language of 50 governments What other evidence do we have for the dominance of English? o Air travel Ex. Polish pilot speaks to French pilot in English o Media News, radio, pop culture o Internet Projections looking like the early part of the next decade that there will be more Chinese speaking internet users than other languages
Dialects & Accents: Micro-scale variations in languages Dialect = regional variation of a particular language o Vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation o Connected to cultural adaptation o Ex. English in England vs. North America Loo vs. washroom Lorry vs. truck o Ex. within North America Washroom vs. restroom Interstate vs. highway Zee vs. zed
Textbook Notes (Ch. 1,2,4,5) Chapter 1: What is Human Geography? Purpose = to describe the world Classical Geography: o Greeks = first to become geographically mobile and establish colonies o Aristotle = developed possible relationships between latitude, climate and population density o Eratosthenes = father of geography Longitude = angular distance on the earth measured east and west of the Prime Meridian o Runs through Greenwich, England = 0 degreees Latitude = angular distance on the surface of the earth measured north and south of the equator Topography = refers to local areas within countries Contemporary Geography: o 7 major trends: Increasing separation of the physical and human components of geography Revitalized landscape approach Revitalized regional geography Ongoing interest in spatial analysis Recognition of the need for a global perspective Increasing concern with applied matters Increasing emphasis on technical content o Physical and Human Geography: Tend to teach and research the two separately o Contemporary Landscape Geography: Considered with symbolic features and visible features Focus on human experience of being in landscape Reflect culture, social, politics and economic processes o Contemporary Regional Geography: Emphasizes the understanding and description of a particular region and what it means for different people to live there Reflects at least 3 general concerns: Regions as setting or locals for human activity Uneven economic and social development between regions Ways in which regions reflect the characteristics of the occupying society and in turn affect that society o Contemporary Spatial Analysis: Theoretical constructs used to explain locations are somewhat limited Tends to emphasize generalizations and not specifics
Chapter 2: Studying Human Geography Human Geographic Concepts: o Involves two basic endeavors: Need to establish facts Need to understand and explain facts o Space: Areal extent; a term used in both absolute (objective) and relative (subjective) forms Absolute space = exists in the areal relations among phenomena on the earths surface Objective At the heart of mapmaking Relative space = socially produced and therefore unlike absolute space is subject to continuous change Perceptual Spatial separatism (fetishism) = human geography based on spatial analysis focuses on space alone as an explanation of human nature Treating space as a cause without reference to humans o Location: Refers to a specific part of the earths surface; an area where something is situated Absolute location = position with reference to an arbitrary mathematical grid system such as latitude and longitude May not be as meaningful as a relative location, which do change Can be described by reference to its place name or toponym Ex. Canada, Manitoba, Winnipeg, Portage Avenue Site = local characteristics of a location Ex. map of Winnipeg Situation = location relative to another location Ex. Winnipeg plotted on a map of Canada o Place: Location; in humanistic geography, place has acquired a particular meaning as a context for human action that is rich in human significance and meaning Values that we associate with the location Is not about where we live, is about how we live where we live Sense of place = attachments that we have with location with personal significance Sacred space = landscapes that are particularly esteemed by an individual or group, usually for a religious reason Placelessness = identify landscapes that are relatively homogenous and standardized Ex. tourist landscapes, commercial areas, and suburbs Move evident in industrial world than post- industrial world Topophilia = love of place Positive feelings that link humans to particular environments Topophobia = dislike of a landscape that may prompt feelings of anxiety, fear or suffering o Region: Regionalization = process of classification in which each specific location is assigned to a region Types of regions: Functional (nodal) = area with locations related to each other or to a specific location Distribution of city newspaper Formal (uniform) = area with one or more traits in common Ex. area with German-speaking people Vernacular = regions perceived to exist by people either within or outside of them Ex. Bible belt in U.S.A 4 applications of the concept of regions: Regionalization is a valuable simplifying tool; exercise of classifying in itself may be a valuable aid to understanding of landscapes Delimitation of formal regions was central the chorological approach that dominated during much of the first half of the 20 th century Delimitation of functional regions was important for spatial analysis Many contemporary geographers see vernacular regions as crucial to our understanding of human landscapes o Distance: Quantifiably measurable = important for spatial analysis Spatial dimension of separation Distribution = pattern of geographic facts within an area Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things Distance decay = declining intensity of any pattern or process with increasing distance from a given location Friction of distance = measure of the restraining effect on distance on human movement Time and cost involved in overcoming distance Accessibility = variable quality of a location, expressing the ease with which it may be reached from other locations Indicates relative opportunities for contact and interaction Interaction = movement, trading, or other form of communication between locations Agglomeration = situations in which locations are close in proximity to one another Spatial grouping of humans or activities to minimize the distances between them Deglomeration = spatial separation of humans or activities so as to maximize the distances between them Can be measured in economic, temporal, cognitive or social terms = relative Can be measured by a standard unit of measure = absolute o Scale: Resolution levels used in any human geographic research; most characteristically refers to the size of the area studied, but also to the time period covered and the number of people investigated Spatial, temporal and social Choice of scale depends on question being posed Use concept of scale in two different ways: Ratio of distance Maps of large areas are small scale and maps of small areas are large scale To decide whether locations in a given area are clustered, or dispersed o Diffusion: Spread of a phenomenon over space and growth through time Ex. migration of people 3 important ideas: Neighborhood effect = situations where diffusion is distance biased = phenomenon spreads first to individuals nearest its place of origin Hierarchal effect = first diffuses to large cities then to centres of decreasing size S-Shaped curve = diffusion proceeds slowly at first, then very rapidly, then slow again o Perception: Process by which humans acquire information about physical and social environments Mental images and maps are important for 6 different reasons: Mental images of other places and people are always changing Research into mental maps demonstrate that humans have varying perceptions of their environment The mental maps of particular individuals are of great importance Serious problems can arise when people in positions of power have distorted mental maps Mental maps do change Mental maps of relatively unknown areas are especially subject to error o Development: Refer to a process of becoming larger, more mature, and better organized Often referred to in economic manner o Discourse: speech Refers to way of communicating, in speech or writing, that serves to identify the person communicating as a member of a particular group o Globalization: Complex combination of economic, political, and cultural changes that have long been evident that have accelerated markedly since about 1980, bring about a seemingly ever-increasing connectedness of both people and places Bring separated people and places together Increases quantity of goods, information and people Techniques of Analysis: o Cartography: Science of map-making Communicate information Portray spatial data Scale is always found on a map Type of map depends on data Dot map = towns, wheat farming, cemeteries, etc Choropleth = thematic map using colour to indicate density of a particular phenomenon in a given area Isopleth = map using lines to connect locations of equal data value Ex. equal time, transport costs, etc o Computer-Assisted Cartography: Digital mapping Allows us to amend maps by adding in new and revised data o Geographic Information Systems: Computer based tool that combines several functions = storage, display, analysis, mapping Come from Canada = 1960s Vector approach = describes the data as a collection of points, lines, and areas and describes the location of each of these Raster approach = divides the area into numerous, small cells and pixels, and describes the content of each cell o Remote Sensing: Variety of techniques used for acquiring and recording data from points that are not in contact with the phenomena of interest o Qualitative Methods: Set of tools used to collect and analyze data in order to subjectively understand the phenomena being studied; the methods including passive observation, participation and active intervention o Quantitative Methods: Set of tools used to collect and analyze data to achieve a statistically description and scientific explanation of the phenomena being studied; the methods include sampling, models, and statistically testing
Chapter 4: A Crowded Home Demography = science that studies the size and makeup of populations Fertility: o All aspects of human reproduction lead to live births o 2009 population =6.8 billion o 2025 population = 8.0 billion o 2050 population = 9.4 billion o Fertility & mortality equation: P(now) = P (original) + B D o Fertility, mortality & immigration: P (now) = P (original) + B D + I E o Crude birth rate = total number of births given in a given period per 1000 people already living: CBR = number of births in one year / mid-year total population * 1000 Range from 10-55 May be misleading because births are related to total population, not the population that can conceive = fecundity o General fertility rate = actual number of live births per 1000 women in the fecund age range (15-49) # of live births in a one year period / mid-year # of females aged 15-49 o Total fertility rate = average number of children a woman will have 5 * sum number of women in age group A in a given period / mid-year # of females in age group A A refers to the seven five-year age groups o Replacement level fertility = 2.1-2.5 o Factors affecting fertility: Biological factors = fecundity Begins at about age 15, peaks at about age 20 Affected by nutritional well-being Related to diet Economic factors = modern society favors small families Cultural factors = marriage, contraceptive use, abortion Nuptiality rate = # marriages in one year / mid- year total population * 1000 o Variations in fertility = modernization and economic development have prompted lower levels of fertility Mortality: o Mortality measures: Crude death rate: # deaths in one year / mid-year total population *1000 Range from 5-50 Does not consider J-shaped characteristic of age Infant morality rate: # deaths under age of 1 / # births that year * 1000 Range from 1.3-163 Sensitive to economic conditions, declining with improved medical and health services and better nutrition Natural rate of increase = CBR CDR o World population is still increasing but at a decreasing rate Government policies: o All policies have the same objective = decrease mortality o Pro-natali= typically in places dominated by a certain culture and in countries where a larger population is perceived as necessary for economic or strategic reasons o Anti-natal = less developed countries have initiated policies designed to reduce fertility Happens when faced with overpopulation Composition of a Population: o Age and sex structure: Population pyramid = diagrammatic representation of the age and sex composition of a population. By convention, the younger ages are at the bottom, males are on the left and females on the right More males compared to females
Chapter 5: An Unequal Home Race and Ethnicity 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, February 26 th , 2013
Outline: Introduction Race and Ethnicity o Ethnicity o Race o Ethnicity vs. Race o Spatial distribution
Ethnicity & Ethnic Groups: Hard to define Ethnicity = an affiliation with a group whose racial, cultural, religious or linguistic characteristics, or national origins distinguish it from the rest of the population Ethnic group = a group whose members perceive themselves as different from others because of a common ancestry and/or shared culture o Ex. my family is Korean o Based on belonging to a group o Linked to ancestors and to specific cultural traditions o Element of minority status Individual and group identity o Ex. my family is Irish so I connect to things that are Irish, but I also have connection with others who are Irish Important components = ethnicity, religion & language = express culture o Ex. the cultural landscape o Ex. the built landscape = neighborhoods Reflect identity of group that lives in that area Stores, interior design, traits, habits, etc Pride vs. discrimination & conflict o Pride = proud of culture around certain times Ex. Italians and the world cup o Could be conflicts between groups of different ethnicities o Discrimination based on past events Globalization = erasing local diversity o Ex. language and religion Ethnicity = immutable = cannot change it o Cannot change your ancestry or the origin of your identity o Much more permanent and powerful element of cultural identity Ethnicity = dilutable o Ex. parents are of two different ethnic groups = mixed = lose sense of both of them as compared to if parents were from the same place o No clear sense of where you are from Canadian Census recognizes the multidimensionality of ethnicity o Incorporates language, race, religion, ancestral origin o All a part of what ethnicity is o 3 major components of ethnicity: Origin/ancestry = where are your family roots connected to? Issues: How far back do we go? Mixed origins Public opinion on that ethnicity o Ex. dramatic change around WWII with amount of people who admitted that they were German = not favorable in Canada so they didnt mention what nationality they were o Ex. New Berlin renamed as Kitchener Race = based on genetically imparted physiogenomical features of an individual Mostly facial features such as skin colour Physical elements of appearance Issues: Social construct = does not exist as a meaningful thing Change over time = conceptions of time o Ex. in U.S.A. race is a big political issue (black vs. negro vs. African American) Terminology for race can be ambiguous for some people o Ex. Caucasian vs. white = can obscure responses Identity = a self-identification of how an individual perceives themselves, rather than their ancestors Issues: Many different ways to identify yourself o Language, race, nationality, etc o Ex. Quebec thinks that they are French Canadian = some other element of identity = language Depends on what you consider yourself as a part of a cultural group
Race: One of the most problematic concepts that exists in the social sciences Usually divide population into subgroups based on physical appearances o Ex. height, skin colour, eye colour, hair colour Purely socially constructed concept No such thing as distinct races within our spaces Race = genetically distinct group of a species o Do not exist in the human population o All come from the same ancestor We are all members of the human race
Race vs. Ethnicity: Race and social-human interactions o Physical appearances influence how you perceive and interact with others Ex. racism Perceived race = proper term o No scientifically based reason o How we look at other people influences how we act around them African-American, Asian-American, etc. o Considered a significant element of society in the U.S.A. o These are not racial groupings o Ethnic groupings of people Shared cultural experience with ancestral origins
Spatial Patterns of Ethnicity in the U.S.A: Major ethnic groups n the U.S have different spatial distributions o Hispanic-American = 15% o African-American = 13% o Asian-American = 5% o American Indian = 1% Regional patterns: o Based on migration and proximity to origin regions Ex. Hispanics close to Mexico o Misleading? Ex. Hispanics would prefer to identify themselves based on their ancestry such as Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, etc.. instead of being grouped as one Grouping all people together is misleading Patterns within cities: o Central parts of large American cities o Where we see more patterns is in the larger cities because of migratory patterns Ex. African-Americans in 20 th century went from south to major cities of west and urban centers of mid-west Abolition of slavery, urbanization, economic means, etc. Ex. Detroit = 85% of people are of African-American descent Other places in Michigan = 7% African-American Profoundly concentrated in Detroit Ex. Chicago = similar pattern to Detroit Within city of Chicago, there are clustered areas of African-Americans and Hispanics Outside of city, there are mostly white people What are the consequences of what is going on? o Role of spatial interaction between different groups in the same area o North American immigrant experience o Diversity of immigrants = changed in mid-late 19 th century Residents were mostly British & from north-western parts of Europe At the end of the 19 th century = less people wanting to migrate from Europe North America solicited people from other parts of the world Started with other parts of Europe, then looked to Asia, Latin American, Africa, etc Mixing of people with different backgrounds = heterogeneous Spatial patterning wasnt as heterogeneous Different groups isolated themselves = homogeneity Could be a result of discrimination or other reasons Creation of distinct neighborhoods/ghettos Reflects patterns Ex. Greektown, Little Italy, Corktown (Irish) Cultural & Symbolic Landscapes 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Friday, March 1 st , 2013
Introduction: Recall key concepts o Location = position in space o Place = location with particular meaning Individual Collective
Cultural Landscapes: Landscape = visible human imprint on the land o Natural/physical environment o Human environment Urban, rural, suburban, etc. Ex. straight concession roads in the country Ex. arrangement of buildings in downtown Toronto Cultural landscape = outcome of interactions between people and their environments o Process of adapting environment to practices o Result of cultural adaptation o Meaning & significance transcend to cultural groups Symbolic landscape = symbols of a culture and what it stands for 7 Wonders (Ancient): o Bucket list of things you need to see before you die Greek scholar = Herodotus ~ 2500 years ago o Spatially concentrated Center of Western civilization at that time Modern 7 Wonders: o Many lists exist o Identify places of cultural importances o Architectural, underwater, etc o Modern wonders = more spatially dispersed and reflect many cultures Taken by online survey 100 million votes were cast for the most recent 7 (+1) modern sites +1 = Pyramids of Giza 7 wonders: Great Wall of China Monastery of Petra Mayan City of Chichen Itza Machu Picchu Colosseum of Rome Taj Mahal Christ the Redeemer Rural Settlement 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, March 5 th , 2013
Outline: Introduction Rural settlement Forms of rural settlement Rural issues Rural vs. urban ways of life
Introduction: Culture = way of life of a group of people Cultural groups adapt to their local environment o Where and how they live their lives o Settlements = rural and urban Many different types of settlement Ex. rural hamlets, towns, cities, mega-cities, etc. Urban and rural settlements are usually defined in relation to one another o Whatever is not urban, is rural & vice-versa o Urban is easier to define than rural Large population Densely settled Why study rural settlement? o Global population Distribution = how do the 7 billion people live their lives? Currently at a point in time where 50% of population lives in rural areas Africa & Asia = 2/3 of population Oceania, Europe, North & South America = population Shifting from more rural to more urban o Urbanization Cities are a recent innovation Cities only around for about 5000 years, but weve been living in them for only a couple hundred of years o Forms of settlement = culture and cultural adaptation See how different cultural groups experience/modify environment
Patterns of Rural Settlement 2 types: o Dispersed: People living in relative isolation from each other Distance between each individual family/family unit Exists a lot in agricultural areas & land-ownership Connected to forms of capitalist agriculture Canadian pioneer experience Settling prairies Different kinds of patters = geometric vs. irregular patterns Field patters o Clustered: Nucleated Planned vs. organic development Planned = developed as a communal place for exchange of commodities Organic = happens over time with people moving near roads/intersections Sizes can vary Can be like a city but most people are engaged in agricultural activity Follows river/roadway Look at slides for hamlets, villages, grid plan
Issues of Rural Settlement: Depopulation: o Rural depopulation: Movement of people from rural areas to non-rural areas Increasing urbanization Ongoing for the last 100 years in Canada Farmers do not need as many employees Can farm larger areas with less labour Demand for jobs in the city o Farm depopulation: People leaving farms because it is not benefitting them economically Farms will be bought by larger companies o Small towns: Small town grows and is no longer a small town = rare Small town/villages/hamlets disappear all together Become ghost town Result of rural depopulation Ex. nobody going to school = bye bye school Repopulation or counter-urbanization: o Rural population gets bigger o Very small circumstances o Ex. tele-commuting = continue to live at the cottage but can work from there o Ex. decentralized industrial activities = some factories set up in rural areas Some people move to rural areas to work at these institutions o Ex. aging population and retirement communities = choose quiet rural life The Rural-Urban Fringe: o Transitional zone between outer regions of suburbs and the near edges of the agricultural zone that surrounds the city o Next suburban center, Next site, etc = always under transition o Urban sprawl = areas turn into shopping centers, residential communities, etc Ruins agricultural areas
Rural vs. Urban: Ways of life? In what ways are they different? o Gemeinschaft = small town/communal ways of life Strong personal connections between people and families Neighborliness o Gesellschaft = depersonalized lifestyle Is there such thing as an urban way of life that is somehow distinct from the rural way of living? o Louis Wirth = urbanism as a way of life 3 characteristics of cities that make them different from rural areas: Incorporate large populations Living in close proximity = high density Population is heterogeneous = mixing of people of different cultural experiences Textbook image 11.10 Urban Social Geography 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Friday, March 15 th , 2013
Outline: Ethnicity & identity Ethnic areas and social spatial segregation Segregation & congregation Assimilation & acculturation
Reading: Chapter 13
Introduction: Recall social and cultural differences o Race, perceived race, language, ethnicity, etc. Localized expressions of difference o Ex. Ethnic neighborhoods
Ethnicity: A group whose members perceive themselves as different from others because of a common ancestry and/or shared culture o Often a minority within a larger population Ex. Italian-Canadians o Share cultural traditions Ethnic areas = a region or neighborhood that is occupied (to varying degrees) by people of common heritage o High concentrations of people of a certain ancestry Can connect to cultural identity
Cultural Identity: Personal or collective identity = tied to language, religion, shared cultural past, ethnicity, race, etc. o Consider St. Patricks Day = people identify with this holiday Inclusionary and exclusionary o Positive = bonding o Negative = social exclusion = minority may be excluded from housing Ex. excluded from employment because of language barrier
Social Spatial Segregation: Different social divisions exist in urban places o Ex. socio-economic class, age, ethnicity, race, etc. Each has its own spatial pattern in cities = social spatial segregation Ex. high to middle to low class throughout city Ex. downtown Hamilton vs. Ancaster Ex. ethnic neighborhoods Why does this exist? o Minimize conflict = if existing in the same area, they might argue/fight Ex. old people living in the same area as young people o Preserve culture = allows population to exist and live the way they want to live Ex. Chinese people in Chinatown want to live in the same area = close proximity o Feeds fear of others Negative = fosters hatred of other people Able to preserve identity, but others arent able to interact with them Concerned with the differential spatial distribution of minority and charter groups o Charter population = dominant population Ex. English people in Hamilton Dominant in terms of numbers o Minority population = differently placed than charter population A broad term used to describe situations where minority groups are not spatially distributed uniformly across residential space, in relation to the charter group or other minority groups The degree to which a minority group is spatially segregated from the charter group o Many variations Ex. Race in the United States o Blacks vs. Latinos vs. Asian-Americans Blacks most segregated Latinos less segregated than blacks Ethnicity in European cities: o South Asians most highly segregated Income/economic class o Ex. Toronto: very poor vs. very rich Greater and greater segregation Very poor living in very clustered neighborhoods = under stress Increasing polarization Two forms: o Congregation = residential clustering by choice o Involuntary segregation = residential clustering by structural constraints and discrimination Ex. Westdale used to not let black/Jewish people live there Ex. the urban poor Segregation of visible minorities vs. cultural minorities o Visible = skin colour Greater segregation More clustered o Cultural = ethnicity Less segregated
Assimilation: More homogeneous environment The process where minority groups slowly, over time, adopt identities, practices, etc. of the charter group and as a result becomes less different o Once was a minority, now are more the same o A process of cultural change and adaptation o Depends on how different the minority is from the charter population o Those that look different are going to have a harder time assimilating Perceived difference between groups affects the pervasiveness of the segregation o Greater difference = slower assimilation Two types: o Behavioral assimilation = acquisition of cultural practices by the minority group Ex. kids start to play hockey, or learn English, or celebrate Canada day o Structural assimilation = penetration of social strata by the minority group Much more difficult Charter groups often adopt certain minority practices too o Ex. eat certain foods (Chinese food, etc.) Assimilation occurs, the degree of segregation declines o See minority group become assimilated within greater population Peach (1996) = a three generational model of assimilation o Immigrants = ethnic ghettos o Second generation = ethnic villages Brought up in charter population Start process of assimilation Less spatially segregated o Third generation = ethnic suburbs Grow up in charter population Lose sight of homeland Assimilated Much less segregated o According to Peach, a strong geographical link exists between where people live and their degree of culture
Acculturation: Adaptation to the charter culture, but also preservation of minority culture Partially part of charter, but preserve cultural identity Assimilation = perceived differences between charter and minority are small Acculturation = occurs when differences are greater o Such as visible differences Spatial propinquity = a measure of social cohesion and proximity o The closer they live together, the less likely they are to assimilate or acculturate o More spatial spread = more likely to adapt charter cuture Reading the Urban Landscape 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, March 19 th , 2013
Outline: Diversity Evidence of change in the present Hamilton: Kirkendall o History and background o Sites of interest and importance Reading historical landscape
Intro: Diff between two urban landscapes = New York vs. Los Angeles o Less skyscrapers in Los Angeles = earthquakes o Natural landscape = canals in New York Environment = palm trees in Los Angeles o Los Angeles is less dense = less populated New York very clustered = more dense o Materials used in buildings Reasons behind these differences? o Period of settlement New York colonized much early Community in late 1700s Los Angeles colonized in mid-20 th century o Dominant form of transportation: 19 th century New York = foot & vehicles pulled by horses/electric street cars People needed to live closer together and closer to employment 20 th century Los Angeles = automobile Can commute to work = sprawl Availability of land = New York need to build up because do not have enough land to expand for population Many different types of urban landscapes: o Residential Suburban vs. urban housing Home-owner vs. rental New vs. old High density vs. low density o Commercial Retail vs. office o Industrial o Institutional Religious Court house, city hall Government Health Education o Public Parks, malls, squares Transportation related o Neighborhoods Grouping of people who have social/cultural/economic homogeneity Sense of community Within each category there are more subcategories = diverse
The Role of Culture: Different urban landscapes within one culture, there are commonalities among many of them o Slight diffs but general commonalities Singular culture has produced that landscape o Landscapes reflect the culture Landscapes still change over time o Some changes are subtle, some are dramatic Reflection of social and cultural change Never stagnant, always evolving Ex. immigration slightly changes culture, etc Change physically and they change their relative meaning or significance over time o Ex. Yonge Street & Dundas, Toronto = famous intersection Important for commercial activity = retail South = Eaton Centre & Eatons Change = still retail but also has a major public focal point Landscape has physically changed = appearance has changed o Ex. Jackson Square downtown, Hamilton Used to have a lot of storefront activity Still some evidence of buildings, but they are not thriving = rundown Reflection of city of Hamilton decisions Made internal mall vs. storefronts Totally changed downtown experience = ruined it for most people Killed businesses in and around that area o Ex. The Point, Pittsburg Two major rivers both coming from north & merged at The Point and flow to form Ohio River Used to be a big industrial landscape Has dramatically changed in last 100 years Changed to commercial & high-rise area o Ex. Westdale, Hamilton No change in appearance, but change in culture 1930s-1940s = suburb for city of Hamilton Culture around it has changed = not really a suburb anymore Position has changed in cultural context o Similar transitions in many neighborhoods = changes occurring all the time Areas of decline/gentrification (neighborhood undergoes positive change ex. Kirkendall)
Evidence of Change in the Present Landscape: As astute observer of the landscape can often find a great deal of evidence of both the past and the future in the present landscape o Not easy o Need to be inquisitive Ask yourself about why things look the way they do and how they could have happened Ex. picture of Locke St. o Change in the orientation of the curb = extra lane wider Why? Had streets built wider to incorporate street car lanes in the middle of the road No evidence of the HSR but there is evidence that it used to be there by street widths
Kirkendall: History & Background: Some important features: o Escarpment at south end o Go train o Reservoir Park at south end o Find house between Aberdeen and escarpment o Commercial stuff on Dundas o Churches = tell us something about the culture of the neighborhood = religious plurality o Schools = primary and middle schools o Historical plaques, cornerstones History: o Development over the end of the 19 th and beginning of the 20 th centuries o Fully developed by 1920s into the west o Many of the buildings from id-1800s Locke St. = commercial core of the neighborhood o Seen periods of decline o Currently in good period Many historical and culturally significant buildings and places can be found Distinct sub-areas within the neighborhood = particular form of housing/land use o Localized spatial area o Consider size, style, cost, etc.
Social & Cultural Urban Issues 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, March 26 th , 2013
Outline: Urban Issues: More Developed World o Suburbanization & urban sprawl o Gentrification o Poverty & homelessness Urban Issues: Less Developed World o Rapid urbanization o Pollution o Squatter settlements
Reading: Chapter 13
Introduction: Cities are fantastic places o Centres of cultural change, innovation, economic engine, diversity, excitement Can also be horrible places o Produce waste o Incubators of poverty, despair, unpleasant things o Unhealthy = pollution, poverty, etc. Especially in less developed world Cities are both good and bad o Major issues facing cities in both the More Developed World (MDW) & Less Developed World (LDW) More developed = Canada, U.S.A., Oceania, Japan, parts of Asia & Europe, etc.
Urban Issues: MDW Cities Suburbanization (& Urban Sprawl): o Urban decentralization periphery vs. centre Cultural desire to concentrate people on the periphery of city as opposed to in the downtown core o Emergence of suburbs: Post WWII suburban housing boom Have been around since cities have been around At the city walls Ex. medieval times o Transportation technology = changed the behaviors of individuals Able to travel a longer distance between where we live and where we work Able to commute Result = new suburbs that are much more distant Idea of urban sprawl o Prevalent where: Land is readily available Planning regulations are weak Development is done by contractors Government does not have a huge impact on regulating urban sprawl Populations are wealthy and can afford large homes Levels of physical mobility are high Many cars, forms of public transit o Sprawl = form of suburbanization Occurring at a tremendous rate = no control of suburban growth o Conurbations = continuously built-up urban area Sprawl occurring in adjacent municipalities Ex. BosNyWash = from Boston to NY to Washington = very famous example Gentrification = Anti-Urban Sprawl: o The process of transforming formerly derelict or low quality housing into wealthy or desirable areas o Neighborhood decline o Become desirable for people with good finances o Flipping the house o Ex. Kirkendall = 20-30 years ago was very poor Undergone a lot of change = renovations = increase property values Now Locke St. is changing to catch up o Positives = transform to make nicer = increased values o Negatives = people who were living in neighborhood could rent there, but as it changes, the expenses go up as well Some people get evicted Poverty: o Rapid expansion of urban industrial areas o The spatial manifestation of poverty Slum neighborhoods Goes back to 19 th century to present o Slums clearance History of planners and urban developers to address poverty in cities Ex. 1950s & 60s = go in an bulldoze houses and replace with high rise apartment buildings o Associated with prostitution, drug abuse, crime o Not associated with the people, its the area and the problems within the area o Lots of people who are homeless = read in textbook
Urban Issues: LDW Cities Many of the problems we see are the problems that the MDW faced around 200 years ago o Same processes occurring in LDW that occurred in MDW before they developed Perceived benefits outweigh the real/potential costs o People flood from rural areas to cities where the problems are o People think that they can make a better way of life in the city Exact same thing that drove MDW Rapid Urbanization: o Within a human population, an increasing proportion living in the cities o Consequences: Creation of slums = 30-70% of population living in these areas Highly congested, with sub-standard housing, lacking any system of sanitation, and plagued by insecurity 2005 1 billion people around world living in slums around the world Most in LDW Urban Environment Pollution: o Polluting industries = transnational corporations have chosen to relocate plants to parts of the world where labour is cheap and where pollution regulations are weak No environmental regulations to stop industries from polluting Will be right next to residential slum Employment but at what cost? Gives people jobs in local population Still harming children and elderly population o Industrialization and urbanization Thousands/millions of people migrating into urban areas that cannot support them Waste builds up in these areas because there are not enough resources to support everyone = lacks infrastructure o Squatter settlements = find on the periphery of the city Uncontrolled, low-quality, unserviced, unsanitary, crowded settlements on the urban periphery Driven by rural-urban migrants Cannot afford to rent home in the city, so they have to settle in squatters The crux of the problem: People are not paying taxes Therefore the government does not provide services to these people No hope for these neighborhoods to get better because municipality and people cannot pay for it Spatial pattern of wealth & poverty Center of the city = wealthy Outside areas of the city = poor Reversal of the MDW Ex. Mexico City = about 30 million people including city and squatter settlements One of the largest cities in the world Has one of the worst air pollution problems in the world Ex. Calcutta = about 15 million people Surrounded by millions of people living in squatters (50%) Generally regarded as the unhealthiest city in the world Ex. Sao Paolo & Rio = Brazil Favelas = squatter settlements Used to not have police Controlled mostly by military = gangs Rainy season = mud slides wash out huge chunks Many people lose their lives Not much choice of a place to live Rio = hosting World Cup and Olympics soon = will be in global spotlight Political Geography 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Tuesday, April 2 nd , 2013
Outline: Introduction Political Geography: What is it? Key concepts Rise of the Modern State Colonization and its Aftermath Geopolitics
Reading: Chapter 8
Introduction: Political units = basic division of the world o Closely related to language, religion, etc. o Reflection of culture Why does the political map of the world look like this? o Shifts in processes o Colonizing in different parts of the worlds o Change pattern of the globe = globalization, etc. How and why does the map change over time? What is political geography?
Political Geography: The study of interrelationships between people, states and territories o At a variety of spatial scales (local, national, international) o The uneven spatial outcomes of political processes o The impact of spatial processes on politics Interests: o Organization of regional groupings o Relationship between: States and former colonies States = geopolitics o Function, demarcation and enforcement of territorial boundaries o The study of election results = electoral geography o The creation of formal political units/territories o The forces of conflict between political entities
Key Concepts: Nation: o Very much connected to culture o Most cultural groups see themselves as having a national identity o Nation = group of people sharing a common culture and an emotional attachment to some territory Nations are cultural entities Group of people sharing a common culture o Nation = cohesive/singular grouping of people sharing an attachment to an area Nationalism: o Sense of nationalism = an expression of belonging to a nation May take a variety of forms Ex. flag, national anthem, music, literature, legends, etc. o Expression can become extreme and dangerous Ex. Norwegian massacre (2011) = two particular attacks in Norway killed 77 = driven by the concern for the dilution of the Norwegian nation Targeted at Muslim immigrants No longer a singular nation State and Territory: o State = a political unit associated with an area with defined boundaries States are political entities and can take many forms Canada = a state o Territories = the geographic area of states; usually with defined and acknowledged boundaries May be contested Ex. Kashmir Between Pakistan, India, and China o All believe they hold the territory Disputed boundaries and territorial claim Territory is a spatial/geographical entity Countries/Sovereign State: o A political construct whereby a population is governed by a centralized government that has supreme and independent authority/control over a geographic area Ex. US, UK, Canada, etc. Currently 206 countries 190 of them are sovereign states = no dispute over sovereignty/geographic area 16 cases of significant dispute over independence North Korea South Korea Israel Palestine Nation-State: o When a state and a nation coincide geographically = nation- state o A political unit that contains one principal national group and an associated territory A particular form a country/sovereign state Nation-state = state (politics) + nation (culture) + territory (geography) o Countries where the vast majority of the population comes from a specific area Ex. Egypt = 90% of people are Egyptian Ex. Bangledesh = 98% of people are from there Ex. Japan
The Rise of the Modern State: Relatively fluid (i.e. many contain two or more nations) o Sometimes leads to conflict and political instability Not always o Ex. Canada and the U.S.A.
Exploration and Colonialism: 15 th -19 th century = European empire building o Colonized many different areas o Ex. the British Empire Involves colonization o The imposition of economic, social and political power onto another territory Economic activities Social, political, and economic constraints
Decolonization and Independence: Since mid-19 th century Ex. Canada decolonized from British empire Became their own sovereign states Colonies were: o Discontented with colonial rule o Aspired to independence through expressions of nationalism o In many cases, transition was violent, in others it was peaceful
Geopolitics: The study of relations among/between geography, states and power Several important geopolitical dimensions exist: o Cold War & superpowers o Economic globalization and concentration o Colonialism and development o Cultural and economic imperialism
Friday, April 5 th , 2013
Outline: State Stability/Instability o Ex. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia o Centrifugal and Centripetal forces Secessionist Movements (ex. Europe, Kurdistan) o State Instability Electoral Geographies o Voting Patterns o Electoral Bias
State Stability/Instability: Modern countries = a series of geopolitical forces working over a period of time o Geopolitical forces result in: Bringing together of potentially diverse nations into one multinational state Such as Canada and its provinces Ex. Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, etc. Breaking apart of (potentially similar) nations into two or more sovereign states Ex. Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, etc. o Forces always present for every country Centrifugal forces: o Typically due to cultural homogeneity = countries tend to be heterogeneous o Cultural history = distinct nations within in the country break apart based on different historical background o Boundaries = can contribute to implosion force Make it easier to break apart o Czechoslovakia/Yugoslavia examples: Broke apart into many different pieces Each are distinct nations that have become their own sovereign states These geopolitical forces are known as Centrifugal forces Act to break apart a state into different nations Centripetal forces: o Bring nations together to make one sovereign state State instability = results from divisions within the state Internal divisions: o Secessionist movements = nations within multinational states that want to create their own separate state Can happen when a country has a lot of small nations within it that want separation from the larger state Larger state might not want to let them go Ex. Quebec, Wales, Belgium, Basque (Spain & France) tied to a strong sense of nationalism o Also driven by circumstances whereby a nation has no state of its own, but overlaps with several other states Ex. Kashmir Ex. The Kurds (Box 8.4) = living in Kurdistan Ethnic/cultural group of 25 million people with no state of their own Almost the size of Canadian population Overlap a number of different states Would like to have their own state o Ex. Africa: Boundaries reflect colonial interests = European Independence slower than elsewhere due to: Dependence = impoverished colonies, too dependent on colonial power Africa struggles based on being too poor Discordance between nations and colonial states Disagreement between state boundaries and cultural boundaries Conflict has continued in Africa (longer than elsewhere) due to: Violent independence movement Existence of incongruous boundaries The cultural boundaries are not in agreement with the state boundaries As a result, civil wars are common o Ex. Liberia, Sudan, etc. Overlap over colonial map and ethnic group map and there is a huge difference Make huge multinational states o Ex. Europe Greater stability due to organic development over long period of time (centuries) Developed around certain national groups Many pockets of conflict remain Ex. Britain (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), Belgium (Dutch, French), France (Brittany, Alsace), Spain (Basque, Catalonia) Looking for independence within their countries
Grouping of States: o Examples of state integration as well as disintegration Ex. European Economic Community (EEC) & European Union (EU) = trying to bring Europe together Ex. NAFTA: MERCOSUR, ASEAN, OPEC, etc. All economic relationships within groups of different countries Can affect immigration, the environment, taxation and subsidization
Electoral Geographies Voting Patterns: Are there spatial pattern to voting behavior? o Examples: Urban vs. Rural Urban tend to be more liberal on the political spectrum Rural tend to be more conservative Elite vs. Working-class Native-born vs. Immigrants Majority vs. Minorities o Many different ways to look at it o Very clear spatial patters o Can look at different spatial scales = province, cities, within cities The Canadian political system: o Political units elect representatives to government; should represent the opinions of the population of that area Federal, provincial, municipal o Heterogeneous vs. homogeneous? In cases where people are homogeneous, the system works great In cases where the people have different opinions, the person who gets the most votes are speaking for the people of that group o Political redistricting = redrawing of political boundaries in an attempt to insure population homogeneity within each district/unit In cases of heterogeneity within an area o Gerrymandering = the deliberate intention to create electoral bias through the spatial reorganization of political units to favour a particular group/party Redraw lines to make the majority of people vote for their party Two techniques: Concentrate opposition members into one area Concentrate them so they will be in one riding to win, but we have the rest of them Ex. Derry (Northern Ireland) = is run by Protestants, but is actually more Catholics o Divided into 3 wards Population not distributed evenly Catholic : Protestant not equal in proportion o Overall: Catholic = 61% of population with 40% of reps, Protestant = 39% of population with 60% of reps Disperse opponents into a number of areas Become a minority by diluting the votes (ex. Mississippi) Overview 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Recall: What is Human Geography? What is where, why there and why care? (Charles Gritzner) o Description of the spatial organization patterns of people, places, and human phenomena o Explanation of the processes that produce these patterns Interpretation of what these patterns mean (significance of the patterns)
Human Geographic Futures: Local and global issues; each of greater importance in the future o Read conclusion for more information Cultural diversity and change: o Globalization of culture (ex. global languages, loss of religious diversity, popular culture) vs. the diversity of culture (ethnic religions, folk cultures, etc.) Globalization = wiping out global diversity Canada = multicultural = celebrate and acknowledge cultural diversity Cultural and political conflict: o Political disintegration and political integration cultural causes Disintegration = centrifugal Integration = centripetal o Issues of conflict = war, conflict, etc. Population and health: o Population growth and an uneven spatial distribution Uneven amount of people being born in different areas of the world Canada would not survive without immigration o Issues of population aging, global migration, and the unequal health outcomes of cultural and economic change Ex. no pension left when parents grow old because of baby boom Cities and urbanization: o A majority of population now lives in cities this represents a significant cultural changes as the way of life differs in cities vs. rural areas Shift in ways of life Around 70-80% for Canada, just over 50% globally o Issues of sprawl and poverty Issues = clear spatial dimensions a geographical perspective
Purpose of the Course: To provide an introduction to the theories, methods and concepts of human geography o An overview of human geography o Foundation for subsequent geography classes o Develop general understanding of global issues
Course Objectives: Hands on experience in labs and assignments Overview of key theories, concepts and issues in lectures Discussion in labs Spatial dimensions of issues Tools to become aware of, understanding the nature of, and recognize the significance of key global issues Pg. 595 Human Geography Perspective
Culture and Society: Spatial patterns and expressions of society, culture, and cultural difference = linked to identity o Collective identity and individual identity Defined by: o Language o Religion o Ethnicity o Race o Nationality o Community o Class (socioeconomic) o Gender o Etc. These are all components of cultural; the meaning and significance of which are socially constructed These cultural elements are expressed geographically through cultural landscapes As a result: places differ, and thus geography matters
What Have We Covered? The nature and history of human geography Ch. 1 Basic concepts of human geography (maps) Ch. 2 History, theory, and concepts of population and health geography Ch. 4 & 5 Society, culture, cultural landscapes and cultural regions Ch. 6 & 7 Settlements and urbanization Ch. 11, 12, 13 Political geography Ch. 8 Also introduction and conclusion
Final Exam: Wednesday, April 9am-12pm = 3 hours 40% of final grade MDCL 1309 1/3 come from entire course, 2/3 come from material since midterm o Distribution of cities Format = same as midterm with more questions o Multiple choice = 50-75 o Definitions = 5 o Short answers, maps, etc. = 15-20 Differentiate Give examples Definitions Tell the difference between them Interpret the map Locate stuff on the blank map Sketch/draw and label diagrams Review map/diagrams from lectures and readings Definitions (with example) Explain or explain the significance of List Content = lectures, readings, labs/activities/videos What to bring: o Pen red pen o Pencil o NO calculator/phone Hints: o Of the following 10 concepts, 5 will be on the exam guaranteed in the short answer section in some form it is also likely that al will be on the exam in one form or another Likely found in the definitions/short answer sections Region Culture - KEY Language family Gentrification City WHAT IS A CITY, HOW DO YOU DEFINE IT Nation-state Place differentiate from a location Urbanism Cultural landscape Diffusion o Define and find an example of each! o Global awareness? Maps? will have to identify places on a map Possibly out of ten Know the 5 most populous countries and the 5 top places people want to visit
Exam Textbook Notes (Chps. 6-8, 11-13)9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM Chapter 6: Cultural Identities and Landscapes Human Identity and Culture: o Culture = the way of life of members in a society Non material culture has two components: Mentifacts = those mental or non-physical elements of culture; the values held by group members Attitudinal elements Sociofacts = those elements of culture directly concerned with interpersonal relations; the norms that people are expected to observe How groups form Material culture = related to artifacts = the physical objects created by culture for pleasure, work, living or worship Human Geography and Society: o Society = cluster of institutionalized ways of doing things Interrelationships that connect individuals as members of culture Recurrent attitudes and behaviors of people in a group Cultural Regions: o Areas in which there is a degree of homogeneity in cultural characteristics; areas with similar landscapes o Delimiting cultural regions requires decisions on at least 4 different points: Criteria for inclusion Date or time period (since cultures change over time) Spatial scale Boundary lines The Making of Cultural Landscapes: o Although cultures share basic similarities, the way that they achieve these goals are different o Cultural adaptation = changes in technology, organization, and ideology that permit sound relationships to develop between people and their physical environments o Two aspects are particularly important in understanding our human world: Language and Religion Language: o Probably the single most important human achievement o Culturally variable = needed for communication of different groups Offered new physical environment experiences Potential source of group unity o Useful in delimiting groups and hence regions Ensured continuity through time Death of a language often leads to death of a culture o Can lead to divisions of people Much less interaction between groups that speak different languages o Spatial variations in language are caused in part by variations in physical and human environments o How many languages? Used to be 7000 around 400 years ago, now ~ 6000 About 3000 languages are endangered, and about one language dies every two weeks Languages die for two reasons: A language with few speakers tends to be associative with low social status and economic disadvantage Because globalization depends on communication between 2 previously separate groups, learning a major language is important About 96% of population, speaks 4% of worlds languages Top spoken languages: Mandarin, English, Spanish o Disappearing languages: Culture loss Might lead to a loss of cultural knowledge o Why are some languages more successful? Migration Speaking a certain language might help economic success Prestige of a language = in some way impressive o Language Families: No new languages have been formed because: Not enough time for this to happen has elapsed The groups that have moved have remained in close contact with their original groups Dialects have occurred Most spoken: Indo-European English = language of the planet, the first truly global language Sino-Tiberian Niger-Kordofian o Language and Identity: A common language facilitates communication; different languages create barriers between different groups Language and nationalism: Nationalism = the political expression of nationhood or aspiring nationhood; reflects the consciousness of belonging to a nation Hard for a country to declare a common language because there are so many 2 reasons why language is delimiting a nation: Common language facilitates communication Language is a powerful symbol of groupness Multilingual States: A state in which the population includes at least one linguistic minority Ex. Belgium and Canada Minority Languages: A language spoken by a minority group in a state in which the majority of the population speaks some other language; may or may not be an official language Language plays a role in naming places = toponyms Understand and give meaning to a landscape Serves an important psychological need = to name is to know and to control Landscapes in Language: Physical barriers tend to limit movement Vocabulary of any language necessarily reflects the physical environment in which its speakers live Religion: o Serves a basic human need or awareness o Set of beliefs and associated activities that are in some way facilitates appreciation of our human place in the world o Women make up majority of religious believers Most major religious (except for Islam) have an important female figure o Four largest religions = Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam o Religion, Identity and Conflict: A persons sense of identity and community, and all that this implies, can be often closely tied to religion Has resulted in conflict and exclusion of some groups Many military conflicts (ex. the Crusades) o Religion and Identity Today: In developed world, religious is not central to human activity Still a struggle between religions and lack of o Religious Landscapes: Three principle reasons that religion and landscape are connected: Beliefs about nature and about how humans relate to nature are integral parts of many religions Many religions explicitly choose to display their identity in landscape Members of religious groups identify some places and load them with meaning = sacred spaces Summary: o Culture = humans ability to knowingly change physical landscapes in directions suggested by experience o Society = cluster of institutionalized ways of doing things o Cultural regions = impact of culture on land and human-land relationships o Cultural adaptations = change in response to environmental and cultural challenges o Language = single most important human achievement; essential to beliefs, behaviors and communication o Religion = religion is the basis of life for many people o Cultural globalization = increasing evidence suggests that globalization is transforming our culturally divided world, mainly through the diffusion of Western-derived attitudes, beliefs and behaviors
Chapter 7: Social Identities and Landscapes Geographies of Difference: o Power, Difference and Inequality: Power differences underlie a lot of human geography Geography was not concerned with difference and inequality before 1970 because it was mostly run by middle-class, heterosexual, able-bodied males Ethnicity: o Ethnic group = a group whose members perceive themselves as different from others because of a common shared ancestry and shared culture o The Illusion of Race: All humans are of the same species Race is term commonly referring to outsiders whose physical appearance does not accord with some generally accepted norm The visible divide is skin colour Racism = particular form of prejudice; attributing characteristics of superiority of inferiority to a group of people who share some physically inherited characteristics Genocide = symbolic, and sometimes spatial, distancing or separation of one group leads to victimization Ex. Holocaust Typically, victim groups are blamed for all social and economic problems o Ethnic Identities: Some groups are generally regarded as minorities either by themselves or by others because they are different in some way from the majority Common basis = language, religion, ethnicity, perceived race, and recent immigrant status Most groups who identify themselves as ethnic base their ethnicity on one or both of the two principal cultural variables = religion and culture o Ethnic Areas: Most immigrant ethnic groups experience an initial period of social and spatial isolation and may lead to low levels of well-being, relative deprivation, and the development of an ethnic ghetto Ghetto = residential district in an urban area with a concentration of a particular ethnic group New immigrants eventually experience assimilation or acculturation Assimilation = process by which an ethnic group is absorbed into a larger society and loses its own identity Assimilation is dependent on the degree of residential propinquity = if group members live in close proximity, then the social interaction with the larger society is limited = less chance of assimilation Acculturation = process by which an ethnic individual or group is absorbed into a larger society while retaining aspects of its distinct identity Multiculturalism = a policy that ensures the right of the ethnic groups to remain distinct rather than to be assimilated into the larger society Ex. Canada
Chapter 8: Political Identities and Landscapes State Creation: o Defining a Nation-State: Nation = a group of people sharing a common culture and an attachment to some territory; a term difficult to define objectively State = an area with defined and internationally acknowledged boundaries; a political unit Makes rules that govern the territory o Nation-state = political unit that contains one principal national group that gives it its identity and defines its territory o The Rise of the Nation-State: Nationalism = assumes that the nation-state is the natural political unit and that any other basis for state delimitation is inappropriate Aspiring nation-state will argue that: All members of the national group have the right to live within the borders of the state It is not especially appropriate for members of other national groups to be residents of the state The government of the state must be in the hands of the dominant cultural group Sovereignty = supreme authority over the territory and population of a state, vested in the government; the most basic right of a state understood as a political community Contributes to the emergence of independent states Introducing Geopolitics: o The study of the importance of space in understanding international relations o Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces: Centrifugal = in political geography, forces make it difficult to bind an area together as an effective state; in urban geography, forces that favour the decentralization of urban land uses Tear a state apart Most common = internal divisions in language and religion that lead to a weak state identity Lack of long history in common and state boundaries are subject to dispute Centripetal forces = in political geography, forces that pull an area together as one unit to create a relatively stable state; in urban geography, forces that favour the concentration of urban land uses in a central area Most common = clearly and widely accepted state identity Long state history and boundaries that are clearly delimited and accepted by others o Boundaries = mark the limits of a states sovereignty o Unstable States: Internal ethnic divisions often occur within a state 3 general situations may threaten a state stability: Secessionist movements arise when nations within multinational states want to create their own separate states Ex. Quebec Nations within may want to link with members of the same nation in other states to create a new state Irredentism involves one states seeking the return from another state of people and/or territory formerly belonging to it Elections: Geography Matters: o Creating Electoral Bias: Gerrymandering = the realignment of electoral boundaries to benefit a particular political party Works in two ways: Concentrating supporters of the opposition party in one electoral district Scattering those supporters so that they cannot form a majority anywhere Deemed as a violation to the Constitution of the United States
Chapter 11: Settlement Patterns An Urbanizing World: o Crossed from predominantly rural to predominantly urban in 2007 o Urbanization = the spread and growth of cities Picked up when people started to move to work in factories o Defining Urban Centers: Different countries have different ideas of what an urban center is Ex. Canada = incorporated cities, towns and villages of 1000 or more inhabitants and their urbanized fringes More than one way to define a specific urban center, with the result that population counts for that center can often vary widely o Urbanization of More and Less Developed Regions of the World: Industrial Revolution (1750s) provided impetus rapid growth in the number and size of urban centers Increase in people moving from rural to urban areas Involved expansion of the urban area and the creation of suburbs = an outer commuting zone of an urban area; associated with social homogeneity and a lifestyle suited to family needs Resulted in urban sprawl Close relationship between rapid urbanization of the less developed world and rural poverty Notable changes: The relatively high projected growth rate for the urban population of the less developed world The negative projected growth rate for the rural population of the more developed world The fact that the projected urban population growth rate is about twice the projected total population growth rate o Locations of Cities: Located on either coastlines or on navigable rivers with access to a sea Natural breaks in transportation Europe = only place with cities located mostly inland Several interior agricultural regions divided into many countries and has several long rivers Two large countries with non-coastal cities = Canada and Russia = larger interior rivers and lakes o Mega-Cities or Many Cities: Urban population is increasing rapidly in numbers and in relation to rural population Concentrated in mega-cities and spread across many cities Population of mega-cities is increasing and more are being created Most of additional population growth is taking place in smaller cities, some with fewer than 500000 people Roughly half of all urban dwellers live in cities of fewer than 500000 people Mega-cities > 10 million people Ex. Tokyo, Mexico City, New York Play significant roles in controlling the economy Less than 10% of world population lives in these cities Rural Settlement: o Patterns: Range widely between the extremes of dispersion (random or uniform) and nucleation (clustered) Depends on physical environment, culture, social organization, political influences and economic activities A landscape feature often contributes to the character of a place Dispersion = development of this pattern reflected new emphasis on land ownership (capitalism) Can show power relations Nucleation = historically, rural landscape was dominated by these settlements Basic need to communicate and cooperate with others Scarcity of good building land, a need to defend group against others, the need for group labour to construct and maintain a particular agricultural feature, and political or religious imperatives Favored over dispersion o Changing Patterns: Depopulation as a result of the spatial concentration of economic activities in urban areas and the more over the past half-century from family farming to factory farms Shift in economy from agriculture to manufacturing and services Counter-urbanization = a process of population decentralization that may be prompted by several factors, including the high cost of living in cites, improvements in personal spatial mobility, industrial deconcentration, and advances in information technologies Increasing appreciation for rural lifestyles The Rural-Urban Fringe: Urban sprawl = the largely unplanned expansion of an urban area; typically discontinuous leaving rural enclaves o Changing Rurality: A Rural Way of Life: Gemeinschaft = a form of human association based on loyalty, informality, and personal contact assumed to be characteristic of traditional village communities Gesellschaft = a form of human association based on rationality and depersonalization; assumed to be characteristic of urban dwellers Rural-urban differences are decreasing, especially in the more developed world Improved rural services Proximity of urban employment opportunities for many rural dwellers reduces the distinctiveness of the rural way of life Access to mass media Not able to sustain themselves economically without the urban areas Rural Gentrification: A process of inner-city urban neighborhood social change resulting from the in-movement of higher- income groups Changes in rural landscape resulting from settlement by relatively well off people who are choosing rural over urban areas for reasons related to lifestyle preferences Changing the meaning of the world rural Common to be in conflict with the local people Involve growth and change Some people living in rural areas are those who commute and cannot afford to live in urban areas, and some people are seeking alternatives to the perceived unpleasantness of urban life The Origins and Growth of Cities: o Rise in capitalism since 1750 o 1850, major world cities were concentrated in the newly industrializing countries Most located in Europe and the United States o Now, the majority of the worlds cities are located in former colonies in the less developed world o Urban Origins: Urbanism = urban way of life Cities established in 4 ways: Initially established in agricultural regions Did not become possible until the progress of agriculture freed some group members from the need to produce food Production of agricultural surplus Established as marketplaces for exchange of local products Started as military, defence or administrative centers Ceremonial centers for religious activity
Chapter 12: Urban Form and Governance Spreading Outward: o In the more developed world, spatial organization has been transformed in two general ways: Number of people opted for homes outside of the established urban area, a location decision made possible by improved transportation and increased private automobile ownership Globalization processes that have contributed to world city phenomenon have also worked to transform suburbs and to initiate the growth of new cities beyond established urban areas o Suburbanization: Mostly in response to changes taking place inside the city, including the establishment of factories and rising population densities Places outside the city based on transportation routes Dramatically affected by automobile Form of decentralization Prevalent where land is readily available, planning regulations are weak, populations are wealthy and can afford large homes, and levels of physical mobility are high Has become the characteristic urban experience Heavy emphasis on consumption Suburban numbers exceeded central city and rural numbers put together Ethnically varied and include many and varied economic activities o Urban Sprawl: Residential landscape along with supporting commercial landscape Strip mall = leading component Sprawl and consumption go hand in hand Low population densities, frequency discontinuities in land use and the creation of numerous single-use locations that are not clearly linked to other nearby land uses Often blamed for destroying farm land and increasing commuting times = deterioration of family life and increased pollution Lead to formation of conurbations = a continuously built up area formed by the coalescing of several expanded cities that were originally separate Such regions grow at the expense of inner city Reductions in citys tax base, unemployment, underutilization of infrastructure, and lower property values
Chapter 13: Living and Working in Cities Neighbourhoods = a formal region inside a city. A part of the city that displays some internal homogeneity regarding type of housing that may be characterized by relatively uniform level of income and/or ethnic identity and that usually reflects certain shared social values o Neighborhood effects = the assigning of behavioral norms to people who live in a neighborhood and the claim that life choices may either be severely constrained or enhanced because of where someone lives Gentrifying neighborhoods: o Most cities are undergoing gentrification o Involves upgrading of homes and changes in the neighborhood character and identity o Redevelopment and revitalization of a declining neighborhood through rebuilding and other investment Segregated neighborhoods: o Used to be based on ethnicity and class o Ethnic residential segregation = economic and cultural forces Lower income = lower quality housing Cultural forces: Cohesion = strong when a group self-identifies Desire of non-group members to resist spatial expansion of the group Slums: o Overcrowding, poverty, disease, limited provision of services, traffic, damaged environments, ethnic conflicts o Expand so rapidly that their growth is not controlled = premature urbanization o The Growth of Slum Areas: Much of rapid growth in less developed world Spread of squatter settlements = a concentration of temporary dwellings, neither owned nor rented, at the citys edge, related to rural-to-urban migration o Myths About Slums: Slums serve no purpose All slum dwellers are poor Slum dwellers are to blame for slums 9/6/2013 12:31:00 PM