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GeographyCOURSES 111 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF GLOBAL ISSUES This course is an introduction to the global perspectives, basic concepts and fundamental questions of geography. It focuses on the ways through which all places on Earth are interconnected and how the human use of Earth’s surface varies over space. Major topics covered will be the human perception of earth space and the ways people give order to space; the growth and distribution of human population; the localization and spatial characteristics of patterns of settlement and land use; geopolitics and colonialism; environmental geography; the geography of economic development and modernization; principles of the analysis of spatial diffusion; spatial aspects of retail marketing; the geographic analysis of issues in industrialized societies focusing on gender issues, racism, poverty, sport, and religion. No prerequisite. Every semester. (4 credits) 112 INTRODUCTION TO URBAN STUDIES This course offers an interdisciplinary overview of urban life. We will draw on the disciplinary perspectives of history, geography, political science and sociology to examine how the built environment of cities are shaped by human activity and how, in turn, urban life is shaped by the built environment. This course also introduces students to the local urban setting in the Twin Cities through field study exercises and local case studies. The course focuses on building students’ analytical skills and foundational knowledge of how cities work by exploring a variety of topics, including the effect of transportation systems on urban development, city and metropolitan government, the distribution of social groups in urban settings, neighborhood change, and the effect of the global market economy on cities. Course materials focus on American cities. Lectures, guest speakers, case studies and assignments put a special emphasis on the urban experience in St. Paul. This particular focus will help students gain a grounded understanding of general knowledge that is fundamental to further study of cities. No prerequisite. Every fall. Not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 116 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY A systematic introduction to the processes operating on the surface of the earth, their spatial variation, and their contribution to the spatial patterning of life on earth. The course stresses interactions among climate, landforms, soils and vegetation and, to a lesser extent, examines human interaction with the environment. No prerequisite. Not offered 2009–2010 or 2010–2011. (4 credits) 225 INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS This course provides an introduction to cartography, visualization, and analyses of geospatial data, as well as hands-on experience in a lab with a powerful computer information system. Students will learn the basics of mapping/cartography (e.g. scale, projections, map design) and Geographic Information Systems. Students will create maps with commonly used digital data (e.g., aerial photographs, census boundaries, digital elevation models, etc.), and master basic methods of spatial analyses. Both concepts and techniques will be taught in this course. Hands-on assignments include classification of demographic data and query/analysis of vector and raster data. One and one half laboratory hours per week required. Materials fee is required. Every semester. (4 credits) 232 PEOPLE, AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Same as Environmental Studies 232) This course introduces you to the study of human-environment interactions from a geographic perspective, with a special emphasis on the role of humans in changing the face of the earth and how, in turn, this changing environment influences humans. The course will examine environmental issues in a variety of geographic contexts (developed and developing countries) and the connections between environmental problems in different locations. Students will explore the fundamentals of environmental science, economics, cultural and political ecology, as well as a number of sectoral issues. There is a special focus on agriculture, but we also will explore human population growth, water resources, biodiversity, forest resources, energy use, climate change, and environmental health. No prerequisites. Fall semester. (4 credits) 241 URBAN GEOGRAPHY This course seeks to explain the evolving pattern of cities across the earth in terms of the distribution and movement of resources and people. In addition, a careful analysis of the development and internal spatial structure of North American cities will be carried out. Much class time will be spent on discussion of contemporary urban problems such as segregation, unequal investment, and control of public space as well as attempts at their solution. This is intended for all students intending to major in Urban Studies. Field work required. No prerequisite. Every fall. (4 credits) 242 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA This course explores the ways in which diverse groups of people interact with the natural environment to produce the contemporary cultures and regional differentiation of the U.S. and Canada. Special attention is given to the development of Native American lands and to the changes in distribution of ethnic groups. Emphasis on patterns of human settlement, economic activity, land use, and physical geography. Fundamental understanding of both region and concept. Case studies and short field trips are used to demonstrate broad themes at a more personal scale. This course fills the multiculturalism requirement. Prerequisite: Geography 111 or permission of the instructor. Field trip fee is required. Fall semesters; not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 243 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA This class seeks to go beyond the superficial media interpretations of the vast African continent. As geographers, students will attempt to place contemporary African developments in a historical and global context. The course provides a basic background in African history and geography, leading to discussion of advanced topics in contemporary African studies. The course takes a systematic rather than regional approach, examining sets of issues, rather than regions or countries of Africa. The course covers a broad range of topics, including: Africa in historical perspective; physical geography (physical landscapes, climate, vegetation, soils); human-environment interactions (forest degradation, desertification); population dynamics (population growth, distribution and mobility); culture and change (religion, modernization); development (ideology and economic development, Africa in the global economy); social geography (African women and development, education); medical geography (disease, health care and policy); agricultural development (traditional farming systems, cash crops, policy); urban economies (evolution of the urban structure, industry, housing); and political geography (democratization, conflict). This course fills the internationalism requirement. No prerequisite. Spring semester. (4 credits) 245 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE POST-SOVIET UNION This course deals with the complexities of the geography of the world’s largest set of states, the Post-Soviet Union. Discussions center on the growth and expansion of Russia in pre-evolutionary times and the solidification and demise of the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Particular attention is drawn to the physical setting, settlement patterns, population growth and composition, ethnic groups, economic patterns, relationships of the Post-Soviet Union with other regions of the world, and prospects for the future. Case method instruction is used in this course. No prerequisite. Not offered 2009–2010 or 2010–2011. (4 credits) 247 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the variety of geographic factors that make up the area traditionally known as the Middle East (Egypt to Iran). Its aim is to enable the student to understand and appreciate the complex relationships of this fascinating region, both internally and to the rest of the world. We investigate the region from a variety of scales, including the individual, the ethnic group, the city and state. The course begins by laying a geographic foundation and then moving off into specific locales around the tri-continental hub. We will pay particular attention to how geography investigates some of the region’s most contentious contemporary issue. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and case study activities the class will explore the region’s resource base, history, politics, economy, religions and cultures. We will cover a wide variety of topics searching for the linkages between the cultural, physical and social geographies of the Middle East. Prerequisite: Geography 111 or permission of instructor. Not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 248 POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY This course examines the state as a political structure-its emergence, development, and contemporary transformation-from a geographic perspective. The course covers the historical formation of the state as the primary political unit, how states have drawn on discourses of geopolitics and nationalism to structure political action both in and outside their territory, and the ways in which states are changing in the current context of globalization. Special attention will be given to debates about the value of state-centered frameworks for analyzing contemporary political power. The course concludes by considering how analyses of political relationships at subnational (i.e., local and regional) scales contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of the global system. No prerequisites. (4 credits) 249 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA (Same as Latin American Studies 249) This class provides an introduction to the geography of Latin America, its peoples and environments, that looks at the importance of place as a way to understand a region. This geographical approach involves investigating the changing relationships among places, peoples, and ideas, and how these relationships define and influence a particular region. As such, the class considers some of the forces that have shaped, and continue to influence, contemporary Latin America and its relations with the rest of the world: the natural environment, the people, the economy, politics, urbanization and migration, and environment and development. Each of these topics is explored independently and in ways that emphasize inter–relationships among topics. No prerequisite. Fall semester. (4 credits) 250 RACE, PLACE AND SPACE (Same as American Studies 250) In this discussion-based course we focus on the racialized places of U.S. cities, rural towns and suburbs in an effort to understand how social, historic, and spatial forces have colluded to bring about complex and enduring racial formations. We will look for race and related social categories in places around St. Paul and Minneapolis. By engaging theories about visuality and representation, urban development and suburban sprawl, and social movements for racial justice, we will develop a specialized vocabulary for explaining how race, place, and space are connected. This course requires prior exposure to at least one of the following areas: American Studies, human geography, sociology of race/ethnicity, or urban studies. (4 credits) 252 WATER AND POWER (Same as Environmental Studies 252 and Political Science 252) This course develops an interdisciplinary approach to studying water resources development, drawing from geography, anthropology, history, politics, hydrology, and civil engineering. With a focus on large river basins, the course examines historical and emerging challenges to the equitable and sustainable use of transboundary waters. After first exploring the American water development model, the course will examine the promulgation of this model in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Dam development for irrigation, electricity, navigation, and flood protection will be discussed. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 120, 133, or 232. Next offered in 2010–2011. (4 credits) 254 GEOGRAPHY OF WORLD POPULATION ISSUES This course challenges students to critically examine global population issues from a local-scale perspective and to understand the local context in which regional and international population patterns emerge. Using the lens of Geography, we will investigate the dynamic interplay between individual, local, regional, national, and international scales and the implications of scale, culture and perspective in dissecting current population issues. We will also use individual countries as case studies to examine population policies. Students will acquire a working knowledge of the data and methods used by population geographers to describe and analyze changes in human populations at sub-national scales, and will implement these skills in an independent research project. No prerequisites. Every fall. (4 credits) 256 MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY: THE GEOGRAPHY OF HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE This course uses two theoretical approaches from geography to make sense of health-related issues. First, we consider ecological approaches to recognize ways in which human interactions with their environments can shape human health. For instance, how can deforestation or the development of irrigation schemes alter disease patterns? Second, we turn to social approaches, including political economy and recent humanist approaches, to ask how patterns of human organization affect health and health care. For instance, how do race, socioeconomic status, or political structures influence who gets sick and who stays healthy? The course will also consider various geographical methods for assessing health-related questions, particularly how we can employ maps and spatial statistics to identify patterns across space. Two sub-themes, environmental issues and international perspectives, are emphasized throughout the course. No prerequisite. Fall semester. (4 credits) 258 GEOGRAPHY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS (Same as Environmental Studies 258) The study of environmental hazards stands at a key point of intersection between the physical and the human worlds. Once commonly referred to as “natural hazards,” environmental hazards are increasingly being recognized as critically influenced by human behavior, broadening our understanding of how such hazards can and should be addressed. Geography, with its focus on human-environment interactions, provides key theoretical approaches that can help to elucidate these complexities. This human approach considers three main themes related to hazards geography. First, what influences vulnerability to environmental hazards, focusing on issues of inequality at global, regional, and local scales? Second, how might planning for and mitigation of disasters associated with hazards be undertaken more effectively in the context of such understandings of vulnerability? Finally, how can geographic methods and approaches best be employed to reduce people’s vulnerability to environmental hazards? No prerequisite. Spring semester. (4 credits) 261 GEOGRAPHY OF WORLD URBANIZATION This course is focused on the development of the global urban system. Primary topics include the rise of non-industrial cities in Africa and Asia, rise and expansion of the industrial urban network in Europe, colonial cities and the growth of “world cities,” those large urban areas that are command and control points in the world economy. In addition, models of the internal spatial structure of cities in various parts of the world will be examined. Special emphasis will be given to the comparison of socialist and capitalist urban planning. Students will be responsible for conducting research on specific urban systems in different regions. Students are required to use the internet for research and creation of a course web site on the geography department home page. Spring semester; not offered 2010–2011. (4 credits) 262 METRO ANALYSIS This course discusses the foundations of American urban life and metropolitan development today, and examines how and why urban housing markets operate as they do within American metropolitan regions. Topics covered in the course include: the metropolitan economy, land use patterns, urban housing supply and demand, the geography of urban housing markets, suburbanization, transportation, and public policy debates. By the end of the course, students will have mastered some of the methods used to describe metropolitan organization and change, and be able to analyze how changes in the economy and society relate to metropolitan land use. No prerequisite. Fall semester; not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 341 URBAN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY (Same as American Studies 341) Urban social geography is the study of social and spatial dimensions of city life. In this course, we will explore some of the ways in which urban society is organized geographically. We will also consider how the spatial patterns of urban life influence public policy issues in the American context. Topics covered in this course include causes of racial segregation, debates about gentrification, sustainable suburban development, the transition from government to governance in cities, and the delivery of urban services that affect the education, health and economic welfare of urban populations. Students will learn current research, engage debates about critical urban issues, and learn techniques useful for analyzing spatial patterns in the urban landscape. Prerequisites: Geography 112, 241, or 262 or permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 credits) 364 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS This course provides students with the basic concepts and principles essential in applying geographic information systems (GIS) to practical project development in areas such as natural resource management, urban studies, and demographic analyses. Topics covered in the course include data collection, data quality and metadata, data structures, visualization, and spatial analysis and modeling. Students work with a community partner to complete a collaborative class project. Lab section is required. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour per week required. Materials fee is required. Prerequisites: Geography 225 or permission of the instructor. Every fall. (4 credits) 365 URBAN GIS This course allows students to participate in a “real world” application of their GIS knowledge and skills in a collaborative research project setting. Project focus is on urban GIS and questions developed by and for neighborhoods and other community research organizations. Content of the course includes development of the research project, acquisition and utilization of data used in urban analysis, data manipulation and analytical techniques unique to urban GIS, and geographical data visualization. Laboratory work is required. Materials fee is required. This course plays an active role in Macalester’s Civic Engagement initiatives. In addition, this course counts toward the quantitative thinking requirement (Q1). Prerequisites: Geography 225 and permission of instructor. Spring semester; not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 377 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY This course explores the ways in which different qualitative research methods in the social sciences contribute to geographical research. The course introduces students to research design principles, to methods for qualitative data collection (including interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and archival research), and to analysis techniques (including textual analysis and landscape interpretation). The course also considers how qualitative research methods can be used to analyze geographical concepts, such as scale, landscape, and place, and improve our understanding of spatial processes. Students will enhance their research skills by conducting original research-the class will involve collecting and analyzing qualitative data and preparing and presenting research reports. Prerequisite: Geography 111 or permission of instructor. Fall semester; not offered 2009–2010. (4 credits) 378 STATISTICAL RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY This course focuses on the quantitative methods that geographers use to describe and analyze places and themes. Students will learn both descriptive and inferential statistical methods for use in geographical research, including exploratory data analysis techniques, spatial statistics, geographic sampling, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course provides students with experience in the application of statistical methods to spatial problems through the use of statistical software. Students will also learn to evaluate and develop quantitative research designs, including preparation and presentation of an original research project. No prerequisite. Spring semester. (4 credits) 488 SEMINARS Cities of the 21st Century In this urban studies capstone seminar students research the internal and external forces that will foster change and reinforce the status quo in American metropolitan areas during the 21st century. Course readings focus on suburbs, which are the dominant mode of metropolitan living in contemporary America. We will consider the history of suburbanization, the political economy of growth in the suburbs, the rise of smart growth strategies, and other attempts to foster change in the suburban experience (including the New Urbanism, green building and green movements, and regionalism). We will also consider how suburbs are now experiencing demographic changes and investigate the struggle for community in historic and contemporary suburbs. This seminar will thus complicate the conventional narrative of suburbs as sprawling, inauthentic and homogeneous places. Students will further enrich their understanding of issues covered in the course by conducting original research that examines ways in which American suburbs are changing and/or remaining the same despite efforts to the contrary. Students will consider their collective findings and discuss what they portend for American cities in the 21st century. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 credits) Urban Geography Field Seminar A research methods course in which students will conduct an individual inquiry in one of the following sub-fields of urban geography: spatial structure of urban areas; spatial interaction; problems of economic localization; and factors in intra-urban residential mobility. Students will be expected to participate in group projects which may produce either a written report or a map. The seminar focuses on topics of special interest to local communities and is part of Macalester’s Civic Engagement initiatives. Prerequisite: Geography 241 or permission of the instructor. Fall semester; not offered 2010–2011. (4 credits) Transportation Geography Seminar A research seminar in which students will conduct an individual inquiry into transportation geography, from issues of transport problems and planning to the social and environmental effects of transport. The course will emphasize current research and planning trends, and new approaches (e.g. congestion pricing, urban growth limits) to a variety of traditional transportation problems. The course will also include guest speakers from the transportation field. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Spring semester. (4 credits) Historical Geography of Urbanization A research methods course in which students will conduct inquiries on the development of urban settlement forms throughout the world. The genesis of contemporary American landscapes with an emphasis on the Middle West. Field trips and individual projects. The seminar frequently produces studies of a neighborhood in cooperation with a local community. It is part of Macalester’s Civic Engagement initiatives. Prerequisite: Geography 241 or permission of the instructor. Next offered Spring 2012. (4 credits) Comparative Environment and Development Studies (Same as Environmental Studies 477, and International Studies 477, when each are offered as the seminar with the same title) A concern for the relationship between nature and society has been one of the pillars of geographic inquiry, and has also been an important bridge between other disciplines. By the 1960s, this area of inquiry was referred to variously as “human ecology” or “cultural ecology.” Over the last decade certain forms of inquiry within this tradition have increasingly referred to themselves as “political ecology.” The purpose of this seminar is to review major works within the traditions of cultural and political ecology; examine several areas of interest within these fields (e.g., agricultural modernization, environmental narratives, conservation, ecotourism); and explore nature-society dynamics across a range of geographical contexts. Towards the end of the course students will explore how one might begin to think in practical terms about facilitating development in marginal environments. Prerequisite: Geography 232 or permission of instructor. Fall semester. (4 credits) 614 INDEPENDENT PROJECT A limit of eight credits for independent projects may be applied toward the major. An independent study that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Every semester. (1–4 credits) 624 INTERNSHIP Students work with a Twin Cities community organization, agency or business, learning particular skills, factual knowledge about “real world” operations and interpersonal communications. Internships are individually designed around students’ interests, college studies and career goals. Advanced planning is required through the Internship Office. Not more than eight credits for internships may be included toward the major. An internship that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Only offered as a pass/fail (S, SD, N) option. Every semester. (1–4 credits) 634 PRECEPTORSHIP A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Every semester. (1–4 credits) 644 HONORS INDEPENDENT Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Every semester. (1–4 credits)
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