Human Geography

by Norton, William

• ISBN13: 9780195448559
• ISBN10: 0195448553
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-10-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Summary

Human Geography explores how human behaviour affects the earth's surface, initiating a process of discovery that engages with subjects such as globalization, politics, biology, economics, philosophy, cultural studies, sociology, and global warming. Illustrated with a well-balanced mix of international and North American examples, it offers a comprehensive introduction to the discipline's essential concepts and methods. It also traces the evolution of the field, emphasizing how human geography continues to develop in response to changing human needs. The eighth edition is fully up to date, including current material on topics such as renewable energy, global population distribution, and the "Arab Spring," as well as enhanced, streamlined coverage of globalization. Important new pedagogical features include "Focus on Geographers" boxes in which active human geographers from across Canada discuss their current research on topics such as "Urbanization, Gender, and Everyday Life in Botswana" and "The Paradox of Polar Bear Ecotourism in Churchill, Manitoba"; and new "In the News" boxes highlight current events and news stories related to human geography.

Author Biography

William Norton, Professor, Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba

William Norton is a professor in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba. He is also author, with Margaret Walton-Roberts, of the forthcoming third edition of Cultural Geography (OUP Canada, 2013).

Table of Contents

Figures, Tables, and Boxes
Preface
Eighth Edition: Special Features
Features
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Roads Ahead
Three Recurring Themes
Why "Human" Geography?
The Goal of Human Geography
About This Book
The Human Geographer at Work
Conclusion
Summary
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
1. : What Is Human Geography?
Preclassical Geography
Classical Geography
The Fifth to Fifteenth Centuries: Geography in Europe, China, and the Islamic World
The Age of European Overseas Movement
Geography Rethought
Institutionalization: 1874-1903
Prelude to the Present: 1903-1970
Human Geography Today: Recent Trends and Subdisciplines
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
2. : Studying Human Geography
Philosophical Options
Human Geographic Concepts
Techniques of Analysis
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
3. : Geographies of Globalization
Introducing Globalization
Shaping the Contemporary World
Geography as a Discipline in Distance
Overcoming Distance: Transportation
Overcoming Distance: Trade
Overcoming Distance: Transnationals
Overcoming Distance: Transmitting Information
Interpreting, Conceptualizing, and Measuring Globalization
The Global Economic System
Cultural Globalization
Political Globalization
Globalization: Good or Bad?
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
4. : Humans and Environment
A Global Perspective
Environmental Ethics
Why Human Impacts?
Human Impacts on Vegetation
Human Impacts on Animals
Human Impacts on Land, Soil, Air, and Water
Human Impacts on Climate
Polluted Landscapes
Earth's Vital Signs
Sustainability and Sustainable Development
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
5. : Population Geography
Fertility
Mortality
Natural Increase
Government Policies
The Composition of a Population
History of Population Growth
Explaining Population Growth
Distribution and Density
Migration
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
6. : Global Inequalities
Explaining Global Inequalities
Identifying Global Inequalities
Population and Food
Refugees
Disasters and Diseases
Prospects for Economic Growth
Striving for Equality, Fairness, and Social Justice
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
7. : Geographies of Culture and Landscape
A World Divided by Culture?
Humans in Groups
Formal Cultural Regions
Vernacular Cultural Regions
The Making of Cultural Landscapes
Language
Religion
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
8. : Geographies of Identity and Difference
The Cultural Turn
The Myth of Race
Ethnicity
Gender
Sexuality
Identities and Landscapes
Geographies of Well-Being
Folk Culture and Popular Culture
Tourism
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
9. : Political Geography
State Creation
Introducing Geopolitics (and Geopolitik)
Unstable States
Grouping of States
The Role of the State
Elections: Geography Matters
The Geography of Peace and War
Our Geopolitical Future?
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
10. : Agricultural Geography
The Agricultural Location Problem
Distance, Land Value, and Land Use
Domesticating Plants and Animals
The Evolution of World Agricultural Landscapes
World Agriculture Today: Types and Regions
Global Agricultural Restructuring
Food Production, Food Consumption, and Identity
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
11. : Settlement Patterns
An Urbanizing World
Rural Settlement
The Origins and Growth of Cities
Locating Urban Centres
World Cities
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
12. : Urban Form and Governance
Explaining Location inside the City
Governing the City
Planning the City
Moving around the City
Spreading Outward
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
13. : Living and Working in Cities
Housing
Neighbourhoods
Poverty and Deprivation
Cities as Centres of Production and Consumption
Living in the Less Developed World City
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
14. : Geographies of Energy and Industry
The Industrial Location Problem
The Industrial Revolution
Fossil Fuel Sources of Energy
World Industrial Geography
Globalization and Industrial Geographies
Uneven Development in More Developed Countries
Conclusion
Summary
Links to Other Chapters
Questions for Critical Thought
Suggested Readings
On the Web
Conclusion: Where Next?
Changing Human Geographies
A Changing Discipline
Being a Human Geographer: Where We Began
Summary
Suggested Readings
On the Web
Appendix
Appendix 1: Global Physical Geography
A Habitable Planet
Global Environments
Suggested Readings
On the Web
Appendix 2: The Evolution of Life
Life on Earth
Human Origins
Suggested Readings
On the Web
Glossary
References
Index