Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

News From The Chapters 1987-88, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

The Gamma Zeta Chapter of G.T.U. at Eastern Michigan University had a terrific year. The chapter was reactivated with bi-weekly meetings and 15 new initiates. Each meeting was highlighted by a student presentation of some personal experience of field sessions . Gerald Hopper discussed his experiences on an archaeological dig in southwestern Montana in October. Evelyn Gallegos who was with the Peace Corps talked about her experiences in Peru in November. Bob Merte spent a summer on an archaeological dig in Israel. He said it was hot-politically and weather-wise! Following Bob's December talk, Susan Odom presented a program on Mexico.

The Modernization Of Agriculture In The United Arab Emirates, Saif S. Saif

The Geographical Bulletin

The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). with a population of 1.6 million is located in an arid landscape. That results in a scarcity of arable land and water. To understand the aims of the U.A.E. in adopting modern agricultural methods, current agricultural activity in the U.A.E. is examined. Also a background of traditional agricultural ways and tools are associated in order to comprehend the practices farmers must follow to secure their needs from their agricultural endeavors. This research focuses on the agricultural methods which have been promoted by the government. Modernization of agricultural methods has achieved higher production, and is related …

The Climatically Optimal Major League Baseball Season In North America, Brent R. Skeeter

The Geographical Bulletin

Mean daily temperature data are analyzed for the 15 coolest cities which have major league baseball teams and do not have domed stadiums. The temperature data are used to determine the optimal (warmest) portion of the year for the baseball season to be held. These data, along with several additional climatic variables, indicate that from an entirely climatic viewpoint, the major league baseball season should begin and end somewhat later in the year than is presently the case. Some possible implications of such a shift are discussed.

The Estimation Of Numerosity On Dot Maps, Christine L. Butler

The Geographical Bulletin

An important concern for cartographers is in making maps that convey information accurately and efficiently. Because the dot map is a popular method of portraying qualitative data, it is necessary to know how effective the symbolization is in eliciting the desired intellectual responses. This paper investigates whether dot numerosity differences are over or underestimated in a purely map context. An experiment was designed to determine if dot numerosity differences are over or underestimated or if they are perceived accurately. The results of the test indicated that for an area with a given number of dots, comparisons made to areas with …

Introductory World Geography: A View From The Otherside, James Hisey

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper investigates the perceptions students have about world geography. Fifty-three students were asked to comment on their ideas of the importance of geography and how they would integrate the excitement and fun of geography into their teaching careers. The basic idea was to have students express their view on the content and relevance of basic regional geography. After a semester of exposure to the world, even at a basic, introductory level, the importance of geography is almost a moot question. Many future teachers noted several diverse ways of utilizing geographic techniques into their teaching. Students with different career goals …

Editorial Comments: Some Thoughts On Theregional Revival, James R. Mcdonald

The Geographical Bulletin

In the late 1980s, Regional Geography-in its classic sense-is enjoying a sensational revival in American higher education. Courses in "World Regional Geography," or some equivalent title, are recording "standing room only" enrollments from coast to coast, while more specialized upper-division courses (North America, Europe, etc.) are attracting students in numbers not seen for 20 years. Is this an enduring or a transient phenomenon; and what, in any case, does it imply for Geography as a profession and a "serious" subject?

Cover And Forewords, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 31-2 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 31-2 Complete Issue

News From The Chapters 1988-1989, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

The 1988-89 academic year was another award winner for several Beta Psi members. Phil Brink, Craig Ackerman, Brad Camp, Laura Haggerty, Malcolm Ponte, and Andrew Norman were selected to participate in the Kansas State University Community Service Program. They each received a summer stipend and a $400 scholarship. Barbara Houser received the 1989 LaBlanc Outstanding Undergraduate Major Award. Malcolm Pete, Margaret Clark, Craig Raborn, and Ann Hinterleitner received a K.S.U. Student Government Association/GTU Scholarship. Dale Woodyard was a recipient of an Arts and Sciences Dean's Scholarship. The Huber Self Geography Scholarship was awarded to Craig Hoffman. Leslie Duram was awarded …

Research Needs In Human Geography, Stanley D. Brunn

The Geographical Bulletin

Scholars need to ponder research themes and directions for future human geographics and for those studying human geographics of the future. Geographers in the next century will continue to study familiar themes, including landscapes, environments, regions, diffusions, interactions, and places at all scales (personal to extraterrestial) within social, economic, political, and cultural contexts. Ten research themes are suggested for future inquiry. These include internationalizing economic geography, information and communications, timespace convergence, networks and networking, administrative organization and reorganization, postindustrial economies and societies, quality of life and welfare issues, including survival, and the human intellect and spirit. Pioneering research in these …

Population Distribution By Religious Affiliation: Terrorist Activity In Northern Ireland, Thomas M. Michael, Michael L. Kelsey

The Geographical Bulletin

The districts of Northern Ireland are well defined in identifying where people live according to their religious affiliation. Patterns emerge which enable generalizations to be made about where people reside depending upon whether they are classified as Protestant or Catholic. The purpose of this research is to ascertain how terrorist incidents are associated with population distribution by religious affiliation for the past two decades on a district by district basis. It is the general contention that terrorist activity occurs where there is a mixture of Catholics and Protestants. Shifts in population distribution correspond to changes in the spatial distribution of …

Wetland Heritage Of The Upper Great Lakes: An Appreciation, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

It is doubtful if any resource has been so abused and at the same time used as the earth's wetlands. In spite of an anti wetland prejudice, the resource has been utilized by Native Americans, fur traders and settlers. This investigation reveals that wetlands in the upper Great Lakes were not areas to be avoided but rather attractive resources to be exploited. Wetlands provided dietary and agricul tural resources, aesthetic settings and have contributed significantly to conser vation awareness. Vendable and eco nomic values recognized in the last few years are yet additional services these liquid assets provide.

Our Mental Atlases, John Fraser Hart

The Geographical Bulletin

A distinguished chemist once said to me, "Good science is good fun; if it's not good fun, it's probably not good science either." His remark has remained lodged in my memory, and it has often troubled me, because so much of the fun seems to have gone out of geography, especially for many geographers who did their graduate work in the 1960s and 1970s, who are pathetically eager to be recognized as scientists.

Locational And Morphometric Characteristics Of Landslide Deposits, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, David R. Butler, Joseph W. Nicholas

The Geographical Bulletin

Morphology and site characteristics of 512 landslide deposits were examined by means of a geologic/topographic map of Canyonlands National Park in an attempt to explain variations in deposit size and location. Eighty-nine percent of the landslide deposits mapped are associated with the Wingate Sandstone. Length of deposits was best explained by position beneath a scarp convexity (headland) or concavity (embayment), slope angle beneath the cliff, and cliff aspect. A t-test confirmed the importance of scarp geometry: headlands have the higher number of deposits beneath them, but landslide deposits beneath embayments are significantly longer and somewhat larger in area, suggesting that …

Cover And Forewords, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 31-1 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 31-1 Complete Issue

Public Attitudes Towards Dredge Spoil Disposal On A Lake Michigan Beach: A Study Of Environmental Perception In Geography, Robe Ramra

The Geographical Bulletin

Environmental perception has received only little attention from geographers although there are indications that its applicability and usefulness in geographical analysis is increasing. This current underdeveloped state of environmental perception in geography is attributed to reticense and apprehension among geographers, the absence of a well-developed methodology and a sound theoretical base, and problems in terminology, quantification, measurement and evaluation of environmental attitudes. An environmental perception study was conducted at Kewaunee, Wisconsin to determine beach-goers attitudes towards the disposal of unpolluted dredged material on an adjacent Lake Michigan recreational beach. The results of the questionnaire reveal favorable attitudes towards the project. …

Plymouth Park Research And Development Center: An Analysis Of Accessibility In Southeastern Michigan, Gerald Hopper

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper examines selected factors which indicate that the Ann Arbor, Michigan area is a prime site for the location of Research and Development (R&D) parks. In the area, the 43-acre Plymouth Research complex has been located as a result of the amenities of the Ann Arbor area. Organizations such as Bendix, Warner Lambert and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently have facilities in the area. Research has shown that many of the factors that R&D facilities favor occur in the Ann Arbor area. This includes being located near a major research university (University of Michigan) and being located …

Russian Orthodox Churches In Alaska, Stephen M. Straight

The Geographical Bulletin

The only remaining evidence that Russians once occupied Alaska are the 78 Russian Orthodox churches are chapels located on the Aleutian Peninsula and coastal Alaska. A popular tourist attraction, the architecture of these churches are copies those of mainland Russia. Russian orthodox churches are noted for their onion dome styles, but several variations do exist. Modification in church design was often dictated by climatic conditions. Gale-force winds encouraged construction of low structures. Heavy snowfalls led to the design of steep roofs and steeples. St. Michaels Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Sitka burned down in 1966. Rebuilding it has caused a religious …

The Failure Of Beaver Dams And Resulting Outburst Flooding: A Geomorphic Hazard Of The Southeastern Piedmont, David R. Butler

The Geographical Bulletin

Beaver are geomorphic agents through their building of dams and creation of pond environments. In the southeast United States, the successful reintroduction of beaver has vastly increased the number of ponds impounded by beaver dams. These dams may fail, producing rapid and potentially catastrophic draining of beaver ponds, a geomorphic hazard which has not gained sufficient notice. This paper examines several cases of known dam failure and subsequent rapid drainage of beaver ponds. Reconstructions of the discharge from these ponds was accomplished using standard hydrologic relationships of stream dimensions or pond volume to discharge. Peak flood discharges may be catastrophically …

Editorial Comments The Old Homestead, Fred B. Kniffen

The Geographical Bulletin

In a less restrictive sense the same is true of our modern households. All the basic needs common to man the animal must be provided for. However, our great technical advancement over primitive peoples permits a variety of ways in which we shape our shelters, prepare our foods, and supply needs we were not even aware of a century ago. We have radio, TV, and kitchen appliances to perform tasks accomplished by hand when I was a lad. Let me illustrate by example. As a boy in the first years of the century I lived in a modest village on …

Spatial Variations In Fire Alarm Calls, Geneseo, New York, Mark E. Jakubauskas, Randall L. Repic

The Geographical Bulletin

The township and village of Geneseo, New York, were studied to determine if a regional variation of fire alarms existed during a four-year study period. Similar to large cities, concentrations of call type appeared to be related to the demographic and economic makeup of a specific region. Clusters of structure fires, automobile accidents, and false alarms are identified in certain areas and underlying reasons for these clustering are discussed. Current and potential courses of action to combat these concentrations and lower the overall call rate are included as well.

Recognizing Individual Variability In Misophonia: Identifying Symptom-Based Subgroups With Gaussian Mixture Modeling, Mercedes G. Woolley, Amanda M. Ramos, Emily M. Bowers, Karen Muñoz, Julie M. Petersen, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Misophonia is characterized by intense emotional and physiological reactions to everyday sounds such as chewing and tapping. While previous researchers have focused on defining and characterizing the disorder, limited attention has been given to the variability in symptom presentations across individuals. In this study, we sought to identify distinct subgroups of individuals with misophonia by applying a Gaussian finite mixture model to explore the heterogeneity of symptom profiles. Sixty treatment-seeking participants completed the Duke Misophonia Interview, which assessed the presence and severity of various behavioral, affective, and cognitive symptoms. Items from this measure served as model indicators. Two clusters were …

How Insider-Led Processes Lead To Localization: The Case Of Digital Technology And Humanitarian Protection, Oliver Kaplan, Emily Paddon Rhoads

Global and Public Affairs: Faculty Scholarship

The humanitarian sector has been increasingly concerned with localizing its activities—devolving capacity, power, and decision-making authority to the local communities and organizations that are the frequent recipients of its assistance. However, the mere “outsider-led” provision of assistance to local actors is not itself sufficient to empower them. In- stead, we argue that “insider-led,” locally initiated processes can be an effective approach to localization. We identify how such shifts can occur and distinguish three different configurations of “insider-led” processes: Autonomous Adopters, Balanced Partners, and Exporting Entrepreneurs. We examine “insider-led” localization in the context of the use of Information and Communication Technologies …

Building Relationships For Meaningful Co-Created Indigenous Climate Education, B. Hanson, R. Mccann, D. Smiley, S. Hinck, A. R. Archie, N. Butler

Environment and Society Student Research

This project involved a multicultural team collaboratively co-creating a climate change module by and for Indigenous people. Embracing the framework of cultural humility, we recognized the bidirectional learning inherent in the project and its role in mitigating power dynamics within the team. This endeavor underscored the significance of transparency, effective communication, respect, reciprocity, trust building, and sensitivity to cultural contexts. Our findings emphasized the need for locally grounded programs that echo local traditional wisdom. We discovered that fostering an environment conducive to active listening and patience is pivotal in establishing a secure space. Our research affirms the equal validity and …

“We Will Tend To It”: The Reconstruction Of The Wimauma, Florida’S Bethune Area Through Archival Research And Oral Histories, Alanah Cooper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on heritage preservation efforts led by Wimauma community members interested in preserving the history and heritage of Wimauma’s Bethune Area—a historically African American community. This study aims to challenge the dominant narratives of Wimauma that erase/silence the tangible and intangible legacy of the Bethune Area. By collecting and drawing upon oral histories from community residents; engaging in participant observations; conducting archival research, my thesis will strive to construct an expanded narrative of Wimauma to include the history and heritage of the Bethune Area and the everyday lives of underrepresented people and families who helped shape Wimauma. This …

A Qualitative Approach To Identifying Obstacles To Mental Healthcare In The Rio Grande Valley From The Perspective Of Mental Healthcare Professionals., Shania M. Linder, Cristian Botello, Raquel Villarreal, Nelda Rodriguez, Mario Gil, Dayana Zamora

Research Symposium

Background: There are many factors that prevent members of the Hispanic/Latino community from accessing mental health resources. This is important to investigate because there is a lack of knowledge on why residents of the Rio Grande Valley, an underserved region of South Texas, are unable to access and/or utilize mental health resources.

Methods: A focus group session was held at a mental health counseling clinic in Cameron County, Texas on February 1, 2024. The participants consisted of mental health professionals, such as two mental health clinicians, a clinical counselor, two school counselors, a licensed professional counselor supervisor, and a …

Impact Of Acute Stress On Circadian Rhythm Regulation Of Locomotor Activity In Syrian Hamsters, Raquel A. Villarreal, Laura E. Garcia, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Disruptions of circadian rhythms, caused by factors such as environmental changes or stress, are linked to health conditions, including metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and mood disorders. Circadian rhythm disturbances are particularly relevant for understanding the etiology of conditions like insomnia, depression, and anxiety. The circadian rhythm, primarily regulated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the hypothalamus, coordinates biological processes to align with daily environmental cycles. Acute stress, especially when experienced immediately upon waking, has been shown to disrupt these rhythms, impair sleep regulation, and exacerbate mood dysregulation. Given the significant clinical implications, understanding how stress impacts circadian rhythms is …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Robert Smith Gift At Morehouse College, Kinnis Gosha, Nina Gilbert, Whitney Nelson, Kaylah Mackroy, Mi'kayla Newell, Amber Reid, Kaela S. Jackson

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Previous scholars investigating the effects of student loan debt have conducted survey analyses involving large samples to examine the relationships among debt forgiveness, loan repayment behavior, income earnings, and returning home. Fewer works have explored the outcomes of student loan elimination in a qualitative study. In 2019, Robert Smith donated a Gift (RSGift) to the graduating class of Morehouse College, which eliminated the new graduates’ student loan debt, inviting further inquiry into their developments since receiving the gift. This study employs a qualitative investigation to examine how student loan elimination influenced the graduating classes. This study also applies Yosso’s Community …

Systemic Functioning Of Puerto Rican Families With A Cancer Patient, Nicole Velez Agosto

Research Symposium

Background: Systemic family interventions with Latino families that have a cancer patient have been suggested as effective and necessary, but few studies have focused on evaluating systemic functioning to design culturally relevant interventions. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to assess systemic functioning in Puerto Rican families with a cancer patient using the Spanish translated version of the Family Genogram Interview (FGI) that measures Bowen’s four emotional processes in nuclear family and family of origin.

Methods: Translation and cultural adaptation of the Family Genogram Interview in Spanish was done following a modified version of Erkutt and collegues (1999) dual-focus …