Geography Commons^™

A Review Of Some Research Paradigms And Problems In Social-Science Research Of Interest To Contemporary Geography, Richard J. Newcombe

The Geographical Bulletin

The purpose of this paper is to contrast research methods in use in the Biological and Physical Sciences with those in use in the Social Sciences, and to do so in a manner which emphasizes aspects of these methods of interest to Geographers. Attention is directed to the strengths and weaknesses of different research paradigms with respect to problems which are characteristic of social science subject matter. Many of these problems take a different form or are absent in the older disciplines in which most of the research types reviewed have their origins.

Thoughts And Observations Concerning The Future Of Geomorphic And Soils Research*, David Stiller

The Geographical Bulletin

Geomorphology is today challenged as it has never been challenged before. The days of Davis and Penck, acknowledged giants of the past, are gone. The time when description of the earth's surface features is sufficient unto itself is in its final days. For the most part, those who would be geomorphologists have had to find a newer, more relevant rationale. Many have investigated those processes which shape our earth-and perhaps this is as it should be.

Malaria In Mexico, C. Johnson

The Geographical Bulletin

The traditional picture of Mexico, at least to the average tourist, is never complete without a peon, in sombrero and serape, sleeping in the noonday sun, or putting off to manana whatever physical exertion is required. Actually, when seriously considered, this picture is found to be a myth, no more representative of the Mexican than the traditional cowboy or gangster image is of the American. What is interesting in the image of the peon, however, is that he is an excellent example of a population debilitated by malaria. To most North Americans, the existence of endemic malaria in an industrialized, …

A Rainy Day (Response To Topophilia), Brian Oyck

The Geographical Bulletin

It is raining again. Your penetrating wet coat Caresses the body of the bare penurious trees With warmth and love. Your pendant ringlets tinkle In the calm morning freshness Proclaiming life With each trivial drop. Slithering from leaf to stem Your comforting arms Encompass the lonesome trees With a fleece of regenerating security. And even though you are cursed and blessed, You feel no pain or lust but Reside in your commitment To give what you have Allowing life to continue. It is raining again.

The Field Trip: Living Geography, Lawrence R. Handle

The Geographical Bulletin

A necessary skill of the geographer is the ability to observe and correlate in the landscape what the classroom is and is not able to teach. Fieldwork and the field trip, as carried on by the individual or a group, become the means of learning geographical concepts by direct observation of the landscape. The field trip may be of varying length, a walking tour, or a driving trip of 10 to 2,500 miles, and of varying intent and scope. It may be single-purpose, such as to study the CBD, industry, or residences; or multipurpose, to study combinations of landscape patterns, …

Shqiptari: The Origins And Distribution Of Population In Albania, G. Philip Curti

The Geographical Bulletin

From a hearthland in the eastern Caucasus, the Albanians migrated by two routes and three waves. The Gheg moved north of the Black Sea to the Illyrian culture area, and the Tosc through Anatolia. Modern censuses of the People's Republic of Albania are improving in content and accuracy and population movement over the decade 1960-1969 shows marked trends towards urbanization concentrated in the rrathe of Vlore, Berat, Lushnje, Durres and Tirane. The old are left in the highlands, and despite wartime losses, males still outnumber females.

Editor's Comments, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 8 represents a variety of interests expressed by competent geographers. Two articles deal with general observations regarding the state of geographic research; one treats in essay form the perceived need for further work in soils research; two represent thorough research dealing with widely divergent topics; and one discusses some of the details of a basic technique-field tripping. Finally, you will find the Bulletin's first attempt at poetry. We liked it, and after all, the alternative was no poetry at all. And wouldn't that be dreary? The editor's chair is one place for a different type of reflection than one …

No. 40: Migrant Shelters And Food Insecurity In Mexico City And Its Metropolitan Area During The Covid-19 Lockdown, Fernanda Vázquez-Vela, Guénola Capron

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically exacerbated vulnerabilities among migrant populations globally, and Mexico was no exception. This paper examines the experiences of four migrant shelters in Mexico City and its metropolitan area during the pandemic lockdown, highlighting how these institutions responded to the twin challenges of public health and food insecurity. The study draws on ethnographic and documentary research to analyse the coping strategies developed by managers and volunteers at the four shelters. These shelters serve diverse and particularly vulnerable groups, including undocumented migrants, women and children fleeing violence, and members of the LGBTTIQ+ community. Despite facing increased demand, reduced donations, …

To Protect The Sky From Falling, Charles Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Using ceramic, found objects, metal and wood, my practice is a meditation and questioning of care, efficiency, repair, structure and place. Architectural elements of support rendered in clay are the initial point of entry to give a soft, lived-in quality to a built environment that is often devoid of the mark of the hand and body. Imprints of the hand are left, and the objects are often deformed in ways to subvert the perceived functionality. The focus on ceramics centers around a play with the binary of soft and hard and the external changes that create its transformation. The work …

Home On The Road: Nomad Place Identities In The Vanlife Movement, Megan Twomey

Geography Honors Projects

Living in a van in America is often viewed negatively by wider society, indicating the vandweller is homeless and is living in a van as a form of survival. Yet, in recent years living in a van has become aspiration and desirable as more people discover vanlife as a means of escape from mainstream society to travel and enjoy nature all while posting on social media. The movement first gained traction in 2011 when Foster Huntington shared the first #vanlife post on Instagram, since then it has exploded in popularity creating a countercultural movement of mobile Americans living by their …

Leukemia And Thyroid Cancer In Relation To Reca Boundaries, Cora Marinos

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

A total of 1,054 test were conducted by the United States between 1945 and 1992. This is more Atomic tests than all other countries combined. Of those tests 928 were conducted at the Nevada Test Site located 65 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada.

These tests spread nuclear fallout throughout the United States causing the people in nearby communities to become sick. The public outcry spurred the passing of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990 (RECA) It’s scope of coverage was broaded in 2000. Despite many groups fighting for further expansion, the Act expired in June of 2024.

Of the …

Heartache In The Heartland: Unraveling The Social Roots Of Deaths Of Despair In Kentucky, Lyndsey K. Blair, Madeline M. Tomlinson, Michele Abee-Biskis, Jessica Hume, Gabri Warren

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Deaths of despair (DoD), encompassing suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver diseases, have emerged as a critical public health crisis in the United States, with their rise particularly pronounced from 1995 to 2013 and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kentucky, grappling with high rates of substance use disorder, poor mental health, and economic hardship, is at the forefront of this issue, particularly in its rural and Appalachian regions.

Purpose: This study explores the social determinants contributing to DoD in Kentucky, focusing on economic and social factors that influence rising rates of suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related liver disease. The …

The Utilization And Deterioration Of Travertine In Classical, Baroque, And Fascist Architecture: A Case Study From Rome, Italy, Kaitlyn V. Fitzgerald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Travertine limestone has formed the resilient backbone of Roman architecture for over two millennia and across several cultural periods. This study identified the leading causes of travertine decay in Rome across Ancient, Baroque, and Fascist periods in order to efficiently prioritize conservation and restoration efforts across the city. The methodology developed here can then be utilized in other urban settings. Rome’s iconic landmarks such as the Flavian Amphitheater, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Spanish Steps all owe their existence to this local limestone. High rates of urbanization now dictate how architectural travertine interacts with its surrounding environments and landscapes. Grand …

An Analytical Evaluation Of Economic Geography Within Maine And Its Resource Industries: 1600 To Present, Maureen Mantooth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resource peripheries represent a fringe area within economic geography, originating from the core-periphery theory developed by Friedmann and Miller. This concept has evolved to address global and regional contexts, referring to marginalized regions that rely heavily on the extraction and export of natural resources. By studying these regions, we gain a deeper understanding of critical components in global economic systems. This dissertation focuses on Maine as a case study of a resource periphery, using the framework proposed by Hayter et al. (2003) within the broader regional contexts of New England and the United States. Key factors explored include resource exploitation, …

Frontier Healthscapes: Competing Narratives Of Disease, Environment, And Wellbeing In Early Minnesota, Aidan Reynolds

Geography Honors Projects

Across settler societies, health narratives were shaped by evolving tensions between lay and expert knowledge, frameworks of disease causation, and perceptions of the environment as both a source of health and a threat. In the decades following Euro-American settlement (1860-1900), Minnesota became a focal point for these debates, with its landscape fostering complex and competing narratives on health, wellbeing, and disease. This paper explores how public health discourse developed in Minnesota through the perspectives of institutions, the public, and economic interests. Combining environmental history with critical discourse analysis of archival materials, this study examines shifts within the Minnesota State Board …

Monitoring The Qosh Tepa Canal Project: A Geospatial Timeline Of Taliban Water Diversion, Enerel L. Crosslin

Honors Thesis

The World Food Program states that “acute malnutrition in Afghanistan is above emergency thresholds in 25 out of 34 provinces and is expected to worsen”. Aiming to support agriculture, the Taliban began to build the 285 km “Qosh Tepa Canal” to divert 17% of the Amu Darya, which supports the livelihoods of millions of people in downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The World Bank estimated that roughly 2.4 million Central Asians could become climate refugees by 2050. Our objectives are to create a timeline of satellite imagery of the canal’s construction. Our research questions are (1) Can we characterize water diversion …

Measuring Agricultural Adaptation Using Remote Sensing: A Study Of Pigeonpea In Malawi, Maria Gorret Nabuwembo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought, heatwaves, and flooding cause tremendous damage to agricultural production in Malawi, and the continuous production of maize has led to widespread soil degradation. Additionally, climate change is transforming the environment at a scale beyond historical records, posing significant challenges to social, political, and economic systems. To combat these issues, agricultural innovations have been implemented, such as the installation of irrigation systems and development of heat/drought resilient crop varieties. Pigeonpea is one of the prominent drought-tolerant and temperature resilient crops grown as a diversification strategy since it allows farmers to adapt to changes while maintaining subsistence needs. This research investigates …

School Choice And Spatial Equity: A Comparative Analysis Of Public And Private K-12 School Enrollment In Three American Metropolitan Areas, John A. Schumacher

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the factors influencing school choice and enrollment patterns in three Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs): Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI; Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN; and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell. It explores the role of socioeconomic and spatial variables, including income levels, racial composition, and educational attainment, political fragmentation, and urbanicity in shaping enrollment decisions across public and private schools. Using spatial analysis and multiple regression techniques, the study examines how these factors contribute to variations in school enrollment within the selected MSAs. The results reveal that income level and racial composition significantly affect enrollment patterns while other factors such as urbanicity had minimal impact. …

Climate Change And Social Vulnerability: A Case Study Of The Mexico Lerma-Cutzamala Region, Monica Munoz Miranda, Milagros Becerra

Sustainability and Social Justice

Climate change is reshaping precipitation patterns in Mexico, with significant regional and seasonal variations, leading to notable impacts on different components of the hydrological cycle for the whole country. The project focuses on assessing climate change and social vulnerability in the Mexico-Lerma Cutzamala hydrological region, an area that plays a critical role in the water supply to the Mexico City Metropolitan Area and has faced water scarcity issues for years. The analysis was conducted at a municipal level through a study area of 210 municipalities, extended on approximately 31,305 sq.km, with a population of over 23 million people. Using geospatial …

Immigration Policy In The Second Trump Administration: Restriction, Removal, And The Limits Of Maga Nativism, Caroline R. Nagel

Faculty Publications

Donald Trump's three presidential campaigns have centred on promises to stop unauthorised immigration, whether by ‘building the wall’ or by enacting the largest mass deportation in American history. To deliver on these promises, Trump has appointed Stephen Miller—an anti-immigration hardliner who was responsible for the first Trump administration's draconian border policies – to a key White House position. Trump is often described as breaking from liberal-democratic norms; but when it comes to immigration policy, he is following a well-worn path by hiring Miller. This brief commentary places the Trump/Miller brand of anti-immigration politics in historical context, showing how anxieties over …