Human Geography - Geog 220
Fall 2007
Dr. John E. Harmon
Rm 312 DiLoreto
860.832.2789
harmonj@ccsu.edu
Office Hours MW 1-2; T 11-12; 1-2 and by appointment
INTRODUCTION
Human geography deals with how people arrange, divide and use the space they live and work in. Following the text, will will examine these concepts from five different perspectives:
· Regions - people create regions wherever they live and these constructs are important in how we order our world.
· Diffusion - people and ideas are not stationary; they move from place to place bringing new ideas and people into different regions which change those places.
· Landscape - the visible imprint of people on the surface of the earth. While we all take for granted the smaller things that we create as societies, the largest and perhaps most important is the very landscape we live in. The cultural landscape is not a natural thing but something people create.
· Ecology - while this word has a lot of meanings today, for this class it refers to how people of different cultures interact with different environments.
· Interaction a two-pronged theme, it deals but with the general social scientific idea that all these ideas are related and together make up how we live and the second theme that people and regions interact with each other all the time over space. These patterns of interaction are as important in defining our personal and group geographies as is the question of where we are.
Through lectures, activities and readings I hope to show you the human geographer's view of the work and how it works.
Any student who feel s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. I will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services, Copernicus Hall, room 241, if you are not already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating reasonable accommodations with your faculty.
Text: The Human Mosaic, 10th ed. Terry Jordan-Bychkov et al. W.H. Freeman Co.
Course structure: At the beginning of each chapter (in bold face on the schedule) you will be responsible for knowing the definitions of the terms in the chapter shown in bold face and for answers to questions posed in the chapter (usually printed in red). Your performance on these days determines your class participation grade.
There are four group activities related to cultural geography during the semester, all will be done in small groups. The activities will be discussed in class on the days marked and due when marked on the syllabus. Please print out and hand in your activities.
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Chapter |
Topic |
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4 Sep |
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Introduction to class |
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6 Sep |
Chapter 1 |
Meaning of Culture |
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11 Sep |
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The Five Themes |
Last day to add classes |
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13 Sep |
Chapter 2 |
Regions of Difference |
Activity:Regionalizing the Campus |
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18 Sep |
Regions of Difference |
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20 Sep |
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Regions of Difference |
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25 Sep |
Chapter 3 |
Religion and Geography |
Regionalizing the Campus Due |
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27 Sep |
Religion and Geography |
Activity - Religious Origins and Diffusion |
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2 Oct |
Chapter 4 |
Geography of Language |
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4 Oct |
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Geography of Language |
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9 Oct |
Toponymy-Use of "Valley" in Vernacular Regional Names |
Religious Origins and Diffusions
Activity due |
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11 Oct |
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FIRST HOUR EXAMINATION |
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16 Oct |
Chapter 5 |
Ethnic Geography |
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18 Oct |
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Ethnic Geography |
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23 Oct |
Chapter 6 |
Political Geography |
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25 Oct |
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US Federalism |
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30 Oct |
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Political Redistricting |
Last day to withdraw
without approval |
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1 Nov |
Chapter 7 |
The Demographic Transition |
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6 Nov |
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Population Geography |
Ethnic Island Activity
due |
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8 Nov |
Chapter 8 |
Agricultural Geography - World
Regions |
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13 Nov |
Agricultural Landscapes - |
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15 Nov |
SECOND HOUR EXAMINATION |
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20 Nov |
Chapter 9 |
Industrial Geography |
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27 Nov |
Retail Landscape |
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29 Nov |
Chapter 10 |
City in Time and Space |
Campus Perception Activity |
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4 Dec |
Diffusion of Urbanism and Ecology
of Urban Location |
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6 Dec |
Chapter 11 |
Inside the City |
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11 Dec |
Models of North American Urban
Structure - Social Geography of the New York Metropolitan Region |
Campus Perception Activity
Due |
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13 Dec |
Chapter 12 |
Globalization - The End of
Geography? |
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Final Examination Note - The final will cover chapters 9,10,11,12 and 2
Grading: All grading will be done with letter grades (A-F) and your final grade
will be a weighted sum based on:
Class Participation - 10% (based on recitations)
Hour Examinations (multiple choice and essays) - 40%
Final Examination - (matching, short answers and essays) - 25 %
Activities - 25%