Human geography

Said claims the boundaries are “arbitrarily drawn” by delineating his abstract notion of imaginative geography which originated from nature of humanity. In concerning this imaginary space “some distinctive objects are made by the mind, and that these objects, while appearing to exist objectively, have only a fictional reality,” in exemplification “[a] group of people living on a few acres of land will set up boundaries between their land and its immediate surroundings and territory beyond,…

Calculation Walkability Indices Using GIS-Based Methodology Walkability is a multidisciplinary research subject in several fields such as transportation planning, urban and transportation geography, public health, GIS and commercial interests. As such, it is relevant to insist that walkability is a contested definition. Walkability refers to how friendly an area is for pedestrians. In more detailed definition, walkability as the extent to which the built environment supports and encourages…

I could picture the Earth in my head. The blues of water, greens of vegetation, and whites of clouds, all the essentials of life swirling together as if left by brush strokes. I had been seeing it since my first earth science class in elementary school, glaring out at me from textbooks as if demanding an answer. How could you do this? The question reverberated in my head, the dull ache of cognitive dissonance setting in as I peered out the window. I didn’t have an answer. None of us did. That’s…

The 2008 Disney film, Wall-e, shows a futuristic reality in which humans have polluted the Earth so much, we are forced to leave Earth behind in search of a new sustainable place to live (Wall-e). This kid’s film is important because it brings up many good points as to why we should take better care of our planet and to not be so caught up in our own realities. The underlying meaning conveyed through the population’s depletion of Earth’s resources serves as a good reminder of the serious…

US Department of State (2015) published a human rights report which heavily criticised the human rights practices in the south East Asian country, Singapore. In that report, they discuss what they consider the restrictive laws which Singapore has as compared with various other countries. And yet Singapore remains an economic…

In Ricardo Hausmann’s article, “Prisoners of Geography,” he discusses the effects of geography on the economic stability of a certain area. After several detailed explanations, Hausmann comes to the conclusion that geography is the deciding factor in the development of a region’s economy with no regards to the people’s desires. The author’s belief that citizens are bound and chained to their geography and the effects the environment has on their economy despite their efforts is an accurate…

On October 13th, McMaster had the honour of hosting Dr Catherine Nolin’s presentation on Transnational Ruptures in a Time of Impunity. Dr. Nolin is an associate professor and chair at the University of Northern British Columbia. She is also a social geographer with two broad areas or research interest: migration studies and justice in Guatemala. Nolin has received various prestigious awards, most recent one being the 2007 UNBC Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient. She organized a trip to…

Book Review for Marshall Every nation is influenced by its geography. Mountains, deserts, and rivers all play key roles in determining if a country can trade and grow or isolated and dependent on others. Marshall claims in his book Prisoners of Geography that technology, politics, and people will come and go, but geography has always been here, shaping the interactions of states. The best examples of geography shaping countries is seen in the topography of America where the land has been a…

is directed solely at the humans. In the film, the last generations of the human race are overweight and lazy people who’s only mode of transportation is a moving chair and only way to consume food is by putting the food into a liquid form to be eaten. While companies like Disney and Pixar is usually draw their cartoon figures with the tiniest of waists, the characters in Wall-E changed that stereotype. People believed that the creators of Wall-E were calling the human race out saying that…

How humans interact with a place, says more about them than location itself. The idea of place and how people relate to the area around them is an on-going topic of sustainability. This unseen connection is the string interwoven into our daily lives that allows us to feel the desired feelings of being at home, safe, or connected. Many of the books we have read revealed the author's personal connection to place, but I feel as though Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert by Terry Tempest…