With more than 300 entries written by an international team of leading authorities in the field, the Encyclopedia of Human Geography offers a comprehensive overview of the major ideas, concepts, terms, and approaches that characterize a notoriously diverse field. This multidisciplinary volume provides cross-cultural coverage of human geography as it is understood in the contemporary world and takes into account the enormous conceptual changes that have evolved since the 1970s, including a variety of social constructivist approaches.
From Booklist
Human geography is a broad subdivision of geography that deals with the geographic interpretation and analysis of human cultures, societies, and lifestyles. The field of human geography has matured considerably over the past decades, and today, interest in the topic, as well as in its subfields--cultural geography, economic geography, political geography, social geography, and urban geography--is increasingly widespread. Indeed, because of the influence of the media, the pervasiveness of the Internet in our lives, and the impact of both on globalization, many of us think geographically today, without necessarily being conscious that we are doing so.
In this volume, readers seeking to understand culture, society, and space will find a comprehensive overview of the major ideas, concepts, terms, and approaches that characterize and define the field. Geographic theory and history are especially well covered in entries such as Ethnocentrism, Eurocentrism, Humanistic geography, Logical positivism, Radical geography, Situated knowl edge, and more. Core concepts and terms receive considerable attention as well. For example, readers will find entries on Diffu sion, Empiricism, Mental maps, Mobility, and Topophilia. Those less interested in theoretical approaches will not be disappointed; entries such as AIDS, Census, GPS, Place names, Rustbelt, and Suburbs and suburbanization help make the concept of human geography more understandable for the general reader.
The more than 300 entries are arranged in A-Z order; an alphabetical list of entries and a topical "Reader's Guide" assist the user. Signed entries include suggested reading lists. A "Master Bibliography" and index conclude the work,^B providing further avenues for access to the encyclopedia work and to the field.
"It can take the reader far into the discipline, helping the beginning student to gain a foothold and guiding the researcher toward the more technical literature of geography. General adult readers interested in the topic will also find much of value in this work, which would be most suited to an academic library′s geography collection or a large public library with a strong interest in geography." -- Sarah Watstein Published On: 2007-01-04
"The Encyclopedia of Human Geography provides a scholarly and intellectually challenging overview of the topic, as well as specific explanations of the linkage between geography and social, economic, and political issues. Larger academic libraries that support classes in geography will want to add it to their list." -- Against the Grain Published On: 2007-02-12
"This work is very well indexed. It includes contemporary ideas, theories, and topics at the expense of older standards, such as central place theory. It would be a most desirable addition to collections supporting graduate programs." -- D. Liestman Published On: 2007-02-12
About the Author
I am a human geographer with exceptionally wide-ranging interests. Over the years, in different professional capacities, I have had the opportunity to study a diverse plethora of topics in economic, political, and social geography. Running throughout this panoply is my interest in political economy as it pertains to the construction of space and place. I have consciously sought to position myself within the discipline at the intersections of traditional economic geography and contemporary social theory. I have found keeping a leg in each camp to be rewarding and fruitful. In this vein, my work straddles traditional quantitative, empirical approaches on the one hand and contemporary, qualitative, theoretical perspectives on the other.
Description:
With more than 300 entries written by an international team of leading authorities in the field, the Encyclopedia of Human Geography offers a comprehensive overview of the major ideas, concepts, terms, and approaches that characterize a notoriously diverse field. This multidisciplinary volume provides cross-cultural coverage of human geography as it is understood in the contemporary world and takes into account the enormous conceptual changes that have evolved since the 1970s, including a variety of social constructivist approaches.
From Booklist
Human geography is a broad subdivision of geography that deals with the geographic interpretation and analysis of human cultures, societies, and lifestyles. The field of human geography has matured considerably over the past decades, and today, interest in the topic, as well as in its subfields--cultural geography, economic geography, political geography, social geography, and urban geography--is increasingly widespread. Indeed, because of the influence of the media, the pervasiveness of the Internet in our lives, and the impact of both on globalization, many of us think geographically today, without necessarily being conscious that we are doing so.
In this volume, readers seeking to understand culture, society, and space will find a comprehensive overview of the major ideas, concepts, terms, and approaches that characterize and define the field. Geographic theory and history are especially well covered in entries such as Ethnocentrism, Eurocentrism, Humanistic geography, Logical positivism, Radical geography, Situated knowl edge, and more. Core concepts and terms receive considerable attention as well. For example, readers will find entries on Diffu sion, Empiricism, Mental maps, Mobility, and Topophilia. Those less interested in theoretical approaches will not be disappointed; entries such as AIDS, Census, GPS, Place names, Rustbelt, and Suburbs and suburbanization help make the concept of human geography more understandable for the general reader.
The more than 300 entries are arranged in A-Z order; an alphabetical list of entries and a topical "Reader's Guide" assist the user. Signed entries include suggested reading lists. A "Master Bibliography" and index conclude the work,^B providing further avenues for access to the encyclopedia work and to the field.
This resource provides a unique blend of definition, historical context, and research sources. It can take the reader far into the discipline, helping the beginning student to gain a foothold and guiding the researcher toward the more technical literature of geography. General adult readers interested in the topic will also find much of value in this work, which would be most suited to an academic library's geography collection or a large public library with a strong interest in geography. Sarah Watstein
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Review
"It can take the reader far into the discipline, helping the beginning student to gain a foothold and guiding the researcher toward the more technical literature of geography. General adult readers interested in the topic will also find much of value in this work, which would be most suited to an academic library′s geography collection or a large public library with a strong interest in geography." -- Sarah Watstein Published On: 2007-01-04
"The Encyclopedia of Human Geography provides a scholarly and intellectually challenging overview of the topic, as well as specific explanations of the linkage between geography and social, economic, and political issues. Larger academic libraries that support classes in geography will want to add it to their list." -- Against the Grain Published On: 2007-02-12
"This work is very well indexed. It includes contemporary ideas, theories, and topics at the expense of older standards, such as central place theory. It would be a most desirable addition to collections supporting graduate programs." -- D. Liestman Published On: 2007-02-12
About the Author
I am a human geographer with exceptionally wide-ranging interests. Over the years, in different professional capacities, I have had the opportunity to study a diverse plethora of topics in economic, political, and social geography. Running throughout this panoply is my interest in political economy as it pertains to the construction of space and place. I have consciously sought to position myself within the discipline at the intersections of traditional economic geography and contemporary social theory. I have found keeping a leg in each camp to be rewarding and fruitful. In this vein, my work straddles traditional quantitative, empirical approaches on the one hand and contemporary, qualitative, theoretical perspectives on the other.