Questioning Geography brings together some of the world s leading geographical thinkers in an honest, refreshing, intellectually vibrant and accessible set of encounters that simultaneously illuminate and develop key debates. While individual chapters show the diversity of philosophical, methodological and substantive concerns in geography, this book ultimately celebrates the vitality of a challenging and robust discipline.
Adam Tickell, University Of Bristol
Questioning Geography is that rare thing a volume for undergraduates that brings human and physical geographers into meaningful conversation. Sarah J. Whatmore, University of Oxford
This book doesn t just summarize the debates currently raging in geography: it adds all kinds of informed judgements and critical commentary which make it into an essential resource for students, a resource which is much more than the sum of its parts. It is the place to go for an up to date overview. Nigel Thrift, University of Oxford
List of Contributors.
List of Figures.
List of Tables.
Acknowledgements.
Introduction: Questioning Geography. (Douglas Sherman, Alisdair Rogers and Noel Castree).
Part I: The Nature of Geography.
1. Geography–Coming Apart at the Seams? (Ron Johnston).
2. A Divided Discipline? Heather Viles.
3. What Difference Does Difference Make to Geography? (Katherine McKittrick and Linda Peake).
Part II: Approaches in Geography.
5. Is Geography a Science? (Noel Castree).
6. Beyond Science? Human Geography, Interpretation and Critique. (Maureen Hickey and Vicky Lawson).
Part III: Key Debates in Geography.
8. General/Particular. (Tim Burt).
9. Representation/Reality. (Matthew Hannah).
10. Meta–Theory/Many Theories. (Michael Curry).
Part IV: The Practice of Geography.
11. Cartography and Visualization. (Scott Orford).
12. Models, Modelling and Geography. (David Demeritt and John Wainwright).
13.Ethnography and Fieldwork. (Steve Herbert, Jacqueline Gallagher and Garth Myers) 14. Counting and Measuring. (Danny Dorling).
15. Theory and Theorizing. (Elspeth Graham).
Part V: The Uses of Geography.
16. A Policy–Relevant Geography for Society? (Alisdair Rogers).
17. Whose Geography? Education as Politics. (Noel Castree).
Index.
Noel Castree is Reader in Geography at Manchester University. He is co–editor of
Remaking Reality: Nature at the Millennium (1998) and
Social Nature: Theory, Practice and Politics (Blackwell, 2001) and co–author of Spaces of Work: Global Capitalism and the Geographies of Labour (2004).
Ali Rogers is Fellow by Special Election at Keble College, Oxford. He is co–editor of The Student s Companion to Geography (Second Edition, Blackwell, 2002) and editor of Global Networks: A Journal of Transnational Affairs.
Doug Sherman is Professor and Head of the Geography Department at Texas A&M University. A researcher on coastal and aeolian environments, he has written about fashion dudes in geomorphology and has taught the history of ideas in physical geography for many years.
Questioning Geography introduces students to the fundamental debates that animate geography today. Covering both human and physical geography, each chapter addresses a key issue that continues to preoccupy geographers. Questions considered include: Is geography a coherent discipline? Are human and physical geography sciences? In what ways is geography relevant? Supported by essay questions and suggestions for further reading, this accessible text demonstrates to students the distinctiveness and vitality of modern geography.