What is Human Geography?
Human geography is a branch of social science that focuses upon the relationship between human societies and the built and natural environment in which they operate. Human Geographers believe that location, space and scale of phenomenon are crucial factors that must be taken into account when developing or applying academic theory. This contextual approach means that geographers often emphasize ‘real world’ examples as opposed to the theoretical abstractions that are emphasized in some other social science disciplines. It could be said that geographers divide the world spatially as opposed to theoretically as our colleagues in the social sciences do. Human geography graduates often have easy transitions into the workforce because they have been introduced to actual case studies and problem solving approaches throughout their undergraduate degree.
Human Geography, like other social sciences, is defined by its approach as opposed to the specific issues which are studied. As a result of this, geographers study a diversity of topics. Some of these can be seen in the list below. Students in the human geography program are introduced to a variety of topics throughout their degree and as they proceed through their degree program, they are encouraged to focus upon specific topics that fit their own personal and career goals. Geography students have a great deal of flexibility in their degree program allowing them to take courses in other disciplines and other faculties to support their specific topic of interest and their career goals.
* Geographers study the hazards facing human societies, such as tornadoes, terrorist threats, wildfires, and floods and the way in which humans prepare for them
* Geographers study the different and contested meanings that people attach to places
* Geographers study the ways in which human societies interact with the natural environment, including their dependence upon and management of natural resources.
* Geographers study an integrative approach to achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability at local, regional, national and global scales.
* Geographers study the concept of ‘community’ and how communities use both conflict and cooperation to address issues such as local environmental degradation, homelessness, security, economic development, and landscape aesthetics.
* Geographers study how humans design, plan, and construct the built environment and the impact of these environments upon human health and well being, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability.
* Geographers study how location of services, infrastructure, employment, commercial activities, retail activities, housing, and recreations sites impact travel patterns, transit choices, and accessibility for diverse groups of people.
In addition to building a strong knowledge of the relationship between human concerns and spatial contexts, students in have the opportunity to develop a strong skill-set to make them highly attractive to employers including:
* Qualitative and quantitative research skills
* Analytical skills in geospatial computer techniques (i.e. GIS)
* Community consultation skills
* Ability to work in an interdisciplinary manner
* Public presentation skills
* Professional and academic writing skills
So, What do Human Geographers do once they graduate? There is a World of Opportunities!
Social Science, and geography in particular can be the entry point to a deeply fulfilling career where in addition to being financially successful, you work with real world issues in which you can see direct outcomes on people. Imagine walking down Whyte Avenue and thinking “I helped make this neighbourhood the exciting and vibrant community that it is today” or seeing thousands of homes saved from a massive Northern Wildfire and knowing that a community outreach program that you worked on helped homeowners develop wildfire resilient landscapes. Imagine helping to draft the next major environmental regulation that helps to protect an endangered species or being on a board that revolutionizes Alberta’s Park system to preserve it for future generations. Imagine helping to catch criminals using computer modeling of the location of their crimes or working to provide villages across Southern Africa with Schools. These are just a few of the many things that geographers do.
As a result of the diversity of jobs in the social sciences, few people have job titles such as ‘Geographer’ or ‘Sociologist’. Instead people have job titles such as Project Manager, Information Specialist, Trail Planner, Research Analyst, Regional Director, Epidemiologist, Political Advisor, Sustainability Coordinator, Community Development Officer, Coordinator, International Trade Consultant, Policy Development Officer, GIS analyst, Consultant, Environmental Assessment Agent, and so on.
Identifying what job you can get with a Human Geography degree begins with a simple question: What am I interested in? For some people, this is an easy question, but for others this is a difficult choice. Here are two sample paths that are typical of Human Geography Majors.
Sean, who was from a rural area of Alberta, was interested in environmental policy and particularly the protection of surface water in Alberta. Sean studied human geography as his major, where he took geography courses such as environmental planning, geographic information sciences, and Environment and Health. He also took other EAS courses such as Biogeography and Geology and Mapping. He used the flexibility that is inherent in the Human Geography degree to take a minor in biology, a few courses in Rural Economy, a few in Political Science, and a few in Native studies. When he graduated, he was prepared for a diversity of employment opportunities. He could work for the Alberta government developing and delivering environmental policy in departments such as Alberta Environment, Alberta Energy, or Alberta Agriculture and Food. Or he could work with private consulting firms that deal with environmental policy. He could also find himself working with a non profit groups such as the Sierra Club of Canada, Ducks Unlimited, or the Pembina Institute. In the end, Sean got an opportunity to work on the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan and has been integral in helping that program move forward to changing the relationship of Alberta’s farmers and their impact on rural surface water across the province.
Rihanna, on the other hand, really was not sure what she wanted to do when she started her degree. She really enjoyed her introductory Geography and Political Science courses. She enjoyed Geology, but found that she was not passionate about it as a career. She signed up for a few different second year Geography courses and became really interested in Urban Geography and Planning. In her third year courses, she focused a great deal upon how the built environment impacts health. She was able to get a summer position with the City of Edmonton Planning department working with their recreation planners. After she graduated she worked as a planners assistant on the recreation, health, and urban walkability program for two years. She decided to return to university to get a Masters in Planning from the University of B.C. She returned to Edmonton and ended up heading up a new planning group in the City Planning Department that focuses upon developing bike paths in Edmonton.
Geography graduates across Canada have similar stories and are often passionate about human geography and where it has taken them. Many of them suggest that when looking back, they found the breadth of geography as an invaluable factor that has led to a rewarding career. It provides a freedom that few other programs do to find your passion.
Human Geographers are employed by all levels of government, by private consulting firms, by many industrial and retail businesses, and by the non profit sector. There are many opportunities both domestically and internationally. Many graduates have a career that allows them opportunities to work in international positions and/or domestic positions
موضوع: What is Human Geography? 
الإثنين مارس 30, 2009 6:43 am
