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Books > Earth & environment > Geography > General
In both academic scholarship and the popular imagination, the globality of modern society has been represented by global cities as the corporate and financial epicentres for capital accumulation, cosmopolitan cultures and innovative change. This has created an image of the globalised world as empty beyond cities which make it into the global league as paradigmatic 'celebrity' cities. As a counterpoint this book give interpretive weight elsewhere, in 'other' places, cities and regions, drawing on a range of examples from both the developed and developing worlds. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal Urban Studies.
This collection examines the Sahara holistically from the earliest (prehistoric) times through the 'historical' period to the present and with political direction into the future. The contributions cover palaeoclimatology, history, archaeology (cultural heritage), social anthropology, sociology, politics and international affairs. Structured chronologically, the volume can almost be read as a narrative of the Sahara from the earliest times to the present, i.e. from the past climates of the Sahara in prehistoric times to the current 'war on terror' and its implications for the peoples of the Sahara. Importantly, the collection shows how the region must be approached 'holistically', highlighting the importance of each of these subject areas (palaeo-climates, history, politics, etc.) in relation to each other. Indeed, the first contribution is a remarkable (and unique) paper, bringing together the work of some 8-9 internationally recognised scientists to tell the story and show the relevance to the present day of the Sahara's past climates etc. Nearly all the contributions stand in their own right at the cutting edge of research in their respective fields (e.g. archaeology, history, politics, etc.). This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of North African Studies.
Encountering the City provides a new and sustained engagement with the concept of encounter. Drawing on cutting-edge theoretical work, classic writings on the city and rich empirical examples, this volume demonstrates why encounters are significant to urban studies, politically, philosophically and analytically. Bringing together a range of interests, from urban multiculture, systems of economic regulation, security and suspicion, to more-than-human geographies, soundscapes and spiritual experience, Encountering the City argues for a more nuanced understanding of how the concept of 'encounter' is used. This interdisciplinary collection thus provides an insight into how scholars' writing on and in the city mobilise, theorise and challenge the concept of encounter through empirical cases taken from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. These cases go beyond conventional accounts of urban conviviality, to demonstrate how encounters destabilise, rework and produce difference, fold together complex temporalities, materialise power and transform political relations. In doing so, the collection retains a critical eye on the forms of regulation, containment and inequality that shape the taking place of urban encounter. Encountering the City is a valuable resource for students and researchers alike.
The study of proxemics - the human use of space - is reimagined for the digital age in this book, a compelling examination of the future of the ways we move. Whereas much writing on the subject focuses on what digital technology might do for us, this book explores what the same technology might do to us. Combining dynamic stories, cutting-edge research, and deep reflection on the role of space in our lives, Digital Proxemics examines the ways that our uses of physical and digital spaces and our uses of technology are converging. It investigates the role of digital communication in proxemics, offering explorations of the ways digital technology shapes our personal bodily movement, our interpersonal negotiation of social space, and our navigation of public spaces and places. Through the lens of information and user-experience design, it adds forbidden spaces, ubicomp, augmented reality, digital surveillance, and virtual reality to the growing lexicon surrounding proxemics. The result is a spatial turn in the study of digital technology and a digital turn in the study of proxemics. As our culture changes, our ability to make choices about how to move will be called into question, as will our expectations for what roles technology will play in our lives. As we navigate this intersection, Digital Proxemics is at once a valuable lens through which we can view our shifting culture, a cautionary tale through which we might envision problematic outcomes, and an optimistic projection of possibility for the future of human communication and technology interaction.
The study of proxemics - the human use of space - is reimagined for the digital age in this book, a compelling examination of the future of the ways we move. Whereas much writing on the subject focuses on what digital technology might do for us, this book explores what the same technology might do to us. Combining dynamic stories, cutting-edge research, and deep reflection on the role of space in our lives, Digital Proxemics examines the ways that our uses of physical and digital spaces and our uses of technology are converging. It investigates the role of digital communication in proxemics, offering explorations of the ways digital technology shapes our personal bodily movement, our interpersonal negotiation of social space, and our navigation of public spaces and places. Through the lens of information and user-experience design, it adds forbidden spaces, ubicomp, augmented reality, digital surveillance, and virtual reality to the growing lexicon surrounding proxemics. The result is a spatial turn in the study of digital technology and a digital turn in the study of proxemics. As our culture changes, our ability to make choices about how to move will be called into question, as will our expectations for what roles technology will play in our lives. As we navigate this intersection, Digital Proxemics is at once a valuable lens through which we can view our shifting culture, a cautionary tale through which we might envision problematic outcomes, and an optimistic projection of possibility for the future of human communication and technology interaction.
This volume investigates the process of learning how to live with individual and group differences in the twenty-first century and examines the ambivalences of contemporary cosmopolitanism. Engaging with the concept of 'critical cartography', it emphasizes the structural impact of localities on the experiences of those living with difference, while trying to develop an account of the counter-mappings that follow spatial and social transformations in today's world. The contributors focus on visual, normative and cultural embodiments of difference, examining dynamic conflicts at local sites that are connected by the processes of Europeanization and globalization. The collection explores a wide range of topics, including conflicting claims of sexual minorities and conservative Christians, the relationship between national identity and cosmopolitanism, and the ways that cross-cultural communication and bilingualism can help us to understand the complex nature of belonging. The authors come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and all contribute to a vernacular reading of cosmopolitanism and transnationalism, aimed at opening up new avenues of research into living with difference.
First published in 1988. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Written for students who need help doing their coursework and exams, this book focuses mainly on the skills and techniques that apply to essay writing, but also covers other types of assignment such as posters, talks, PowerPoint^DTM presentations and web pages. Its basis is that all of these different types of work are centred on clear communication of well-supported responses to the questions or tasks that have been set.
This account of the financial crisis of 2008-2009 compares banking systems in the United States and the United Kingdom to those of Canada and Australia and explains why the system imploded in the former but not the latter. Central to this analysis are differences in bankers' beliefs and incentives in different banking markets. A boom mentality and fear of being left behind by competitors drove many U.S. and British bank executives to take extraordinary risks in creating new financial products. Intense market competition, poorly understood trading instruments, and escalating system complexity both drove and misled bankers. Formerly illiquid assets such as mortgages and other forms of debt were repackaged into complex securities, including collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). These were then traded on an industrial scale, and in 2007 and 2008, when their value collapsed, economic activity fell into a deep freeze. The financial crisis threatened not just investment banks and their insurers but also individual homeowners and workers at every level. In contrast, because banks in Canada and Australia could make good profits through traditional lending practices, they did not confront the same pressures to reinvent themselves as did banks in the United States and the United Kingdom, thus allowing them to avoid the fate of their overseas counterparts. Stephen Bell and Andrew Hindmoor argue that trading and systemic risk in the banking system need to be reined in. However, prospects for this are not promising given the commitment of governments in the crisis-hit economies to protect the "international competitiveness" of the London and New York financial markets.
The discipline of geography has undergone much change and growth in recent years. With growth has come diversity. Before 1945 there were differences between countries in the emphases on subject matter and research approach, although these were all related closely to three main 'models' - French, German and American. Since then, the relative importance of French and German influences has declined substantially, including within their own national territories, and the Anglo-American model has grown to world dominance. With that model, however, there is no dominant point of view but rather a multiplicity of competing approaches. These various approaches have had a different reception in other parts of the world, reflecting the base of pre-1945 geographical scholarship, the goals of geographical work set by soceities and the nature of the international contacts. The result is substantial international diversity in the practice of geography. This authoritative volume provides much needed information to make them aware of current international trends.
Using a cutting-edge structure, where a current description of the service sector and up-to-date case studies are compared and contrasted with innovative activity in manufacturing, this book contributes towards a better theoretical understanding of innovation in the U.S. service sector. The U.S. service sector is the largest sector in the U.S. economy and accounts for an increasingly significant share of U.S. gross domestic product, currently 68 percent. Both in the United States, as well as in other industrialized nations, the service sector is a dynamic component of economic activity and growth. As pervasive and economically important as the service sector is, innovative activity in service-sector firms remains somewhat of an enigma; it is not well understood and not well defined because it differs dramatically from the traditional model of innovation in manufacturing. Innovation in the U.S. Service Sector fills this void, placing emphasis on the United States, but with global relevance. It is essential reading for all students of business and management, economics and political science.
This book examines the works of the outstanding makers of modern geography and demonstrates the consistency of idea and purpose in their work. Geography as an explicitly defined field of knowledge is more than two thousand years old, but as a university subject, geography is only 150 years old, and in this period it has developed hugely. This study traces the development of modern geography as an organized body of knowledge, in the light of the works of its foremost German and French contributors.
Late Quaternary Environmental Change addresses the interaction between human agency and other environmental factors in the landscapes, particularly of the temperate zone. Taking an ecological approach, the authors cover the last 20,000 years during which the climate has shifted from arctic severity to the conditions of the present interglacial environment.
This book is an introduction to the nature of geography. There are detailed sections on content, methods and purposes and an attempt is made to distinguish progress from those changes which are merely fashion and those which result in genuine progress. One of these, resulting partly from the adoption of quantitative techniques, is the improvement in the accuracy and the type of explanation which the geographer is now able to give. The new techniques have also helped in the bringing about of profound changes in geographical laws, the use of models and even the relevance of determinism.
This book introduces the beginning student to the major concepts, materials and tools of the discipline of geography. While it presents geographic theory, as whole and for each of its parts, the chief emphasis is on concrete analysis and example rather than on abstraction, an approach which has proven more successful for undergraduate courses than those with a more heavily theoretical bias. The text was extensively re-written for the third edition, which enhanced its clarity and effectiveness, with expanded cartographic coverage.
This book is about the use of language in the science classroom. It discusses the evolution of scientific discourse for learning in secondary schools, and examines the form and function of language across a variety of levels including lexiogrammar, discourse semantics, register, genre and ideology. Special attention is paid to how this knowledge is imparted. It will be of particular interest to educators involved with linguistics and/or science curriculum and teachers of English for special and academic purposes.; It is aimed at teachers of undergraduates in science and literacy, linguists teaching in English for special and academic purposes and students in higher education with an interest in science and literacy.
This book introduces the beginning student to the major concepts, materials and tools of the discipline of geography. While it presents geographic theory, as whole and for each of its parts, the chief emphasis is on concrete analysis and example rather than on abstraction, an approach which has proven more successful for undergraduate courses than those with a more heavily theoretical bias. The text was extensively re-written for the third edition, which enhanced its clarity and effectiveness, with expanded cartographic coverage.
The chapters in this book address fundamental questions of the nature and purpose of geography, scrutinising its contents, philosophy and methodology. Aimed at undergraduates its purpose is to broaden the debate about what geography had become during the 1980s and what shape it might take in the future.
Environmental conditions do not exist in a vacuum. They are influenced by science, politics, history, public policy, culture, economics, public attitudes, and competing priorities, as well as past human decisions. In the case of Central Asia, such Soviet-era decisions include irrigation systems and physical infrastructure that are now crumbling, mine tailings that leach pollutants into soil and groundwater, and abandoned factories that are physically decrepit and contaminated with toxic chemicals. Environmental Crises in Central Asia highlights major environmental challenges confronting the region's former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They include threats to the Caspian and Aral seas, the impact of climate change on glaciers, desertification, deforestation, destruction of habitat and biodiversity, radioactive and hazardous wastes, water quality and supply, energy exploration and development, pesticides and food security, and environmental health. The ramifications of these challenges cross national borders and may affect economic, political, and cultural relationships on a vast geographic scale. At the same time, the region's five governments have demonstrated little resolve to address these complex challenges. This book is a valuable multi-disciplinary resource for academics, scholars, and policymakers in environmental sciences, geography, political science, natural resources, mass communications, public health, and economics.
This volume includes changes in the switch from DOS-based to Windows-based, menu-driven forms of SPSS and MINITAB is the most important. The other change shows availability of data in digital form from websites or via CD-ROMs. The book is useful for teachers and students.
This title, first published in 1951, examines the growth, fields, techniques, aims and trends of geography at the time. The book is divided into three parts, of which the first deals with the evolution of geography and its philosophical basis. The second is concerned with studies of special environments and with advances in geomorphology, meteorology, climate, soils and regionalism. The last part describes field work, sociological and urban aspects, the function of the Geographical Society and geo-pacifics. Geography in the Twentieth Century will be of interest to students of both physical and human geography.
The International Competence Network of Tourism Research and Education (ICNT) covers various areas of research. ICNT's third book offers insights of tourism experts with a wide range of interest and expertise on the way tourism is understood and worked in different countries around the world. The volume analyses the interface between the social, the natural, and the economic environments and focuses on an increase of competitive advantages and local value creation. This includes the social and cultural perspectives of host communities and tourists.
Water, already a scarce resource, is treated as though it were plentiful and free. The task of supplying enough water of the required quality to growing populations is straining authorities and governments to the limit as the economic and environmental costs of new supply sources escalate and wasteful supply, delivery and consumption systems persist. Managing Water as an Economic Resource argues that the root of the crisis is the failure of suppliers and consumers to treat water as a scarce commodity with an economic value. James Winpenny evaluates policies for the improved management of existing demand, and draws on case studies from different countries as he discusses how policies could be implemented to treat water as an economic good conferring major economic, financial and environmental benefits.
Contemporary discourse emphasizes the irrational, unconscious, and discursive and displaces experiences of city life. Discussion of conscious agency is minimal and is often confined to small acts of resistance. Reason in the City of Difference aims to re-establish a strong notion of conscious agency in our understanding of urban life. Through philosophical and empirical exploration, the book examines how the city has been shaped by reason - through the technical rationality of urban planning and through the profound social and spatial effects of economic rationality. It argues that we get a view of the oppressiveness of cities from a preoccupation with the effects of narrow instrumental rationality. If we see rationality in a wider context, as cultural and expressive, then the city has emancipatory potential through its diversity. Using a range of empirical examples and drawing particularly on pragmatist ideas of 'experience' and rationality the Reason in the City of Difference offers a new, alternative reading of the city. |
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