Social Geography of the United States

geography

obligatory courses

introductory basic course

Classroom

The course provides basic knowledge of the socio-economic and regional geography of the United States allowing understanding of the processes of settlement and management of the US territory and its transformations, with particular focus on the processes taking place in the second half of the twentieth century and the 21st century. It covers such issues as: natural factors shaping development, including resources; population, settlement and economic processes; regional diversification of the United States. The challenges associated with the idea of sustainable development are of particular importance. Students also acquire skills of proper use of cartographic illustrations.

1. Geography Matters!! Human geography as a discipline; regional geography; cultural geography; 21st century agenda: Sustainability; American geography and geographers; maps as geographer’s tool (territorial and human diversity on maps) maps within other disciplines;

2. The Land: Understanding the Limits: nature on maps: physical geography and human adaptation; topography, rivers, rainfall, temperatures, growing season, original vegetation, natural hazards; global warming); present-day approach to resources; redefinition of ‘development’ goals

3. The People: demography versus geography; population distribution, population density and dynamics; and the most important domestic and international migration trends; transnational dimension of present-day migratory movements; diasporas materials of the US Census Bureau: population and diversity

4. American City: city spaces, urban structures: American city model; urban trends; cities in the 21st century; megalopolis and sustainability standards

5. Land and Economy: economic regions versus ecoregions; traditional agricultural zones and local/regional cultures (The Dairy Belt, The Wheat Belt, The Corn Belt, The Cotton Belt, The Western Ranchlands Fruit farming, Forest Districts), - main characteristics

6. Land and Economy: Old and new mining districts and the problem of extractivism (fuel regions, metalliferous districts), Manufacturing Belt; deindustrialization and its consequences; the case of Detroit

7. Criteria of regionalization - an overview of US regions

8. US regions: social, cultural, economic and environmental characteristics: The Northeast: center of power; new economic hopes?

9. US regions social, cultural, economic and environmental characteristics: The South

10. US regions social, cultural, economic and environmental characteristics The Midwest

11. US regions : social, cultural, economic and environmental characteristics: The West

12. Alaska, Hawai and……Puerto Rico?

13. What about political geography? American elections on maps, electoral geography

Birdsall, Florin J., An Outline of American Geography 1998 Washington DC

Hobbs, J. J., Salter Ch. L. , "Essentials of World Regional Geography, 2006 Thomson Brooks/Cole, Fifth Edition

Hudson J.C., Across this land: a regional geography of the U.S and Canada 2002 Baltimore

Knox J.P, United States: Contemporary Human Geography 1988 Longman

Lisocka-Jaegermann B.., 2012 Migranci w przestrzeni miast globalnych. Przypadek San Francisco w: Migracje a Społeczeństwo 16 IHPAN, Warszawa

Makowski J. Geografia regionalna świata PWN Warszawa

Mayda Ch., 2012 A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada: Toward a SustainableFuture, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers;

Upon completion of the course, the student will:

KNOWLEDGE:

Understands:

- the place and significance of social geography among social sciences, possesses basic terminology used to analyze socio-geographical phenomena within American studies;

- the interdependence between people and their natural environment and the social, economic, and political system created by them;

- the significance of spatial determinants and consequences of social processes occurring in the United States;

- the regional diversity of the United States, its major cultural regions, and descriptions of distinguishing features of each, as well as the people who have shaped them.

SOCIAL SKILLS:

Can

- utilize interdisciplinary knowledge regarding social geography of the USA to formulate their own opinions.

- utilize thematic maps.

The exam will be carried out during the winter exam session. For a passing grade, 60% of the total maximum score is required.

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