The Geography of North America - JTB224

• Title: The Geography of North America
• Czech title: Geografie Severní Ameriky
• Guaranteed by: Department of North American Studies (23-KAS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2022
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 30 / unknown (30)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: PhDr. Pavel Szobi, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): PhDr. Pavel Szobi, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses for incoming students
• Incompatibility : JMB079

Annotation

Last update: Mgr. Jiřina Tomečková (26.09.2023)

This course is to provide an outlook of the North American geography. After this course completion students will be able to identify significant geographical features and social, economic or other patterns of the North America. Moreover, students will be able to explain the causes and consequences of these features and patterns in terms of natural, economic, cultural, political or other processes. Various landscapes will be interpreted from the perspective of their cultural significance, whereas their representations will be viewed from various critical perspectives. Following the completion of this course, students should be capable of applying gained knowledge elsewhere and expand upon it at various future occasions.

The meaning of "Geography" in this course refers to a "science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the Earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment (Annals of the Association of American Geographers)" or as a subject that bridges the natural and human sciences in understanding societies, places and environments (Royal Geographical Society with Institute of British Geographers)."

Aim of the course

Last update: Mgr. Jiřina Tomečková (26.09.2023)

The aim of the course is to understand various aspects of the geography of North America, especially the United States and Canada.  The completion of the course is a precondition for a further interest in the North American territorial studies.

Course completion requirements

Last update: Bc. Sára Lochmanová (05.10.2023)

Grading is based on the Dean's Measure no. 20/2019: https://fsv.cuni.cz/deans-measure-no-20/2019

• 91% and more   => A
• 81-90%             => B
• 71-80%             => C
• 61-70%             => D
• 51-60%             => E
• 0-50%               => F

More in SMĚRNICE S_SO_002: Organizace zkouškových termínů, kontrol studia a užívání klasifikace A–F na FSV UK.

Literature

Last update: Mgr. Jiřina Tomečková (26.09.2023)

NOTE: All texts available in this syllabus are for the use in this course only. They are protected by the copyright and must not be further distributed.

Only voluntary reading makes sense and/or reflects/reinforces student's own motivations:

Regions as instructed in the course are grounded in:

BIRDSALL, Stephen S., Eugene PALKA, Jon MALINOWSKI a Margo L. PRICE, 2008. Regional Landscapes of the US and Canada. 7th vyd. B.m.: Wiley. ISBN 978-0470098264. 

Recommended literature:

BORCHERT, John R., 1967. American Metropolitan Evolution. Geographical Review. roč. 57, č. 3, s. 301–332. 

DOMOSH, Mona, 2003. Pickles and purity: Discourses of food, empire and work in turn-of-the-century USA. Social & Cultural Geography [online]. 1., roč. 4, č. 1, s. 7–26. ISSN 1464-9365. Získáno z: doi:10.1080/1464936032000049289

FUSCH, Richard a Larry R. FORD, 1983. Architecture and the Geography of the American City. Geographical Review. roč. 73, č. 3, s. 324–340. 

GRAF, William L., 1999. Dam nation: A geographic census of american dams and their large-scale hydrologic impacts. Water Resources Research [online]. roč. 35, č. 4, s. 1305–1311. ISSN 00431397. Získáno z: doi:10.1029/1999WR900016

GUSHULAK, Brian D, Kevin POTTIE, Janet HATCHER ROBERTS, Sara TORRES a Marie DESMEULES, 2011. Migration and health in Canada: health in the global village. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne [online]. roč. 183, č. 12, s. E952-8. ISSN 1488-2329. Získáno z: doi:10.1503/cmaj.090287

HIRSCHMAN, Charles, 2004. The Role of Religion in the Origins and Adaptation of Immigrant Groups in the United States. Imr [online]. roč. 38, č. 3, s. 1206–1233. ISSN 01979183. Získáno z: doi:10.1111/j.1747-7379.2004.tb00233.x

KLIER, Thomas H. a James M. RUBENSTEIN, 2010. The changing geography of North American motor vehicle production. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society [online]. roč. 3, č. 3, s. 335–347. ISSN 17521378. Získáno z: doi:10.1093/cjres/rsq024

LICHTER, Daniel T., 2013. Integration or Fragmentation? Racial Diversity and the American Future. Demography [online]. roč. 50, č. 2, s. 359–391. ISSN 00703370. Získáno z: doi:10.1007/s13524-013-0197-1

MEINIG, D. W., 1965. The mormon culture region: Strategies and patterns in the geography of the american west, 1847 - 1964. Annals of the Association of American Geographers. roč. 55, č. 2, s. 191–219. ISSN 14678306. 

MORRILL, Richard, 2006. Classic Map Revisited: The Growth of Megalopolis. The Professional Geographer [online]. 5., roč. 58, č. 2, s. 155–160. ISSN 0033-0124. Získáno z: doi:10.1111/j.1467-9272.2006.00522.x

NELSON, Howard J., 1955. A service classification of American cities. Economic Geography. roč. 31, č. 3, s. 189–210. 

RENTFROW, Peter Jason, 2010. Statewide differences in personality: Toward a psychological geography of the United States. American Psychologist [online]. roč. 65, č. 6, s. 548–558. ISSN 1935-990X. Získáno z: doi:10.1037/a0018194

ROGERS, Richard A, Larry D MARTIN a T Dale NICKLAS, 1990. Special Paper: Ice-Age Geography and the Distribution of Native North American Languages. Journal of Biogeography. B.m.: JSTOR, s. 131–143. 

SHORTRIDGE, James R, 1976. American Geographical Society Patterns of Religion in the United States PATTERNS OF RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES *. Geographical Review. roč. 66, č. 4, s. 420–434. 

SQUIRES, Gregory D a Charis E. KUBRIN, 2006. Privileged Places Race, Opportunity and Uneven Development in Urban America. Urban Studies [online]. roč. 42, č. 1, s. 47–68. Získáno z: http://nhi.org/online/issues/147/privilegedplaces.html

TOWER, Walter S, 1905. The geography of American cities. Bulletin of the American Geographical Society. B.m.: JSTOR, roč. 37, č. 10, s. 577–588. 

VICINO, Thomas J., Bernadette HANLON a John Rennie SHORT, 2007. Megalopolis 50 years on: The transformation of a city region. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research [online]. roč. 31, č. 2, s. 344–367. ISSN 03091317. Získáno z: doi:10.1111/j.1468-2427.2007.00728.x

WARF, Barney a Mort WINSBERG, 2008. The Geography of Religious Diversity in the United States. The Professional Geographer [online]. roč. 60, č. 3, s. 413–424. ISSN 0033-0124. Získáno z: doi:10.1080/00330120802046786

WILSON, Frank L., 1967. French-Canadian Separatism. The Western Political Quarterly. roč. 20, č. 1, s. 116–131. 

ZELINSKY, Wilbur, 1967. Classical Town Names in the United States: The Historical Geography of an American Idea. Geographical Review. roč. 57, č. 4, s. 463–495. 

Requirements to the exam

Last update: PhDr. Pavel Szobi, Ph.D. (02.10.2023)

Course requirements and evaluation procedures

Active participation in classes: 20 %

Test after the term: 40 %

term paper: 40 % via MOODLE, https://dl2.cuni.cz/mod/assign/view.php?id=119219

Grading is based on the Dean's Measure no. 20/2019: https://fsv.cuni.cz/deans-measure-no-20/2019

• 91% and more   => A
• 81-90%             => B
• 71-80%             => C
• 61-70%             => D
• 51-60%             => E
• 0-50%               => F

 

Please note that the test can be replaced by a face-to-face oral exam via ZOOM if the conditions due to the COVID19 crisis require it.

Syllabus

Last update: PhDr. Pavel Szobi, Ph.D. (02.10.2023)

1) Legacy of Colonial America: the structure of cities and countryside in New England

2)  Geography of the Great Lakes from the U.S. and Canadian perspective

3) The Megalopolis

4) Way down yonder in New Orleans: Specifics of the Deep South, its social and cultural geography

5) From New Mexico to Manitoba: Geography and the economic importance of the Great Plains

6) Everything is bigger in Texas: Landscapes of a Mexican-American state; the Southwest border area

7) Sitting on a ticking bomb? Geography of California and plate tectonics

8) From Portland to Vancouver: Geography of the North Pacific coast

9) The Yellowstone caldera: Geography of a supervolcano

10) The Northlands: Geography of the U.S.-Canadian borderland

11) Alaska and the North-Western Territory

12) Geographical features of U.S. Pacific and Caribbean territories

13) A different South: Florida, the Sunshine State