Politics and the Cultural Landscape: The Case of Aboriginal Land Rights

In this paper Aboriginal land rights are analysed from the perspective of a disadvantaged group seeking access to a scarce resource controlled by external agents. The Aboriginal participants in land rights politics are found to be actively seeking ways in which their interest in the land can most effectively be communicated to external groups which have constructed well-formed, but often distorted images of what constitutes a genuine Aboriginal interest in the land These externally constructed notions of Aboriginality and what constitutes a valid land claim are influencing the concepts used by Aboriginal groups in the public political arena to demonstrate their unique interest in the land In this paper three examples of this process are explored- the emphasis of a specific gender model, the emphasis on spatially discrete sacred sites and the emphasis on the bounded tribal territory.     

GROWTH AND TRENDS IN GÉOGRAPHY IN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

Summary. The development of academic géography in Canada was somewhat similar to that in the United States. At the turn of the century géography was probably stronger in the schools in most provinces than it was in most states, but in both countries it seemed to be mainly an uninspired collection of facts about particular places in the world. There was no leadership from Canadian universities to improve the quality of géography nor to change its content or philosophy. As in the United States, but on a smaller scale, géography was known in a few Canadian universities prior to World War I. Its real beginnings, however, were in the latter part of the 1930s.     

Unrest in the Arab world: why the 2011 uprisings still matter

This article reviews the current state of analysis of the 2011 Arab uprisings. It argues that valuable literature on the uprisings is emerging just at a time when the international policy agenda has moved away from 2011's flirtation with visions of a democratic Middle East. This literature presents a timely reminder that the uprisings were part of long‐term processes of political change, rather than isolated phenomena. Understanding the very different post‐uprising trajectories of different Arab countries requires comparative analysis of the political economy, state institutions, the role of the security sector and strategies of opposition movements, among other factors. Moreover, comparative experiences from transitions in other regions indicate that the conflicts, economic problems and social polarization that have ensued in most of the transition countries are not evidence of an Arab exception, but, rather, have parallels with political transitions elsewhere, which have rarely been peaceful or simple. Compared to 2011, the perceived costs of political change are higher today, while the gains remain uncertain. But the drivers of unrest remain unresolved; and a small minority will seek change through brutal and violent means. Western policy‐makers need to understand what is driving these movements. Yet they also, crucially, need to understand what is motivating and preoccupying the larger publics in the Arab world, in order to build broad‐based relations with these countries, and avoid inadvertently empower violent groups by allowing them to set the political agenda.     

Nuclear disarmament versus peace in the twenty‐first century*

In his analysis of the continuing necessity for Britain to retain its nuclear capability, the author argues that the purpose of the British nuclear deterrent is what it has always been—‘to minimize the prospect of the United Kingdom being attacked by mass destruction weapons’. His discussion ranges from the ethical paradox surrounding the possession of nuclear weapons, the central problem of their predictability, the problem of new threat and, in his view, the Utopian non‐proliferation obligations. The possession of the deterrent may be unpleasant, he concludes, but it is necessary, its purpose lying‘not in its actual use but in its nature as the ultimate “stalemate weapon”.’     

Many voices: Medical anthropologists explore the meaning of health,illness, and cure

Franz Boas organized and shaped American anthropology. No academic discipline of similar scope owed so much to just one person. Within three decades of coming to the United States from Germany he had trained the anthropologists who established its place within the universities and redirected its tone and ethos as well as its theories. The biographies under review help us understand the background, aims, and drive of the man. We shall consider, in particular, the impact he had on the political and ethical tone of the field, the prevalence of women in it, and the importance of his scientific background.     

SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN REGIONAL SURFACE ENERGY EXCHANGE PATTERNS FOR MONTREAL, QUEBEC

Satellite imagery from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) was analysed for Montreal, Quebec. From this imagery, regional metropolitan maps of day/night surface temperatures are produced for an area of approximately 10⁴km². With the implementation of a surface energy budget model coupled with the satellite data, maps of non-radiative transfers (sensible and latent energy), along with surface properties (moisture availability and thermal inertia), are produced. Regional land surface cover maps are also constructed and then compared with energy exchange patterns. The visual spatial correlation indicates the dominant role that urbanization plays on modifying local climate. In addition, spatial patterns of thermal inertia and moisture availability can now be produced directly from satellite dated rather than being inferred from land-use maps or other planning data. With this development, a data base of urban surface properties can he compiled for climatic impact purposes/i>. Des images satellites provenant du Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) furent analysées pour Montréal, Québec. Àl'aidedeces images, des cartes métropolitaines régionales de températures de surface nuit/jour furent produites pour une superficie approximative de 10⁴ km². A partir d'un modèle de bilan énergitique de surface couplé aux données satellites, des cartes d'échanges d'énergie (énergie latente et sensible) furent produites, tenant compte des propriétés recontrées en surface (hum-idité disponsible et inertie thermique). Des cartes régionales de la couverture terrestre en surface furent également construites puis comparées avec celles des échanges d'énergie. Une corrélation spatiale visuelle indique le rôle dominant que joue l'urbanisation dans la modification des climats locaux. De plus, la configuration spatiale de l'inertie thermique et de I'humidité dkponible peut maintenant être produite directement a partir de données satellites. ll n'est plus nécessaire d'estimer la configuration à partir des cartes d'utilisation du sol ou en employant d'autres procédés semblables. Avec cette méthode, on peut assembler une banque de données des propriétés rencontrées en surface urbaine pour des fins d'analyses d'impacts climatiques.     

Doing Building Work: Methods at the Interface of Geography and Architecture

This paper summarises the methodological approach taken in an interdisciplinary project involving geographers and architects. The project charted the diverse afterlives of the modernist‐inspired, state‐sponsored, residential high‐rise, and did so drawing on two cases: Red Road Estate in Glasgow and Bukit Ho Swee Estate in Singapore. In offering a specific account of, and reflection upon, the methodologies used in the High‐rise Project, we hope to advance the methodological repertoire of human geography generally and contribute further to the new wave of scholarship on geography and architecture.