CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY SPECIALTY GROUP
OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS
2008-09 ANNUAL REPORT
I. Mission Statement:
The Cultural Geography Specialty Group (CGSG) seeks to promote and
encourage scholarly research and superior teaching in the field of Cultural
Geography through the exchange of current thoughts, trends and information
focusing on all areas of the field. The CGSG shall encourage, facilitate and
sponsor the organization of paper sessions and discussion panels at national
and regional meetings of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) as
well as other seminars, symposiums, and conferences at which themes relating
to cultural geography are discussed. The CGSG will also reward junior scholars
by hosting paper competitions and awarding research grants. The CGSG will
stimulate dialog about and among the discipline and represent the members in all
matters related to membership in the national association (AAG).
II. 2007 Dues:
Regular Members: $5.00; Students: $2.00
III. Board of Directors:
Chair
Soren Larsen (University of Missouri), term 2007-2009
larsens@missouri.edu
Treasurer/Secretary
Reuben Rose-Redwood (University of Victoria), term 2008-2010
rsredwood@uvic.ca
Program Director:
Sara Beth Keough (Saginaw Valley State University), term 2008-2010
skeough@utk.edu
Awards Director:
Chris Post (Kent State University-Stark), term 2007-2009
cpost2@kent.edu
Nominations Director:
Beth Schlemper (University of Toledo), term 2007-2009
mschlem@UTNet.UToledo.Edu
Graduate Student Representative:
Johnny Finn (Arizona State University), term 2008-2010
finnj@asu.edu
IV.
Accomplishments, Activities Scheduled, Future Plans and Directions
Business Meeting:
The CGSG Business Meeting was held in Las Vegas on March 25, 2009, at 8:00
pm in conjunction with the Association of American Geographers Annual
Meeting. There were approximately 35 people in attendance. The agenda for
the meeting included announcements, the Treasurer’s report, a report from the
student paper and research grant competition, and the election of new officers.
Soren Larsen (University of Missouri) was re-elected as Chair; Chris Post (Kent
State University-Stark) was re-elected as Awards Director; Charlie Travis
(University College Dublin) was elected as Nominations Director to replace Beth
Schlemper. Ramin Zamanian was elected as Graduate Student Representative
to share the role with Johnny Finn. The group’s individual listserv will continue to
be maintained by Alyson Greiner and moderated by Artimus Keiffer.
Newsletter:
The CGSG Newsletter, which was published previously twice a year in hardcopy
form, has been transformed to a completely online publication that was sent to
each specialty group member via email and was placed on the CGSG web page
(http://cultural.missouri.edu/News.html) In addition, a newsletter is now put out only
once a year, immediately preceding the AAG meeting. The reduction in number
is necessary because the newsletter has been reformatted to provide more
substantive content rather than simply announcements. The Spring 2009
newsletter, edited by Soren Larsen and Reuben Rose-Redwood, contained the
following items: comments/notes from the chair, various calls for papers, CGSG
sponsored paper sessions and general announcements. The specialty group
has received several compliments from members expressing pleasure in the
newsletter. The leadership decided to continue with this newsletter format in
future years.
2009 CGSG Student Paper and Research Grant Awards:
This year, our winners were honored at the business meeting in Las Vegas
during which time awards chair Chris Post publicly announced the award winners
and delivered their checks and certificates to them.
Grant Awards: We received 6 applications total, all from PhD-level students. The
first place winner was Joomi Lee of the University of Texas ($500) for
"Constructing a New Medieval City in Morocco". He received 29 total points (1st
Place) with two First Place votes. The second place winner was James Looney
of the University of Kentucky ($400) for "Visions of Place, Senses of Landscape:
more-than-representational ethnography on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.”
Third place was a tie between Sharon Wilcox of the University of Texas ($300)
for "Encountering El Tigre: Jaguars and People in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands”
and Nick Bausch of UCLA ($300) for "An Historical Geography of Digestion: The
case of the Kellogg cereal enterprise and the making of the modern stomach,
1875-1900.”
Paper Awards: There were two applications total, both from PhD-level students.
No award given this year. Money transferred to grant competition for 4 tiered
awards (above).
2009 Annual Meeting
The highlight of the CGSG activities for the 2009 AAG Annual Meeting was the
Marquee Address by Don Worster, renowned environmental historian from the
University of Kansas. Dr. Worster delivered his address entitled, “A River
Running West: Reflections on John Wesley Powell” to a packed pavilion with an
estimated 175 people in attendance. The address was well-received, and was
subsequently published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Cultural
Geography under the same title.
Sara Beth Keough and Ramin Zamanian organized the first CGSG landscape
photography exhibit in the main reception foyer of the Riviera Hotel. The exhibit
received a great deal of attention and will be a focus for CGSG activities at the
2010 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
In 2009, CGSG sponsored (or co-sponsored) 63 sessions, that included a range
of geographers and scholars from numerous disciplines. In addition, the sessions
included academics and activists who are at various stages in their careers,
ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate special panels to sessions
involving distinguished senior scholars. This diversity is further expanded by
speaker representation from a range of regional, national and international
settings, and an exploration of several topics related to relevant issues to the
sub-discipline.
CGSG had an ideal opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues in at least
ten (10) other specialty groups to co-sponsor a range of sessions. These groups
included: Cultural and Political Ecology; Ethics, Justice and Human Rights;
Geographic Perspectives on Women; Historical Geography; History of
Geography; Latin American; Qualitative Research; Recreation, Tourism and
Sport; Sexuality and Space; and Urban Geography.
CGSG and Cultural Geographies periodical co-sponsored a special session
featuring Peter Jackson in the Cultural Geographies Plenary. It was well attended
but the room was too small and attendees sat on the floor and in the hall. It was
organized and chaired by Garth Myers.
Future Directions
Future plans include strengthening the joint partnership with Routledge and the
Journal of Cultural Geography. The agreement includes a reduced subscription
rate for CGSG members and the publication of the marquee speaker’s address in
the fall issue of the JCG.
Sara Beth Keough and Ramin Zamanian continue to lead the effort to sustain a
landscape photography exhibit at the AAG meeting in Washington.
Chris Post is leading an effort to name the PhD-level CGSG Grant Award in
honor of Denis E. Cosgrove.
V.
Membership and Participation
According to recent information provided by the AAG office, approximate
membership in the CGSG is 799, comprised of 465 student members and 379
regular members. A listserve for the CGSG is maintained at the University of
Oklahoma and it currently has 264 registered users.
Financial Report
The CGSG’s bank account is kept with funds in the AAG Central Office. The
current account statement can be obtained from Teri Martin in the main AAG
Office.
Association of American Geographers
Specialty Groups Financial Report
June 30, 2009
Cultural Geography Specialty Group
Date
8/31/2008
09/30/08
10/08/08
10/08/08
10/31/08
11/30/08
12/31/08
01/31/09
02/18/09
02/18/09
02/18/09
02/28/09
03/24/09
03/24/09
03/24/09
03/24/09
03/24/09
Description
Balance forward
Dues collected for September 2008
Stewart, Kathleen - AM expenses
Support for Dr. Cajete
Dues collected for October 2008
Dues collected for November 2008
Dues collected for December 2008
Dues collected for January 2009
Bauer- judge honorarium
Hostetter- judge honorarium
Marcus- judge honorarium
Dues collected for February 2009
Larsen - hotel reimb
Bausch - res grant
Wilcox - res grant
Lee, J. - res grant
Looney - res grant
Receipts
Disbursements
243.00
(100.00)
(100.00)
600.00
289.00
150.00
180.00
(50.00)
(50.00)
(50.00)
233.00
(300.00)
(300.00)
(300.00)
(500.00)
(400.00)
Balance
$ 2,751.17
2,994.17
2,894.17
2,794.17
3,394.17
3,683.17
3,833.17
4,013.17
3,963.17
3,913.17
3,863.17
4,096.17
3,796.17
3,496.17
3,196.17
2,696.17
2,296.17
03/24/09
03/31/09
04/23/09
04/30/09
05/31/09
06/30/09
Worster - honorarium
Dues collected for March 2009
Finn - cultgeo reimbursement
Dues collected for April 2009
Dues collected for May 2009
Dues collected for June 2009
6/30/2009
Balance
VI.
Special Requests or Questions for Council
None.
Respectfully submitted by:
Soren Larsen, Chair
September 21, 2009
(500.00)
153.00
(145.64)
91.00
82.00
126.00
1,796.17
1,949.17
1,803.53
1,894.53
1,976.53
2,102.53
$ 2,102.53