AP Human Geography
Welcome to Advanced Placement Human Geography! This course is
organized around major themes of human interactions within our shared world.
Our goal is to simply ask the where and the why; for example, where do people
live and why or how do cultures influence our human behavior and why. The
where and the why allows our course to combine many social studies
disciplines as we study elements of sociology, anthropology, religion, politics,
economics, psychology, etc. I hope that you enjoy learning the human
geography curriculum, but also must note that it is presented as a college level
class and thus will also demand rigorous work and effort on both of our parts;
the rewarding outcome is that you will at the same time gain a heightened sense
of what shapes our world, our cultures, and our communities.
The following assignment is due on Tuesday, Sept.
11 by 3:30 PM:
Written Response #1: “Sense of Place”
When we think about a place – any place – we visualize more than just
location; we also think about what that place contains – OR what we think that
place contains. Geographers refer to this mental picture as sense of place.
You are required to read the Essay: “Sense of Place” by Edward Relph from
Ten Geographic Ideas That Changed the World, edited by Susan Hanson, geography
professor at Clark University.
After reading the essay, please answer the questions which are attached.
Written Response #2: Essay
Lastly, you are to develop a 250-500 word essay comparing your sense of place for
your home AND one other place that you have either lived or visited.
Questions: “Sense of Place” by Edward Relph
1. Why is the Las Vegas streetscape so unique?
2. What is “sense of place”? (define in your own words)
3. What are two examples of times when people try to destroy sense of place? Why would
they do this?
4. Name two early geographers, and briefly summarize their beliefs/accomplishments.
5. According to Christopher Alexander, what must be present for there to be a perfect
place?
6. How does sense of place relate to the concept of nostalgia/golden ages?
7. Between 1850 and 1950, Relph argues that this was a period of “collective blindness”
when geographers could not keep up with changes in the world. What places in the world
were geographers ignoring? What does this illustrate about sense of place?
8. How has the sense of place changed in the small Welsh town where Relph grew up?
9. How did the Bauhaus architects contribute to placelessness? What are some of the
international businesses that have standardized most of the western world?
10. How did Yi-Fu Tuan’s Topophilia change modern placelessness in the 1970’s?
11. According to Relph (p 217-8), how does modernism and post-modernism architecture
differ in regards to place?
12. Explain the shift in the 1970’s that turned areas that were once thought of as “inefficient
backwaters” and “decaying neighborhoods” into upscale enclaves.
13. Often, sense of place can be manipulated, creating a seemingly “authentic” environment
that never really existed. Explain this phenomenon in relation to Ironbridge, England.
14. Why are places becoming more similar in the post-modern world?
15. How did “xenophobia” affect place during the colonial/imperial era?
16. Sense of place is important in evaluating ethnic conflicts. Evaluate the quote: “Where
you belong is where you are safe” (p. 223).
17. Sorkin (p223-224) argues that globalization (the interconnected world) will lead to an
end of geography and place distinctiveness. Do you agree with this thesis? Why or why
not?