GEOGRAPHY 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Exam 1 Study Questions
Exam is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH. Bring a Blue Book. Exam covers
chapters 1, 9 and 3 (only through population).
Chapter 1:
Analyze how geographers’ thinking about the relationship between nature and
culture has changed over time. Begin your discussion with the dualism of 18th
Century Europe and conclude with contemporary approaches to studying cultural
ecology.
Describe how geographers organize space through regional analysis.
The geographer Don Mitchell has said “There’s no such thing as culture.” Evaluate
his statement and discuss how geographers use culture in their study of humans on
the earth.
Contrast the geographic concepts of place and space.
Using specific examples, explain how geographers use the concept of scale in their
analysis.
Chapter 9:
Explain the problems with development as a normative process. How have some
countries responded to the conventional ideas of development? How does
conventional development differ from sustainable development?
Describe the three categories of development measures. How are these categories
connected? How are these categories combined to evaluate the overall development
of a country?
Analyze the explanations for, or causes of, underdevelopment.
Evaluate how income inequality and gender inequality are connected to the study of
development.
Describe, compare and contrast the four primary theories of development. What are
possible alternatives to these models and theories?
Discuss the benefits and problems of large-scale development projects, such as
dams.
Chapter 3:
Describe where in the world humans are concentrated, how fast human population
is growing and the historical context for this growth and how the density of human
population is evaluated.
What measures are used to calculate the fertility of a population? Which of these
measures is more meaningful and why?
Explain the reasons that fertility rates may be high in some parts of the world, but
low (or negative) in other parts of the world.
Evaluate the impacts of a high dependency ratio for a country and what measures
could be taken to address these problems (evaluate this for the two different types
of high dependency ratios possible).
Diagram the Demographic Transition Model and explain the types of demographic
change and reasons for these changes for each stage of the model. Critique the
model by analyzing its limitations in understanding current human population
growth and change on the earth.
Compare and contrast the theories and predictions of human population growth
including Malthus and the Neo-Malthusians, Cornucopians (Optimists) and Social
critics, such as those that emphasize food insecurity.
Using specific case studies, analyze and evaluate the impacts—social as well as
demographic--that government policy can have on population growth.