Department of Geography & Urban Planning
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
800 Algoma Blvd
Oshkosh, WI 54901
U.S.A.
bowenj@uwosh.edu
Telephone: (920) 424-4103
Fax: (920) 424-0292

Geography 111

[Indicative only -- Refer to the syllabus for a specific semester for the actual course details.]

Course Abstract

Why is the world’s largest shopping mall located in Edmonton, Canada? Why did 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore win almost every northeastern state except New Hampshire but not a single southeastern state including his home state of Tennessee? Why did all three of the world’s great monotheistic (one god) religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) emerge within a relatively small area in the Middle East?

In this course, we will explore the geography of people. We will examine the spatial patterns that describe both the mundane and the fundamental features of our lives, from shopping to language, from politics to garbage. We will try to identify the forces that give rise to those patterns and look at how they have changed over time.

Required Text
James Rubenstein. An Introduction to Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Grading:
Exam I: 60 points
Exam II (noncumulative): 60 points
Exam III (noncumulative): 60 points
Geography in Your Closet: 20 points

The exams will be a mixture of true/false and multiple choice questions. The exams will draw material from both the lecture/discussion and the textbook readings, with greater emphasis on the former.

You will write a brief analysis of how the geography of the clothing in your closet rellects the organization of the global economy. Why are you much more likely to find a sweater in your closet from Bangladesh than Belgium or Botswana? The analysis will permit you to relate ideas taught in this class to your everyday life.

Last updated:
January 28, 2008