GEOG 303.02 Geography and World Affairs

Syllabus

Spring 2024                                                     Dr. Scott Brady
Office: 523 Butte Hall                                       Location: Cyberspace 

Office Hours: MWF 12:15-1:00, or Zoom by appointment.

Office Phone: None. Use email: sbrady@csuchico.edu

Accessibility Resource Center:

If you have a documented disability that may require reasonable accommodations, please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs and also contact Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) for coordination of your academic accommodations. ARC is located across from the Meriam Library in the Student Services Center building (Student Services Center 170; 898-5959; http://www.csuchico.edu/arc/).

General Education:

 

Pathway: International

 

Course Description:

This course is a geographical survey of several of the world's major regions with emphasis on those features important to an understanding of cultural differences and economic and human sustainability. This course presents fundamental geographic concepts in the context of the world's places and regions. Special emphasis is placed on factors that link and isolate peoples of the world. 

Course Objectives:

Course Format: This is an online readings course.  We never meet.  We read, answer questions, take some quizzes and three exams. 

Office Hours:  I also will use office hours to answer students’ email inquiries. This will require patience. Students should not expect immediate responses to emails. I will respond only during office hours.

Website: will regularly update the course website.  Students must visit the site to be aware of changes and additions.  You will find links to websites embedded in each week of the course.  I will also post questions beneath these links that will guide your viewing of these sites.  The information that I guide you to will be covered on exams.

Readings: A fundamental element of a liberal education is the development of the ability to read critically. Hence, your success in this course largely depends on the amount of time and effort you devote to the assigned readings.

Question Sets:  To ensure that students keep up with the assigned readings, students must complete question sets that guide them through assigned textbook readings. You do not turn in question sets to be graded.  You simply complete them to prepare yourself for the exams.  I post question set keys every week or so, so that you may check your answers against mine.

Quizzes and Exams: There are three exams at least six quizzes.  They are open book and cover information from the assigned readings, question sets and other materials that I direct you to through the web-site.  Exams contain 25-30 multiple choice and short essay questions.  I make exams available for a 2-day period, usually, Friday at noon until Sunday at midnight. Students will have ~60 minutes to complete exams, fifteen for quizzes.

Make-up Exams: I do not allow students to make-up missed exams or quizzes.

Grades:

Academic Policies and Regulations

Final grades are based on % of 200 or 150 total points, earned from the categories below.
A=92-100%; B= 80-91%; C=68-79%; D=50-67%; and F= less than 50%.

 

Exam 1

50 points

 

Exam 2

50 points

 

Exam 3

50 points

 

~ Six Quizzes

~6X5=30 points

 

Total

~180 points

 

Required Materials:

CSU-Chico's bookstore will have these books.  You should also bargain shop online.  I like http://www.abebooks.com/

 

Tentative Schedule:

Week 1: 1/22 – 1/26

Demographics

Throughout the semester we will read the book Power of Place. It’s pretty cheap and easy to find online. Also, Chico State’s library has an ebook version. Just go the library website: https://library.csuchico.edu/. In One Search type: Power of Place, deBlij. And, then continue clicking. You will need the book to complete the questions sets below.

Required Reading:

 

Question Set 1: From Chapter One in Power of Place.

Key

 

Figure 1.1  : Global map of the Core and Periphery

Demographics Map Exercise:

         Key

Great Population Clusters

Remember that you do not turn question sets or map exercises to me for grading. You complete them to prepare for quizzes and exams.

Week 2: 1/29– 2/2

Demographics

 

Required Reading

 

         Question Set 2: From Chapter One in Power of Place.

Key

Figure 1.3: Demographic Model, which is also known as the Demographic Transition

 

Read the article at this link: Falling Fertility

Falling Fertility Question Set:                             

Key 

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTznEIZRkLg

         Question set

                  Key

                  Rosling’s Four Levels

                 

         Future quizzes will include questions about global patterns. Here is the world map that we will use: Link

Week 3: 2/5– 2/9

Migration to the US

 

Required Readings:

 

1.   https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/15/international-migration-key-findings-from-the-u-s-europe-and-the-world/

                        Question Set:

                           Key

                           World map: Link

2.   https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/16/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/

 

Percentage of Humans who are migrants:

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/top-statistics-global-migration-migrants

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/iom-global-migration-report-international-migrants-2020/

 

Quiz One will be available on Canvas 8am, Friday, 2/9 until 11:59pm, Sunday 2/11/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks One and Two.

Week 4: 2/12 – 2/16

 

Global Languages

“Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.”– Amy Chua

Language Atlas Exercise:

                           Key

 

                  Required Readings:

 

Question Set from Chapter Two, Power of Place

Key

 

 

Quiz Two will be available on Canvas 8am, Friday, 2/16 until 11:59pm, Sunday 2/18/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks Three and Four.

 

Exam One will be available on Canvas from 8am, Friday, 2/23 until 11:59pm, Sunday 2/25/24. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 1-5.  You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam.

 

Exam One Study Guide

 

 

Week 5: 2/19 – 2/23

Required Readings and Viewings:

 

From Chapter Three Power of Place.

Key

 

From Chapter Three Power of Place.

Key

 

Animations of spread of World Religions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvFl6UBZLv4&t=1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Snc1MNbHDc

 

You must know the geographical distribution of Islam, Hinduism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

http://www.rayfowler.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/map_world_religions.gif

https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/sj14-soc-religmap/world-religions-map/

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-major-religions-of-the-world/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6: 2/26 – 3/1  Political Geography

 

 

Question Set 6: Part One of Chapter Six in Power of Place.       

Key

 

Question Set 7: Part Two of Chapter Six in Power of Place.

Key

 

Question Set 8: Chapter Nine in Power of Place.

Key

 

 

Resources:

http://bcsafrica.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-scramble-for-africa.html

http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/colonial-exploration-and-conquest-in-africa-explore/

https://pslarson2.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/murdockmapbound.png

 

 

Week 7: 3/4 – 3/8         Economic Geography

         Primary, Secondary, Tertiary KMZ

Primary Economic Activities: Agriculture is a primary economic activity that has created specific crop production regions. Mining and forestry are other examples of primary economic activities.  Locations of primary economic activities (mining, forestry, agriculture) are largely determined by physical geography (climate, soil, vegetation and geology) where workers harvest and/or extract valuable raw materials.

         https://www.gislounge.com/geography-of-coffee/

http://www.keshrinandan.com/corn/world-corn-production-20152016/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CottonYield.png

 

Secondary Economic Activities: Secondary economic activities are essentially manufacturing.  Secondary economic activities add value to raw materials and other manufactured materials by changing their form to create more useful and valuable products.  The increase in value explains why many secondary economic activities are called “value-added” activities.  For example, I have a friend who works at the Georgia-Pacific Paper mill.  He adds value to pulpwood by converting it into toilet paper.

While the locations of primary economic activities (mining, forestry, agriculture) are largely determined by physical geography (climate, soil, vegetation and geology), manufacturing is more independent of the physical environment.  Manufacturing locations are influenced by several factors that can change rapidly: transportation, energy supply, labor supply, labor costs, fuel costs, tariffs, political stability, trade policies.

         http://manufacturingmap.nikeinc.com/

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41882482

http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/data/index.html

         http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/data/conditions/facilities/companies/manufacturing.html#north_america05

http://www.jama.org/japanese-brand-automobile-and-motorcycle-trends-in-japan-the-u-s/

 

Tertiary Economic Activities: Tertiary economic activities are also called service sector jobs. Workers in this sector provide services to consumers, manufacturers and workers in the primary sector. The type of work varies widely from financial analysts to workers in fast-food restaurants.  Often services that involve higher levels of education and information creation and/or sharing are classified as Quaternary Economic Activities.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41739937?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/3deb0e53-87ed-4c7d-97c8-d53b5ab50359/mexico&link_location=live-reporting-story

 

Required Viewing: Travels of a T-shirt lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yYQqKxz8Tg

                  Start at 5:19

Question set: 

         Key

 

Primary Economic Activity (Cotton Production) QS: 

         World Map

                  QS

                           Map Key

                           Key

         Figure 1.1

         How a geographer looks at the world

         KMZ

                           KMZ:

 

         https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farming-in-the-1930s/water/aaa/

 

 

 

Quiz Three will be available on Canvas 8am, Friday, 3/8 until 11:59pm, Sunday 3/11/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks Six and Seven.

Week 8: 3/11 – 3/15    Economic Geography continued

Cotton Free Trade Question Set

         Key

 

Required Reading and Viewing:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-58836618

         https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22700581/aja-barber-consumed-book-fast-fashion-ghana

 

Resources:

Rivoli 7.1

Rivoli 7.2

Rivoli 7.3

https://www.esquel.com/

http://www.kasa.mu/

 

 

Week 9: 3/18 – 3/22

Spring Break: No Class

 

Week 10: 3/25 – 3/29

 

Exam Two will be available at our Blackboard site from 8am on Friday, April 5 until midnight, Sunday, April 7. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 6-11.

Exam Two Study Guide

 

Middle America:

 

Let’s start our exploration of Middle America by simply figuring out the population of each part of the region. Middle America is comprised of the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

Complete this exercise: Middle America Introduction Exercise

                                             Key

 

Caribbean

Required Readings

Potter R. & Lloyd-Evans S. 1997. “Fun and a Rum Deal: Perspectives on Development in the Caribbean” FOCUS on Geography Vol. 44:  pp. 19-26.

Question Set:  

         Key

 

Abridged chapter from Jared Diamond’s book Collapse https://www.theglobalist.com/haiti-and-the-dominican-republic-one-island-two-worlds/

  

Question Set:
         Key

 

 

 

Babb, F. 2011. “Che, Chevys, and Hemingway's Daiquiris: Cuban Tourism in a Time of Globalisation.” Bulletin of Latin American Research,Volume 30, Issue 1, p. 50–63.

  

Question set:

         Key

 

 

Quiz Four will be available In the Week Ten Module on Canvas 8am, Friday, 3/29 until 11:59pm, Sunday 3/31/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks Eight and Ten.

 

 

Resources

Haiti-Dominican Republic Border 

https://nacla.org/blog/2012/8/20/haiti-jared-diamond-hasnt-done-his-homework

https://www.populationpyramid.net/world/2020/

https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/idb/#/dashboard?COUNTRY_YEAR=2023&COUNTRY_YR_ANIM=2023

 

 

 

Week 11: 4/1 – 4/5

         4/1/Cesar Chavez Day/No Class

 

Exam Two will be available at our Canvas site from 8am on Friday, April 5 until midnight, Sunday, April 7. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 6-11.

Exam Two Study Guide

Maps you will see on Exam Two

1.   Quiz Three Map

2.   Quiz Four Map

3.   Middle America Map

4.   World Map

 

Central America

Required Readings

Central American Farmers Head to the U.S., Fleeing Climate Change. New York Times, April 13, 2019.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/13/world/americas/coffee-climate-change-migration.html

If that link doesn’t work, try this one: link

         Question Set:

Key

 

https://novicecartography197.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/starbucks.jpg

 

 

 

Tormented Isthmus, from The Economist. April 14th, 2011.

         Question set

         Map that accompanied the article

                  Key

 

 

Week 12: 4/8 – 4/12

 

Mexico

 

Required readings:

 

1. Kaplan, R. 1997. History Moving North. Atlantic Monthly, February.

2. Casagrande, L. 1987. The Five Nations of Mexico. FOCUS on Geography: 2-9.

Question Set:

         Key

 

 

3. 5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.:  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

 

4. What we know about illegal immigration from Mexico: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/02/what-we-know-about-illegal-immigration-from-mexico/

 

5. It’s Time for an Immigration Enchilada: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/opinion/trump-mexico-immigration-daca.html

 

         In PDF format: link

 

6. Immigration Border-Enforcement Myth: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/opinion/immigrations-border-enforcement-myth.html

OR AS A PDF: LINK

 

POWER POINT SLIDES SHOWN IN 4/11 VIDEO

 

Week 13: 4/15 – 4/19

Mexico

Required Readings and Viewing.

7. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/15/what-is-nafta-and-what-would-happen-to-u-s-trade-without-it/?utm_term=.e1a7e5e50ff8

         In PDF format: link

 

8. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/business/economy/nafta-beer-bacon-jeans.html

         In PDF format: link

9. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2018-03-01/us-mexico-trade-keeps-growing-despite-rhetoric-from-donald-trump

10. Avocado crime soars ahead of Americaճ Super Bowl. Financial Times, January 30, 2020.

9. https://www.vox.com/2018/10/3/17930092/usmca-nafta-trump-trade-deal-explained

                  Watch the accompanying video too.

 

Quiz Five will be available In the Week Thirteen Module on Canvas 8am, Friday, 4/19 until 11:59pm, Sunday 4/21/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks 11-13.

 

 

 

Week 14: 4/22 – 4/26

 

Mexico continued

 

         Required Readings:

 

                  https://www.thetrace.org/2021/10/us-border-mexico-drug-cartel-american-guns-trafficking/

 

                  https://www.vox.com/2016/1/14/10771628/gun-violence-america-mexico

 

                  https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-03/news/mexican-lawsuit-against-us-gun-firms-proceed

 

                  Gun-trafficking ppt

 

Refugees

Political Geography QS:

         Key

World Map to use with QS

                           Key 

Week 15: 4/29 – 5/3

For our last week of new material, I want you to revisit some old material.

Power of Place Chapter One QS

         Key

Power of Place Chapter Two QS

         Key

Power of Place Chapter Three QS

         Key

Power of Place Chapter Six QS

         Key

 

Quiz Six will be available In the Week Fifteen Module on Canvas 8am, Friday, 5/3 until 11:59pm, Sunday 5/5/24. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks 14-15.

Week 16: 5/6 – 5/12

Exam Three: On Canvas in the Week Seventeen Module. Available from 2pm, Wednesday, 5/15, until 11:59pm Sunday, 5/19. You will have 110 minutes to complete the exam. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 12-15.

Exam Three Study Guide

Maps

         Power point

         PDF


Prepare for Exam Three. 

Week 17: 5/13 – 5/17

Final Exam Week

Exam Three: On Canvas in the Week Seventeen Module. Available from 2pm, Wednesday, 5/15, until 11:59pm Sunday, 5/19. You will have 110 minutes to complete the exam. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 12-15.

 

 

Disregard everything below this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Required Online Readings and Listenings: 

  

3. This link provides the most recent demographic data about Europe’s Muslims.  It also discusses the real and false links between European Muslims and Muslim networks and terrorism.

 

http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/Muslim-Networks-and-Movements-in-Western-Europe.aspx

 

 

4. This link leads to a recent BBC report about how the Alt-Right has targeted Sweden, taking advantage of the recent rise in migrants and distorting some of the facts about crime in Sweden.

         http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csvtpc

 


 

Middle America: Caribbean

 

Let’s start our exploration of Middle America by simply figuring out the population of each part of the region. Middle America is comprised of the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

 

Use the information at the link below to obtain the 2023 population for each of these three regions. To find the population for the Caribbean, go to the lower right hand portion of the screen where it says Select Regions. Scroll down to Caribbean and click it. Then, go to the lower left hand corner of the screen where it says Aggregation Options and click Show aggregated Region data. Then click Submit and you will see demographic data for the whole Caribbean.

 

One problem: the IDB included Mexico in its Central America Grouping.  Mexico is not in Central America. Central America consists of Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. So, you will need to subtract out Mexico’s population when you calculate Central America’s population.

 

https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/idb/informationGateway.php

 

 

Middle America Populations 2023

Caribbean Population: ~

Central America: ~

Mexico: ~

United States of America:

 

Required Readings

1. Potter R. & Lloyd-Evans S. 1997. ғun, Fun and a Rum Deal: Perspectives on Development in the CaribbeanӬ FOCUS on Geography Vol. 44:  pp. 19-26.

Question Set:  

            Key

 

2. Abridged chapter from Jared Diamondճ ҃ollapseӮ http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=4776

  

Question Set:
         Key

 

 

 

3. Babb, F. 2011. ҃he, Chevys, and Hemingway's Daiquiris: Cuban Tourism in a Time of Globalisation.ӠBulletin of Latin American Research,Volume 30, Issue 1, p. 50–63.

  

Question set:

         Key

 

 

 

Required Online Readings and Listenings: 

  

3. This link provides the most recent demographic data about Europe’s Muslims.  It also discusses the real and false links between European Muslims and Muslim networks and terrorism.

 

http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/Muslim-Networks-and-Movements-in-Western-Europe.aspx

 

 

4. This link leads to a recent BBC report about how the Alt-Right has targeted Sweden, taking advantage of the recent rise in migrants and distorting some of the facts about crime in Sweden.

         http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csvtpc

 


 

Middle America: Caribbean

 

Let’s start our exploration of Middle America by simply figuring out the population of each part of the region. Middle America is comprised of the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

 

Use the information at the link below to obtain the 2023 population for each of these three regions. To find the population for the Caribbean, go to the lower right hand portion of the screen where it says Select Regions. Scroll down to Caribbean and click it. Then, go to the lower left hand corner of the screen where it says Aggregation Options and click Show aggregated Region data. Then click Submit and you will see demographic data for the whole Caribbean.

 

One problem: the IDB included Mexico in its Central America Grouping.  Mexico is not in Central America. Central America consists of Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. So, you will need to subtract out Mexico’s population when you calculate Central America’s population.

 

https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/idb/informationGateway.php

 

 

Middle America Populations 2023

Caribbean Population: ~

Central America: ~

Mexico: ~

United States of America:

 

Required Readings

1. Potter R. & Lloyd-Evans S. 1997. ғun, Fun and a Rum Deal: Perspectives on Development in the CaribbeanӬ FOCUS on Geography Vol. 44:  pp. 19-26.

Question Set:  

            Key

 

2. Abridged chapter from Jared Diamondճ ҃ollapseӮ http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=4776

  

Question Set:
         Key

 

 

 

3. Babb, F. 2011. ҃he, Chevys, and Hemingway's Daiquiris: Cuban Tourism in a Time of Globalisation.ӠBulletin of Latin American Research,Volume 30, Issue 1, p. 50–63.

  

Question set:

         Key

 

Quiz Three will be available in Bb Assessments 8am, Friday, 3/12 until 8am, Sunday, 3/14. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks Six and Seven.

                  Caribbean and Mexico

Required Readings and Viewing.

4. Documentary: Life and Debt. Available on our Blackboard site in the Media Gallery.

Life and Debt Question set #10

         Key

 

 

Mexico

 

5. 5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.:  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

 

6. What we know about illegal immigration from Mexico: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/02/what-we-know-about-illegal-immigration-from-mexico/

 

7. Itճ Time for an Immigration Enchilada: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/opinion/trump-mexico-immigration-daca.html

 

         In PDF format: link

 

8. Immigrationճ Border-Enforcement Myth: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/opinion/immigrations-border-enforcement-myth.html

OR AS A PDF: LINK

 

Exam Two will be available at our Blackboard site from 3pm on Friday, April 2 until noon, Tuesday, April 6. It will cover the materials assigned during Weeks 6-10.

Exam Two Study Guide

Please view the animation at the link below to see an introduction to North Africa and Southwest Asia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4hwCz06Qlg&t=1s


 

Required Online Reading:
I want you to read the article at the link below. The first link is the actual article from the Armed Forces Journal and suggests what the map of the Middle East might look like since the US has departed from Iraq. The second is a link to the map that he discusses in the article.  Also be sure to keep in mind how Petersՠsolution is similar to what DeBlij discussed in Power of Place.  Hereճ an excerpt from the pertinent QS key:

Ҽ/span>5. Explain what DeBlij means when he suggests that Ҽ/span>social-spatial engineeringӠmight prevent political conflict.

Some areas of persistent conflict are complicated by state boundaries that European powers drew and which grouped a diverse, sometimes antagonistic, collection of ethnic groups within one state. Violent political strife can persist in states where these different groups have resisted integration. DeBlij cites a study that suggests that the best solution might be to redraw international boundaries according to Ҽ/span>geocultural regions.Ӽ/span>  The creation of South Sudan is a case of social-spatial engineering. Itռ/span>s too soon to determine whether it has worked.

Imagine the issues that would arise should the UN decide to redraw the boundaries of Iraq so that Kurds, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims each have their own states.  Also, consider how current violence between these groups makes one consider such a difficult solution.Ӽo:p>


3. Blood borders: How a better Middle East would look. By: Ralph Peters. 2006. Armed Forces Journal.

Spend some time looking at this link to see how borders in the Middle East would change according to Petersՠproposal: http://www.oilempire.us/new-map.html

 

 

Quiz Four will be available in Bb Assessments 3pm, Friday, 4/16 until noon, Sunday, 4/18. It will cover the assigned readings from Weeks Eleven and Twelve.

North Africa/Southwest Asia

 

Required Reading:

 

3. The Arab Spring at One. By: Ajami, Fouad, Foreign Affairs, 00157120, Mar/Apr2012, Vol. 91, Issue 2

 

Question Set

         Key

 

 

4. The article above was written in 2012. I have not been able to find an article called The Arab Spring at Nine.  It would be interesting. Much has happened. I would like for you to create an outline for such an article by completing this question set.