Applied Human Geography @algeog2260 - Tumblr Blog

Concluding the Semester!

As the semester comes to an end, we are all reflecting on what we learned and how it went through the past couple of months. Since I am majoring in Geography, this class was mandatory for me to take, but I am so grateful that I did! I usually enjoy the more physical environmental type classes more and dread taking the human geography classes, but I found this to be very valuable to my education and any future career paths I may take.

Three things I know for certain about human geography research:

Throughout this course, I have come to understand the importance of ethics. Before this semester, I have done research for many projects, although I have never involved other people personally for collecting information. For my group’s video storytelling we created a survey. We had to think about other people’s privacy while making sure to also get enough adequate information and keeping it unbiased. This is why we must try to keep surveys anonymous and held up to high standards in order for work to be approved.

Secondly, I now always think about unpacking the invisible backpack. This is when we come to understand our privilege when talking to people or about a certain topic. For example, we should not be asking someone why they are lazy if they are poor. They could have a mental illness that we do not see that do not allow they to work or any other situation that could prevent them from working full time. Aside from research, we should all be doing this regardless of the situation in order to keep people comfortable and respected.

In addition, developing a research question is something I have found to be very important. This not only starts a research project, but it is also the backbone of how the research is to be carried out. I find that the question should be as detailed and in depth as possible. The research question should be concentrated to exactly what the project is about, in order for the information to not be all over the place in the final stages.

Three things I am still confused by:

The first thing I am still very confused by is coding. I found this unit to be quite hard to understand and would need to possibly go through the topic with people in real life rather than online to get a grasp on this.

Secondly, I found triangulation to be harder to understand. I hope while I go through more geography courses and add to my education, I can process the topic better.

Thirdly, creating interviews is not a strong suit of mine. I would have liked to create one for out digital storytelling project, although it was hard to tell if it would be approved by ethics or not. In addition, I would need to be fully prepared to conduct an interview and I do not think I would have the confidence to add any extra questions into it on the spot if need be. I hope in the future I am able to practice with this skill.

Three things I know for certain about me as a human geographic researcher:

Firstly, I know for certain that I enjoy conducting quantitative data over qualitative data. I keep thinking back to one of my blog posts talking about a future research project. I am genially excited to go out and do field research for a possible job. During another class this semester I got to participate in taking snow samples to see how the melting process throughout the winter season affects the conditions of snow and I loved it.

Like I mentioned above, I have also learned that I would love to do research as a future career. Before this course, I had no idea what kind of job I would’ve liked to get into and am so glad this course was required to take.

Thirdly, I have found that I enjoy working with a group more than I thought I would. The last time I had worked in a group was probably in grade 9. I am usually shy and do not take too much leadership on projects, but I think the digital storytelling project helped me get out of my comfort zone a lot more. It was also nice to have an excuse to get to know some people in this class.

Three areas I need to spend time developing/learning in order to feel more confident in my skills:

Firstly, I would actually like to work in groups for future projects more often. I have been working on collaborating with others and getting out of my comfort zone by talking to more people for the past couple years, although the pandemic has dramatically depleted my social skills throughout this year of isolation. I would like more practice with this, both online and in person when we can once again.

Secondly, I would like to practice conducting interviews. I think the more people I interview, the better I could get at bringing up interesting question on the spot if need be. This could be a valuable skill for both qualitative research and possible job opportunities.

In addition, I would also like to spend more time on developing all my research techniques for other future classes, especially by finding reliable sources. This includes using peer review journals, using articles the library provides, as well as using recent information published within the past few years.

I wish everyone good luck in the future and maybe I will see you in person on campus next year! Have a great summer break!

~Amalia

References:

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography, Toronto. Oxford University Press.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Lecture Notes from GEOG2260 - Applied Human Geography

jmageo2260-deactivated20210621

Qualitative Research in Human Geography

Since I am a geography major, this course is a requirement for me. The study of human geography has become increasingly relevant with the rise of climate change and globalization. This course, combined with the textbook provides us with a comprehensive understanding of the requirements when conducting qualitative research. I don’t think that I will ever set out to do a qualitative research project. So far I have enjoyed learning about it nonetheless. This course opened my eyes to how complicated research in human geography is and that there are many things to take consider.

I particularly enjoyed Kiribati’s case study and found the idea of travelling to different countries to study environmental change on humans interesting. Many ecological processes caused by humans affect populations that are not responsible for the destruction of the environment. Through performing field research, the observation and collecting of data of the subject in their natural setting allows us to gain a much better understanding of their human experiences

I found the unit on Ethics in week three very interesting. While I have taken courses before where the research was part of the curriculum, ethical constraints were never explored. This unit combined with the CORE tutorial has broadened my knowledge of the ethics involved, particularly the core principles of Concern for Welfare, Respect for Persons and Justice (Hooykaas, 2021). The term “Invisible Backpack” is also one that I had not ever heard of. It is important to be aware of these unearned advantages to ensure that they do not cloud our judgement or evaluation of the data collected.

I was also interested to learn about the types of interviewing, how they work and the different strengths and weaknesses each type has. It is very important to distinguish what kind of interview you will be conducting in order to get the most out of the time you have with the interviewee. This in my opinion is one of the more useful methods of research because the way it presents data is very different than other qualitative methods we have researched.

Practicing self-reflexivity is not always comfortable for the researcher. However, It is essential to examine and acknowledge the assumptions we bring into the research to ensure effective and impartial analysis of the data collected. This particular aspect can be applied to everyday life, as we all make assumptions and have preconceived notions about people and situations all the time.

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 3: Ethics. Lecture Retrieved March 2, 2021.

algeog2260

Hi Jordon,

I am also a geography major and am taking this course because it is required in order to graduate. When I saw this was a “human geography” course I was not as excited to take it as my interests lie more on the physical side of geography. But once we got into the course, I became to really enjoy it. I can now agree with your statement on how human geography is becoming increasingly relevant. Although I do not think I will ever get into researching the human geography, I have truly enjoyed the content.

I specifically remember first learning about a Kiribati’s case study in my geography class while watching a documentary and that has stuck with me ever since. I was so excited when we got to take a look at the case study again in this class. It is so sad that (usually) first world countries are the ones that are affecting horrific climate change effects to third world countries who have most likely tried to prevent climate change as best as possible. I think more people need to take a look at the facts in this case study in order to truly understand what we are doing to our beloved planet.

I also have never really thought of ethics in research until this course, other than regarding the medical field. The CORE tutorial was a great resource for all the students to participate in. I think it will all help us in different career paths, even if it is not research based.

Great job on your post!

My Experience With GEOG 2260

Since I am a geography major, this course is required for me to graduate. Although in the beginning I was not excited to take this, throughout the semester, I have really enjoyed this course. To be honest, it is now one of my favourite courses I have taken in university so far! I feel like in most of my other classes, we have mostly just been learning facts in order to be tested on and eventually forgetting it because we would never use that knowledge again, but in this course, I am learning things That I can apply into the real world of research. I can see myself using these research techniques in any future course or career which helps me connect with the content being learned much more effectively.

For example, the one blog post we did about organizing our own research project a couple of weeks ago really helped me dig deep to find a real potential future career. Since I have started my major study in geography, I have always known I wanted to work outdoors and in nature but I did not know what specific area I wanted to pursue. After that blog post and deciding to do research on landslides, I have started to look at potential companies/ employers through job postings for after graduation. I even found something interesting in the conservation sector just yesterday for a summer job that might be interesting to get into. Since I am in the midst of second year right now, I keep thinking I have tons of time to plan for my future, although a lot of us now know because of COVID that life goes by fast.

Another thing I have been really enjoying in this class is the digital storytelling project! I do not think I have ever done such an in-depth project with so much freedom and enjoyment in both of our group’s topic and presentation. Our group’s topic is environmental geography focusing more on sustainability. I have researched deep into some sites and have found it very interesting to me. Sometimes I post infographics or just typed some of my ideas out onto my social media accounts to educate my friends, family, and acquaintances as I think everyone should know about climate change and their human impacts on the environment. Even if they are not studying some sort of environmental degree program, they should still know.

I also enjoyed including my followers in some of our research for this project by doing a survey. This survey is about how they view themselves as an environmental citizen and their daily actions. I will post the link for all of you to take part in the survey as well in another post 😊.

Overall, I truly think this is an amazing course. I am learning so many valuable skills and developing new interests. If anyone from different majors had the chance to take this course, or something similar to this one, I would definitely recommend it!!

jdgeog2260-deactivated20210413

A Hypothetical Interview

If I had to interview someone from the field of political geography, I would probably choose Friedrich Ratzel since he is seen as the father of this field. He also studied natural sciences in zoology before switching to geography, so he would have lots of interesting experience in the natural world and could have a more educated opinion on new issues such as climate change. He had done geographical exploration in Italy, France, Hungary, Cuba, Mexico, and the USA so he would likely have lots of interesting anecdotes from around the world

Because five minutes is such a short amount of time, I would need to avoid topics that contain much depth and keep to quickly answerable more shallow questions in this interview. Which is unfortunate, to get the most out of interviewing a historical figure for five minutes one would need to do intensive research on their life and then ask a multitude of quick yes/no questions to confirm points from the research. This is because five minutes is not enough time to even answer one proper question, let alone 5. But for the sake of the hypothetical, I will choose questions where I will imagine Mr. Ratzel being able to speed-speak the proper answers in only 60 seconds each.

1. What made you change fields from natural sciences to geography?

For this I would hope to ascertain what caused his historical career switch, and his personal reasons and motivations for this. And gain insight into his opinion of how they might overlap.

2. What is your opinion on climate change?

For this question I would need to take a portion of the 60 second answer time in order to preface it by explaining what climate change is in a very general and quickly summarized way, and would have less time to hear his answer but it will lead into the next question.

3. How can humans live in balance with nature sustainably while still allowing for technological advancement and industry?

The caveat at the end of the question is meant to dissuade the answer of solving climate change by discarding all polluting technology - cars, planes, manufacturing, etc. as going back to less-polluting tech levels from the 1700s and earlier is unreasonable.

He would likely be unaware of methods of renewable energy so he might have some more creative answers than simply moving from fossil fuels to green energy.

4. Elaborate on your link between soil and the state.

He has linked these as interconnected in his work and I would be interested on hearing more in-depth about this connection and how this can translate into the modern issue of climate change, and whether governments need to do more to control emissions and polluting companies.

5. Does a democratically elected state have the right to supersede the population’s potential objections in order to implement climate sustainable measures?

Here we discuss the same reason why Socrates disliked democracy - it puts the power in the hands of the people, but what if the people are uneducated or manipulated and desire something which is bad for themselves and the planet? Is it still the responsibility of the democratic government to damage its own land or the planet just because its citizens voted that way?

I picked this figure not only because of his originating role in the field of political geography but also because of his previous work in natural sciences and thus his wider background of experience with which to answer these questions. Also I find the issue of climate change much more relevant and important to today, especially in politics since it has become so politicized. So I would theorize that a figure with such a deep background in natural sciences and political geography would have the perfect combination of academic history to discuss climate change, as it is unquestionably both a geographic and political issue. And someone with history in zoology would appreciate the interconnectedness of ecosystems and how small imbalances can expand to cause huge problems. Referencing the textbook, I might show it to Mr. Ratzel and ask him how he might improve it or it’s readability.

algeog2260

Hi Jackson,

I think you have chosen a great key thinker to interview! I really think he would have some interesting inputs by answering your questions. They bring new important knowledge into the world however you were to share them. I also find it crazy how so many people coming from different backgrounds end up changing their field of study just like Friedrich! People our age aren't the only ones in Canada struggling to find something they enjoy working with for the rest of their lives.

I think all the questions that you planned to ask are highly effective with the limited time you were given for the interview, except the last question. Like I said above, I find Ratzel changing fields is quite interesting and would love to hear more! Therefore, for the first question, I think his answer would give other students/young people hope of succeeding in a career they love, even if their interests change. The second question relates to climate change, which everyone should be talking about. Whether his answer is politically or scientifically based, it would be very effective to hear his own beliefs. Your third question is great because it could help the audience think about different ways of living sustainably rather than just cutting out all technology since a lot of people may think this. This could help people feel like achieving a sustainable lifestyle is more attainable. The fourth question is great because he would be able to bring awareness on the link between soil and the state as many people might not think of this linkage regularly or at all. Finally, the last question is great, however I think it may be too broad of a question for him to answer. There is only 5 minutes for this interview and you might run out of time for him to give an efficient answer.

Great job on your post Jackson!

Leonardo DiCaprio

For our digital storytelling project, the topic we researched is environmental geography. A key thinker for this subject would be Leonardo DiCaprio. Although he is mostly known for his acting by many, he has also accomplished a lot as an environmentalist and philanthropist. He is using his fame as a platform to get the word of climate change and sustainability out to many people and different audiences. He created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 in order to secure a sustainable planet for our future while also supporting organizations related to this.

If I had the chance to interview DiCaprio for 5 minutes, my questions would include:

What does environmental geography mean to you?

While doing this digital storytelling assignment, I have learned so many new things about the subject. It would be great to hear someone else’s perspective and possibly educate myself with more information.

What inspired you to decide to start the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation?

Since Leonardo has always been occupied with acting and other Hollywood related activities, I find it quite interesting he brought on a very large role on something unrelated to his field of work. I would like to know his inspirations and the how he came about the interest of protecting the planet.

How do you think being an actor/ A list celebrity has helped you start this foundation as well as get involved with being a high-profile environmental activist?

The answer to this question could help me understand why it is so hard for normal people to have their voices heard about global warming. I would like to know if it is money, connections, fame, privilege, location (Hollywood), or any other factors that got him into the activism in the first place.

If you could say one thing to people that don’t believe in climate change, what would you say to change their mind?

It boggles my mind that there are people in this world that do not believe in global warming due to anthropogenic activities and do nothing in their daily lives to try and stop it. I would like to hear how Leonardo DiCaprio explains what is happening in our world today whether with examples of disasters, science, or other factors he has possibly found with research.

What is one word of advice you would give to someone who wants to do better for the earth and their daily loves with sustainability?

I know many people, including myself, are trying to reduce their ecological footprint throughout their daily life. I feel like DiCaprio could give next level advice on how to live more sustainably in which we have not heard before. Maybe we could hear some ways on how he does the same by doing his part for the earth.

I have chosen these questions to ask for many reasons, but the most important factor was ethics. Ethics is critical to consider during any kind of research. When someone’s name is going to be displayed, it is mandatory that the questions given considered their feelings and image that could be altered. This is why I chose very open-ended questions to ask Leonardo. This would give him room to share only what he is comfortable sharing with myself and any public outlet.

Citations:

Hay, I (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography, Toronto. Oxford University Press.

Leonardo DiCaprio. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/leaders/leonardo- dicaprio#:~:text=Leonardo%20DiCaprio%20is%20an%20actor,sustainable%20future%20for%20our%20planet.&text=In%20addition%20to%20his%20acting,own%20production%20company%2C%20Appian%20Way.

Prioritise protection of atewa Forest – actor Leonardo DiCaprio. (2019, November 12). Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://citinewsroom.com/2019/11/prioritise-protection-of-atewa-forest-actor-leonardo-dicaprio/

angeog2260

Agriculture: The Future

If I were to conduct a research project in the future, I would look to direct research based around my home roots. Growing up on a farm my entire life with a beef business, which eventually transferred to crop research, has allowed me to gain knowledge first hand on the farm. With my family being heavily involved within the research agriculture industry, I believe that having this experience would maximize my potential research. I enjoy looking at how soil conserving techniques (no-till practices, crop rotation, cover cropping, and something as simple as rotating the direction the crops are planted) and how that can benefit crop yields in the future while also preserving the soil. More specifically, I would look to conduct this research in Ontario. It would be impractical to study worldwide to account for all of the different regions, climates and soil types so I would restrict my studies to Ontario. I would look for support from the Agriculture Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO). The ARIO’s mission statement states that “ARIO is dedicated to the strategic use of science and innovation to enhance the sustainability and profitability of Ontario’s agri-food and rural sectors” (ARIO, 2021). This is an Ontario Government website so I could use it as a reliable and valid source.

Conducting the research itself is an expensive task so having limitless resources would be crucial. I would look to team up with some of the leading agriculture companies (Pioneer, Monsanto, Syngenta, etc.) and some of the more small scale companies to avoid biases. Depending on how recent the company has emerged, I would use both short and long-time research history to enhance my modern research. I would use a critical approach to my research, which “enables how society functions and how satisfactory functions can be changed” (Hooykaas, 2021). Having my family’s agriculture business help me ensure that I meet the requirements would be critical.

One of the most significant things I would be sure to do is conduct this research in different locations (with contrasting climates) with varying soil types and compositions (clay, silt, sand) in Ontario. This would allow diversity within my study and so that I am not restrictive in my research. Most of my research would be considered as long term observable analysis because of the changes that can occur depending on weather, season, crop, and soil composition. I would need more prolonged periods of time to ensure that I am getting all of the data necessary for this study to be useful for the emergence of the future in agriculture. With this, I would be using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to ensure that the limitations of one research method will be enhanced by using the other.

I am confident that agriculture is an industry that is heavily relied on, whether one knows it or not. Farming provides endless opportunities and jobs within the sector and it is also a significant contributor to the economy and society. I would like to say that most people would benefit from this research, but more specifically, the agriculture industry as a whole (farmers, insurance companies, people relying on agriculture as the primary food source, families, seed researchers).

I believe that conducting more research within this industry is pivotal because it increases crop productivity. Higher yields allow the production of large quantities of agricultural output at a lower cost, improving the economy. With the help of new technologies that are continually emerging to keep up with the demand, this is a critical movement into the future of agriculture. What are your thoughts on agriculture research?

This is a picture I took on an agricultural research planter. This is different than the "normal planter" as there are two people ripping envelopes and dumping them into the planter one at a time. This creates plots that each have different breeds of a crop.

References

Hooykaas, A. “Philosophy, Power, Politics and Research.” University of Guelph, 2021.

Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO). (2021). Retrieved February 04, 2021, from http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ario/institute.htm

angeog2260

I decided to add one more image above to show how different the planter is compared to the "typical" one.

algeog2260

Hi Amy,

It is so great that you are sticking to your family’s roots by doing research within agriculture! I can kind of relate to you by having many fond memories from when I was growing up visiting both my grandparents’ farms every weekend to help pick fruit during the harvest season. I am sure your research project will be amazing as it seems you have a deep connection with the topic and are greatly passionate about it. Although my family no longer owns farm land, it would be great for me to one day get back into the field.

Your proposal seems super interesting. I agree that the agriculture industry is heavily relied on as it is our main source of food supply. The human race needs you and your research!

I remember learning about the company Monsanto in multiple classes I have taken. I get why you would also like to go with some smaller companies as Monsanto can be highly bias. Also, just like we are getting highly educated from this pandemic is to support small businesses 😊.

I loved the photos you added. It helped me understand exactly what you were talking about and helped with visualization. To be honest, working on the farm all day like that kind of looks fun. I am also going to share a picture of my grandparents’ fruit farm from a couple years ago. Here it is showing some peach trees!

Researching… to Find a Research Project

To be honest, I have been struggling for the past couple of weeks to figure out what exactly I want to do with my degree after I graduate. Speaking to some of my friends that have graduated from similar programs has helped although they are also semi-struggling. I have also tried to search specific careers, but it is quite difficult to narrow down to something so specific while geography has such a wide range of topics to focus on. This week’s blog prompts forced me to truly dig deep into a possible research project I could take on as a graduated geography student.

Renfrew County Paramedic Service

As mentioned in my first post of the semester (Lukezic, 2021), I have a passion for mountains. I have decided to look further into problems that could occur within this type of environment and came across landslides. This also reminded me of how much I liked this topic while in the Earth Hazards and Global Change course in my first year. I came across some research ideas and opportunities at the University of Regina where they mentioned a Landslide hazard mapping research project (University of Regina) that caught my caught my eye. This would spark my interest in spending time in the mountains as well as hopefully reducing the effects of the hazards of landslides.

The focus of this research project would be to, first, choose one specific area of interest. The Ontario website states that high “risk areas include bedrock composed of unusual rock formations or land that’s composed of unstable soils.” (Ontario, 2020). One area I will focus on for this project can be the Niagara Escarpment which includes the materials mentioned above. I can then locate where landslides have occurred throughout history by doing some research from published articles/documents which could evolve into larger, more dangerous landslides in the future. I can then plot these locations onto a GIS software such as QGIS which is very familiar to me. After finishing this, I can work with others and learn how to find new weak spots in the escarpment, especially if I have not yet learned how to do this throughout my undergraduate degree. (We’ll see what I learn in the next 2.5 years…).

(Alamy)

The Proposal and Who Would Benefit:

To start, I would propose this to my audience of a government owned company. The proposal would include my plan on what would be done during my research as well as determining the problem being solved: reducing risks of injury or unexpected damage to the environment by finding these landslide locations before they happen. According to the USGS, in the USA there is an average of 25 to 30 people killed every year, about 170 injuries and 400 damaged homes caused by landslides each year (USGS, 2018). By predicting these future hazards, this information can allow other workers and myself to put up cautionary signs or even restrict access to pedestrians and construction/new development in unstable areas of the escarpment to reduce injury. The Niagara escarpment also attracts many hikers that could be spared from future accidents. Landslides could also affect roadways and vehicles. I remember hearing about a circumstance a couple years ago where in Hamilton, a construction group closed a mountain access road in order to create a man-made explosion to jump start the predicted landslide in order to save vehicles and people from any possible future injuries. This can also be done on the Niagara escarpment if needed.

I can’t wait to look more into this research project for my future as well as read the rest of your posts!

Sources:

Hooykaas, A. “Philosophy, Power, Politics and Research.” University of Guelph, 2021.

Lukezic, A. (2021, January 17). Why Geography and Where I Consume my Knowledge [Web log post]. Retrieved February 04, 2021, from https://algeog2260.tumblr.com/post/640538439040761856/why-geography-and-where-i-consume-my-knowledge

Ontario. (2020, July 24). Landslides and Sinkholes. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.ontario.ca/page/landslides-and-sinkholes

University of Regina. (n.d.). Ideas for student research. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.uregina.ca/arts/geography/research-opportunities.html

USGS. (2018). How many deaths result from LANDSLIDES each year? Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-deaths-result-landslides-each-year?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products

ekgeog2260-deactivated20231114

Agafia Lykov: Studying the Siberian Survivor

Agafia Lykov is a 76-year-old woman who lives in solitude in the Sayan Mountains of the Siberian taiga in Russia. She has lived and survived in the deep Siberian wilderness since her birth in 1944, after her father fled with his family in 1936 fearing execution from Stalin. Agafia and her family belong(ed) to an ultra-orthodox sect of Christianity known as Russia’s Old Believers, who were being persecuted by Stalin back in 1936.

Agafia’s family lived in the wilderness for 40 years before a team of Russian geologists found and met with them in 1978. Unfortunately, Agafia’s three eldest siblings died within weeks of each other from pneumonia, likely from one of the geologists, and her father died later in 1988. Her mother died in 1961 when she starved herself to death in order to feed Agafia and her siblings.

This case study is a 2013 mini-documentary by VICE Media on Agafia Lykov and her life and story in the Siberian taiga. The filmmakers flew in to Agafia’s home by helicopter and stayed for approximately three days.

The filmmakers conducted their research in the form of interviews and naturalistic observation. When interviewing Agafia, the filmmakers asked fairly inoffensive questions, asking about her daily life, how she survives and takes care of herself, her experience with the outside world, and her relationship with her neighbour Yerofei. They also filmed her doing her daily routine and chores and were actively involved, with one of the filmmakers helping her with various chores. The filmmakers observed a variety of activities, including cooking, collecting firewood, weaving, and her daily prayers.

The filmmakers, coming into Agafia’s home and way of life, had an invisible backpack of privilege and opportunity that could have influenced the way they experienced visiting her. However, it is worth noting that the potential influence of this invisible backpack in not obvious in the mini-documentary. Parts of the filmmakers’ invisible backpack that can be unpacked include having money, ready access to goods (like the goat and chicken gifts) and food, expensive winter gear, and likely a relatively easy life in comparison to Agafia.

There did seem to be some ethical considerations in the making of this mini-documentary and the intrusion of the filmmakers on Agafia’s life and home. The filmmakers brought a tent to sleep in, away from Agafia and her living quarters, and they were polite and asked non-intrusive questions about her life. The one filmmaker provided help around the property and aided Agafia in jobs that she could not do or that required two people. They even brought a gift of a goat and chicken upon arriving at Agafia’s home, perhaps as compensation for allowing them to film and interview her.

If I were to have the opportunity to visit Agafia and learn about and research her life, I would probably approach it with an open mind and wanting to experience and immerse myself in Agafia’s way of life. Being a Canadian university student, I would certainly have to unpack and acknowledge my massive invisible backpack. I would make sure that whatever research I was conducting benefitted her and didn’t have any risks of harm for her way of life and I would also make 100% sure that she was comfortable with the questions I asked and what I was filming.

References:

VICE. (2013, April 9). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length) [Video file]. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68

algeog2260

Hi Eric!

I really enjoyed reading your post! As I reread the explanation of the documentary, I found it so horrible that by just believing in your own religion could have gotten someone killed. This family was so desperate to express themselves, that they were forced to start a new life in the middle of the wilderness. Additionally, it is crazy how the geologists might have spread a sickness over to the daughters so badly. It is hard to believe that nowadays we all have to wear masks in order to speak and visit new people.

As the filmmakers were visiting Agafia, I also found that they took ethics very seriously. I even think they were beyond extra nice to her when they were helping her with some chores. I am sure she greatly appreciated the help since she is getting older and may be getting weaker as well.

I found it hard to figure out the filmmakers’ invisible backpacks although I do agree with what you said. I would also like to add on that we can infer that the filmmakers were brought up in a house in a town or a city with running water and electricity at the touch of a button. Agafia and the filmmakers (and the majority of people living in first and second world countries) have drastically different lives prominently shown.

Again, great job on your post and I hope you have a great rest of your week!

The Story of Agafia Lykov

For 70 years, an old believer of an ultra-orthodox sect of Christianity named Agafia Lykov, has been living 160 miles away from the nearest town in order to avoid oppression. In 1936. Agafia’s father brought his family to become hermits in this area in order to freely practice and believe in their religion. The exact place she lives in is the city called Abakan located within the mountains where there can be extreme cold weather conditions as well as dangerous wildlife in the area. Her family has since died but she now lives with a geologist named Yerofei. It is said that these people that have lived the same hermit life are so secluded that they did not even hear about World War II. One thing I can resonate to this family and Agafia is that my grandparents and father also fled their home country to Canada in order to escape oppression of their Christian beliefs. In 1969, my father’s family left Slovenia because the communists would not let any Christians practice their religion. This led my grandparents to run away at night to get married as well as baptize my aunt and dad in the middle of the night. Canada gave them a better life just like living in the wilderness did for Agafia.

The research technique that was being used in this case study was interviewing. For example, the researchers used a hands-on approach by visiting this woman in her natural environment to ask her personal questions in order to find qualitative data. They also watched her live her daily life and learned how she survived in Abakan by speaking to her and working with her through the days.

An invisible backpack can be explained by having privilege in life that people are given with no choice. For example, by having two loving parents, this is already a large advantage in daily life against people who might only have one parent. The documentary filmmaker’s invisible backpack may have many things against Agafia, although I do not think they try to show it too much. They are able to express themselves and live wherever they want as their beliefs are not frowned upon during these times. These filmmakers also do not live in the wilderness since they are learning hoe she lives here almost alone from all human interaction. Agafia was brought here as a child which she did not really have control over whereas the filmmakers were most likely brought up in homes with having electricity or warmth turned on with a flick of a button rather than collecting wood in the wilderness to then make a fire.

The ethics in this story were considered very carefully in my opinion. The filmmakers let Agafia tell her story in her own words. She was able to effectively describe her situation without any bias and everyone was very respectful towards her. It also looked like they all enjoyed their time together.

If I were to have the same opportunity to research Agafia and her family, I would always keep in mind their mental wellbeing and respect their story. In order to properly tell the story to others, I like the idea of also going to visit her and presenting her exact words to people. Also, I would make sure to keep everyone’s safety in mind and not travel during the pandemic.

“‪Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years”(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68)

The Kiribati Crisis

There is a climate crisis going on in our planet! The average temperature and the water levels are rising because of the melting icecaps. Here in Canada, we do not see as much of a drastic effect compared to the Kiribati people do on their island. Their island is being flooded and they are losing their homes and infrastructure due to the rising water levels and erosion to the land. They have tried to solve the problem by building sea walls but they are continuously being broken by the strong currents. Now these people are pleading for help in finding a long-term solution for not only their own island, but to prevent the same occurrences from happening to other endangered lands.

Anna has indirect power for the research to help change the fate of the people in Kiribati. The story she is sharing helps educate her listeners to change their privileged lifestyle so that the Kiribati people can have the same opportunities as first world countries without being environmental refugees. The story prompts Anna’s listeners to react to Kiribati problems and proactively be a part of the solution for parts of the world that may soon be affected from this climate crisis.

Objectivity is shown through the houses of the Kiribati people have been slowly declining throughout the years. There isn’t much time left before they are submerged and the people must be forced to leave where they called home.

Anna shows subjectivity by getting this information first-hand from the people experiencing this difficult phenomenon. She gets her information from real people living on the island with real concerns which authenticates the information given to those listening.

Intersubjectivity is shown by Fluorine and Turanga who have researched the existence of coastal erosion on their island and its affects but are now seeking help. They are showing the evidence to their school and the Kiribati people but it is not enough. Now, they must change their direction and show the evidence internationally and get help from big industries from other countries to help stop the flooding and erosion of their island. They are asking the researcher to get the word out into the world to stop countless factories and polluters that contribute to the destruction of their beloved island. This concerns the well being of the young people on the island who may not have a future there.

Critical geography is the representation of unequal power relationships in the form of ideas and practices. This is shown in the research from Anna in Kiribati by the harmful industries in North America who don’t seem to care about the negative affects coming from their factories and pollution. This collides with the ideas from the Kiribati people who want to minimize the number of pollutants used to slow or stop the affects that they are facing daily.

References:

AJ+ (Director). (2014, December 8). Kiribati: The Sinking Islands Being Destroyed By Climate Change[Video file]. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY

Hay, Iain. Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford, 2016.

Hooykaas, A. “Philosophy, Power, Politics, and Research.” University of Guelph, 2021.

The tiny nation of Kiribati will soon be underwater - here's the plan to save its people. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2021, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/a39m7k/doomed-by-climate-change-kiribati-wants-migration-with-dignity

amfgeog2260

Concern Rises with Sea Level in Kiribati

The AJ+ video shows us some first hand accounts of the devastating consequences of climate change on Kiribati island and its population. The video makes it very clear that the sea level is rising, and the island’s geographical placement makes it one of the first places to see the tangible and causal impacts of climate change in the world. The community members express their fear of being displaced from their homes because of the increasing inhabitability of their land. The changes they are noticing in their own environment are fast; without proper attention to this concern, the future of Kiribati island is in danger.

Without the proper relations, tools, and resources the goal of mitigating the environmental changes this country faces is not easy. Before a relationship between the Kiribati population and I can be formed, I need to acknowledge the role that power plays in this situation. The textbook outlines the importance and strength of knowledge, and the ways in which it can be directly and indirectly powerful in qualitative research relationships. Being an undergraduate student with little experience in the field, my ability to enact direct power through policy and programs is very low. I do however have the ability to impact the islands with knowledge through indirect power. I have the ability to share the stories about the climatic impacts the islands are facing, which can influence the way other people and places think of and understand Kiribati. There is value in the stories and climate mitigation techniques like growing mangroves on the edges of the island, from which we can learn, and as a researcher, I can hopefully enhance the way others think about and understand this community’s issues.

An important goal as a researcher of my age, social location, experience, and understanding of the world should not be to simply find a “fix” to the current situation of those living in the island communities. Rather, it should be to enhance the education and awareness about the issue, by retrieving relevant and useful stories, experiences, and information from this country. Especially in this situation, the people of Kiribati are researching and constantly increasing their own understanding of the environmental issues they face, and it should be my goal to share their concerns and in turn, provide them with the resources and technology required to increase their likelihood of thriving in their communities.

It would also be important as a qualitative researcher to implement the principles of objectivity and to ensure, as the textbook says “independence from the object of research” (Hay 2016, p. 39). Being a conveyor of information and research from the community rather than procuring a relationship which is perfectly reciprocal, but may not retrieve as robust data. Along with the idea of objectivity, is subjectivity. Subjectivity plays a very important role in this relationship, as my world view, experiences, socio-economic status, and education may impact the research in a way that would not be helpful to the community in Kiribati. Lastly, it is crucial to the research that I reflect on my understanding of different societal norms, as the textbook outlines the importance of intersubjectivity is related to the dialogues and mutual understanding of the world based on societal norms through languages and action (Hay 2016, p. 39).

The qualitative data, research, stories, descriptions, and current mitigation techniques can help our understanding of the current situation of the islands. There is hope for action and further implementation of adaptive models to combat the local environmental changes in Kiribati. The high impact actions of much larger and more powerful countries around the world are degrading the planet to an irreversible point. The weight of our environmental output has to be borne by places like the Kiribati islands and their communities. The changes seen in these islands is a look into the future for the rest of the world without proper mitigation and a significant shift in our emissions.

Hay, I. (2016). Power, Subjectivity, and Ethics in Qualitative Research. In QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. S.l.: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY&ab_channel=AJ%2B

algeog2260

Hi Aden,

I appreciate your post and what you had to say about the Kiribati people! It is so sad how their beloved island is being ripped away from them because of the rest of the world’s wrong doing and the global climate crisis. The carelessness of the use of the earth’s resources needs to be corrected in order to change the way the earth and water levels are heading. I feel that the fear of the Kiribati people can really get this message out if everyone listens.

You mentioned that instead of finding a cure to this awful situation, you should instead help educate other people about these circumstances. I think this is a great approach since you do not have enough experience yet to go and help everyone. Educating people and to hopefully get that information out to the public all around the world and hopefully inspiring people to get involved and help crises like this will have a better effect in this situation.

algeog2260

Why Geography and Where I Consume my Knowledge

Hello everyone! I would first like to start off by introducing myself. My name is Amalia Lukezic and I am currently a second year Geography major at the University of Guelph. I am currently living in Guelph but I am from Hamilton, the city of waterfalls. I grew up going on hikes on the Bruce Trail and never miss an opportunity to try and find a new waterfall in the area. One of my favorite things in the world are mountains, whether its in the summer or winter, hiking or skiing between trees, it is so beautiful. My dream is to one day hike up the mountain Triglav located in Slovenia and part of the Julian Alps. So far, my favorite mountain I have visited is Vršič Pass which is also in Slovenia where my family is from. I have inserted a picture of it while running into some sheep! I think growing up with a passion for the outdoors has contributed to me getting into my love for Geography here at Guelph.

When I first took the required geography course in grade nine, I remember I hated it because all we did was colour in maps and never that I would choose it to be a part of my future. Once I had entered grade eleven, I decided that I wanted to major in environmental science, so I took a bunch of math, chemistry, biology, and physics courses in order to prepare for university. In grade 12, I took a class called World Issues as an elective and I enjoyed it so much that it changed what I wanted to do with my future! I changed my mind from the environmental science to geography. I am very passionate on climate change and how humans can improve with their sustainability. Even though we are the problem, I know we can turn things around! These views I have fit perfectly with the geography courses I am currently taking. I learned that geography studies the relationships with people, their environment, and the places around them.

As a consumer of knowledge, I usually rely on the information I receive from the Omni search engine which is provided by the University’s library. I find that all of the articles on this site are academically acclaimed journal articles that I know I can trust. Omni is my go-to site for when I am writing a research essay or even when I just want to learn more about the earth we live on. Another site I like to use for research essays and personal information is Google scholar. The articles I find there are much more credible than ones I find in my regular google search bar. For current news and quick consumption, especially regarding COVID 19, I will usually watch CBC news on my television or read their articles shared on multiple trusted websites. I know this is out of the ordinary, but I found @marcus.dipaola on the tik tok app who is very helpful in giving me quick and easy information, especially during the United States election and the capital riots that had happened last week. I will never get any of my news or read articles from Facebook as I find it is full of misinformation and bias. I try to find the most credible and true news out there.

One question I have for you is what has been your favorite place to visit? I hope to get to know all of you and I wish you good luck for the rest of your semester!

amfgeog2260

Hi Amalia!

That is an amazing journey to your eventual love for geography and the environment! I really enjoyed reading your blog and reading about your adventures and hopeful future endeavours. I can relate to your experience with being uncertain about your path for university and switching things around. I think its a pretty impossible task to be asked what you want to do for the rest of your life when were only in high school, and I found myself stressing out about that a lot more than I needed to. I had the realization about geography much later, and only recently started gearing my studies more in this direction.

That photo you attached to your blog is incredible! I also think its great that you explained your specific appreciation for mountains, and how interesting that is for you. It allows you to find places with those characteristics and chase them wherever they may be. I am interested to know how high up you were when you took that photo in Slovenia?

I also find the University library a really important and helpful source for us students, to give us proper guidance towards reliable information. I think it’s super important to try and stay away from the social media news as you mentioned, with the amount of bias and lack of accountability on those open platforms, it really does not allow us an opportunity to check the reliability or filter out information which lacks proper credentials.

As for your question to us, I have to honestly say I have not done nearly as much travelling as I would have liked to by now. But the wildlife, terrain, and atmosphere in British Columbia always amazes me, and to think we have all of those stunning vistas in our own country is pretty incredible. I also went to New Orleans Louisiana a few years ago and it was one of the coolest and most different places I have ever been. The food and constant extreme parades that were happening in one area of town, contrasted with the lasting impact on communities that Hurricane Katrina still has was really insane. Lots of places on my list to visit in the future and always open to suggestions!

Thanks again for sharing a little bit about you and your journey to geography and beyond! Looking forward to reading more of your blogs throughout this semester and wish you the best!

Aden

algeog2260

Hi Aden!

Thank you for your kind words! I am glad you have developed some interest in geography. Better late than never! To answer your question about how high I was at Vršič, I actually found a picture. According to the sign, we were 1611m high although we did go a bit higher throughout the hike. The higher we went up, the more breath taking it was.

Your New Orleans trip sounds incredible! I find it so great that you got to experience that city excitement before the world went into lockdown! I would love to visit British Columbia once we are aloud to travel again after Covid is under control. While being in Canada, I have not visited anywhere outside of Ontario, so I would love to explore more of Canada’s beauty. I’m glad I was fortunate enough to visit outside of Canada though. I am also interested to see the difference in culture they might have as I even notice a huge difference just between Hamilton and Guelph.

I cannot wait for the both of us to explore new places in the near future after staying at home for so long! It’ll be such a good time to finally get out into the world!

Best wishes!

-Amalia

lcgeog2260

Blog 1

What has drawn you to Geography?

For as long as I can remember I have had a particular interest in the environment and environmental management. However, I never thought of myself as able to strive in that field, because I viewed it as heavily science based, which is not my strong suit. However, in second year I took Intro to The Biophysical Environment and realized that I could study what I am interested in through the geography program. However, I am not only interested in how these natural processes work but also how humans impact the environment. That is why I find geography so fitting, since there are a variety of courses that make these connections that you cannot find in disciplines solely based on environmental science.

While the environmental side of geography is what drew me into the discipline, after taking several human geography courses throughout my major I have begun to appreciate every aspect of geography. I have specifically found it enlightening that you can connect geography to almost every other field of study. Prior to taking university geography courses I though that geography was simply producing maps and understanding different landscape and landforms. However, it is much more than that and I feel that I have been able to make meaningful connections between human geography and certain observable patterns that I would not have been able to make had I not chosen this major.

Secondly, as a consumer of knowledge, who do you rely upon for information? Consider perhaps three or more “sources”. How do you ensure this information is reliable?

As a University student I have been taught that when seeking out knowledge the information must be from a credible source. Therefore, when researching academic topics, I use peer reviewed journals, or book sources that come from the University library or even google scholar. While these sources can be trusted to provide factual information, while reading I have to keep in mind that there may be potential biases. However, due to their academic nature I tend to blindly trust that the information is reliable. Though this is not always beneficial, I am working towards reading critically, so that I can distinguish any biases or even misinformation within certain academic sources.

On the other hand, for everyday information such as current events, I tend to consume information through social media sources such as twitter or facebook. However, these sources are often riddled with misinformation and bias. That is why, when I find a topic of importance, for example the current pandemic, I do a quick google search and find news sources that publish findings directly from the government or other organizations. While you cannot always trust news outlets, and must read them knowing there will be some sort of political bias, I feel as though if I read enough articles from varying sources I can counteract any biases and find information that is consistent between each source.

algeog2260

Hi Laiken, nice to meet you!

I relate to your post as I originally wanted to go into environmental science but decided to go into Geography instead. This was also because I wanted to avoid the heavy science, although I still liked learning about the physical aspects offered with geography. My favorite course I have taken so far was a first-year course; Natural and Hazardous Disasters. Although I did take a world issues class in high school, I too found that geography is so much more than just maps. Before choosing my courses for my first semester, I would’ve never thought there would be so many options for learning so many different topics! Geography is truly intertwined with everything!

Regarding your news sources, I also mentioned in my main post that Facebook has so much misinformation! Especially regarding COVID-19, I will not trust anything I read from there. I cannot speak for twitter as I have never used it. Instead of using Facebook, I will usually look up COVID news on the CBC website or my local news station. When the Black Lives Matter Protests were going on, I got a lot of news and so many article links to broaden my understanding of the matter through Instagram. I also mentioned in my main post that I will occasionally get some news from a trusted tik tok user account. To be honest, the kind of knowledge I am trying to achieve determines on where I go to get it.

Great job on your post, and I hope you are doing well!

Why Geography and Where I Consume my Knowledge

One question I have for you is what has been your favorite place to visit? I hope to get to know all of you and I wish you good luck for the rest of your semester!

Disclaimer:

-This blog was created for GEOG2260, University of Guelph.

-The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph.

-The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.

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