Caitlyn Harrington

Geography student at the University of Guelph 

[kmgeog2260]

During this course we have looked at various aspects of human geographic research. In this write up I will address three things I know for certain about human geographical research, three things I am still confused by, three things I know about myself as a geographic researcher, and lastly three things I still need to work on as a geographical researcher.

The first thing I know for certain now about human geographical research is that although it does consist of mostly qualitative methods, there is still very many different styles and methods of collecting data and conducting research. Prior to this class I had seen qualitative and quantitative as very black and white, quantitative being solely numerical and qualitative being solely thoughts and ideas. Qualitative research is complex, and not only does it look at tangible aspects of humans and human interaction but also discourses, identities and most importantly place when it comes to human geographic research (Hay, 2005, Chapter 1). It also has a well-developed range of techniques such as ones we have looked at and ones I have used in my blogs. These include observational studies, interviews, case studies, oral histories, focus groups, literature reviews and many more.

Another thing I now know for certain is that human geographic research requires the consideration of ethics and self-reflection. There is a moral imperative to this research where the concern of welfare, respect for persons and justice needs to be incorporated (Hooykaas, Week 3, 2021). These ethical issues arise because of the social nature of human geographic research, in any of the methods listed above you are collecting and interpreting social information (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2), therefore ethical issues can arise before, during or after the research process. I know and understand now the importance of this.

Lastly, human geographic research requires a deep and well documented analysis to ensure rigour and the best possible answer/outcome to your research question. While conducting qualitative research it is not always the case like in quantitative research where the numbers speak for themselves, therefore we must ensure rigour, meaning we need to establish a high level of trustworthiness to our work. To ensure rigour, it requires careful research design and thoughtful planning which will ultimately create trustworthy and dependable research (Hay, 2005, Chapter 6). As the researcher I learned the importance of careful and well thought out design through the digital storytelling project.

The first thing I am still confused by in human geographical research is making informed choices about research design and development. I understand that there are many different styles and methods to geographic research, but I am still unsure of which is the best to use and when. Another thing I am still confused by is after the data has been collected how to filter which responses to use and which information is the best information. In other words, I am still confused on what happens next in research. Lastly, I am still unsure of how to critically assess the strengths of the sources to evaluate how much information is enough. I think that with time and more practice these aspects of human geographical research will make more sense to me.

As a human geographic researcher, I know for certain that I understand the importance of ethics in a research project. I was able to develop this skill throughout the blog posts and the storytelling assignment. Going forward if I were to conduct a research project, I would like to use collaborative research methods, which involves getting input from both insiders and outsiders of the problem being studied (Hay, 2005, Chapter 3). I think that coming from an outsider position in research has some major downfalls and effects to the research being done and raises ethical issues between the researcher and the participants.

This brings me to my next point, that I know for certain that I have and will bring with me an invisible backpack that comes from a place of privilege. To be critically reflexive is a process of self-conscious scrutiny as a research throughout the entirety of the project (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2). Being a white woman raised in Canada, I need to remind myself of the privilege that I come from before, during and after the research process. I will need to ask myself how and why I am doing whatever research I am involved in as well as constantly be looking at the social relations being enacted and influenced by the research I will conduct.

Lastly, I know that using the technique of coding while organizing my research is a good tool for me to use. Prior to this course while trying to find information from literature online I found it very hard to organize information and my thoughts. The knowledge of hierarchical vs. flat, and inductive vs. deductive coding, (Hay, 2005, Chapter 18), going forward will help me organize information and come to a better answer to my research questions.

Areas that I have learned about myself as a geographical researcher that I need more time developing are creating a grounded theory, removing myself from the research and writing/ presenting my qualitative research. Creating a grounded theory is an inductive method where the purpose is to generate information on the most important themes up front to gain a solid understanding of the topic, then looking at the specifics to help answer the research question (Hay , 2005, Chapter 18). I as a research tend to jump into my question too quickly and then end up with a lot of information and time spend in topics that don’t relate to my question. As a researcher I also find it difficult to remove myself from the research write up. Third person and nominalization create more formal research but often I try to add my own thoughts and ideas when they are not needed (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). Lastly, while putting my research together to present it I need time to develop better ways of presenting my work. I need to balance the use of objective and subjective knowledge, learn to write in a third-person narrative and reflect my positionality (Hay, 2005, Chapter 19).

Sources:

Hooykaas. (2021) Course Notes for GEOG2260- Applied Human Geography

Hay, I. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography(4th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780199010912/cfi/0!/4/[email protected]:0.242

[chgeog2260]

Hi Kaya!

I wanted to first mention how much I love the layout of your post. It’s very aesthetically pleasing! I like the point you brought up about prior to the class you saw qualitative and quantitative methods as very black and white. I also saw it from this perspective however like you mentioned, qualitative research is so complex and there are well-developed techniques that I was unaware of before. I am also very certain about ethics and self-reflection. This was one of my favorite topics to learn about. In terms of your confusion towards methods and styles and when to use them, from what I know I think it is honestly up to the researcher what type of research methods and styles they use. I am also still confused on how to critically assess the strengths of the sources. I really liked that you are certain of your invisible backpack and recognize your privilege and how that has the potential to influence your research. I also think that coding is super useful and definitely helps organization and saves time. I agree that the knowledge of the different types of coding techniques is so beneficial for not only this class but future classes and even future careers.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading your final blog post and I can tell you put in a lot of effort! I wish you the best of luck for the end of the semester.

-Caitlyn

[krgeog2260-deactivated20241207]

My Final Blog Post!

For the final blog post, I went back and reacquainted myself with all of the course’s content from previous weeks to ensure I had a wide range of topics to include. Throughout this semester I have found GEOG*2260 to be very informative from a theoretical perspective. I’ve picked out some important course content that I can reflect on that also falls into the 4 sections given in the prompt.

Three things I know for certain about human geography research:

My first certainty within human geography research is the concept of ethics. Throughout times in the course, we were introduced to ethical research, ethics clearance and other types of welfare in the field (Hooykaas, Week 3, 2021). With the current world, we’re living in today, too many people are experiencing injustice and to say society is damaged would be an understatement. I paid extra attention to this aspect of the course because I want to make an active effort to help others (however that may be) throughout my life and career. Gaining this insight was important to me and I’m glad I have more resources than I did before starting 2260 “before beginning research that involves people” (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2).

After some time in the post-secondary realm, I’ve grown very confident with my ability to measure validity (Hay, 2005, Chapter 19). After working through week 5 content of “literature reviews”, I know the benchmarks that articles have to meet in order for me to include them in my university work, and what I look for when reviewing news or stories that help me decide if I believe what I’m reading. The inclusion of Brown’s criteria for evaluation (Hooykaas, Week 5, 2021) gave me a more detailed list than what I had before, which now include the paper’s purpose and scope, among others.

Lastly, for my list of certainties, I’d like to talk about the invisible backpack. This topic will be the number one thing I take from this course because I had never thought about perspective and experience in the way I did in this course. Using the invisible backpack that comes from my identity and experiences spilled over into my regular life, and allowed me to change my thinking towards judgment and perspectives/opinions of others because everyone engages in the world differently. The invisible backpack has taught me another analysis technique that helps me form strong academic points and research! (Hooykaas, Week 2, 2021).

Three things I am still confused by:

Grounded theory gave me trouble because I couldn’t quite connect its importance like I could for other concepts. I believe that I don’t fully grasp this theory because I haven’t had a field experience where I am sifting through pages of data having to identify theories within it. Grounded theory is “an exploratory and inductive way of forming an in-depth understanding of the entire case” (Hay, 2005, Chapter 7, pp;138).

The next thing I was confused by in the beginning was coding. While I could understand the significance and was able to make an attempt in doing my own, it seemed to me as if it were just another organizational style (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). Deductive coding seemed more my speed rather than inductive, which is why I picked that one for the activity. I see the appeal for rigour and analysis of data, which is why I don’t doubt its valuable role in the research process (Hay, 2005, Chapter 18). 

My last point of confusion were the bottom-up and top-down approaches that were talked about during week 3. Since it was more than a couple weeks ago, I can’t seem to connect these approaches to the rest of the research theories and data analysis. I also would like to find further writings about these approaches because our textbook didn’t include information on the topic (Hooykaas, Week 3, 2021).

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

As I move on in my schooling and as a human geographer, I realize how much more I probably have to learn. But when it comes to what I’m certain about myself at this moment, I know my social skills will allow me to develop meaningful connections in research. I’m able to relate and empathize with people well. 

Another asset that I have that will benefit me is a hardworking attitude and ability to stay productive to finish long and complex projects. If I am passionate about something, for instance a research project, I would be a valuable asset to any research team.

 Lastly, I know that I’m in the right schooling avenue because I genuinely enjoy the content I’m learning about. I’m getting very excited about all of the opportunities I’ll have in the future after going through the rest of my undergraduate degree.

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

I would like to spend more time on interviews and constructing productive questions. Since I have never experienced conducting a formal interview for research purposes, I want to revisit this concept as a whole when I have another opportunity to. It could be any of the types of interviews that we learnt about (over the phone, online, semi-structured, open etc.) (Hay, 2005, Chapter 8).

Secondly, I’d like to do something similar to my first, but with questionnaires. I can see a career in data collection for research and working for agencies that provide statistics so I would like to gain additional experiences in forming open or closed questions and using the questionnaires for mass research. The guideline in the textbook of a productive questionnaire caught my eye as interesting during that assigned chapter! (Hay, 2005, Chapter 12).

The last concept I want to spend more time developing came from this week’s (Hooykaas, Week 11, 2021) content involving the feelings of imposter syndrome. I have felt the feelings of fraudulence before when having academic or workplace success and resonated highly with the youtube video and information from the 2260 lectures. After being introduced to this topic, I want to dive deeper and see if I can apply that logic to other courses and achievements in my day-to-day life.

Thank you all for reading all my work throughout this semester! 

References:

Hay, I. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.  

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

[chgeog2260]

Hi Kirsten!

Great final blog post! I really appreciate that you went back and reacquainted yourself with all of the course’s content to make sure you had a wide range of topics to include. I think this is ideal as I found a lot of my topics were very similar. I also found that ethics was a topic I know for certain about human geography research. I also agree that in the world we live in there is too much injustice, so I appreciate your attention to make an effort to help others throughout your career and life. I also agree that this insight was important, and I think it should be more available to all. I also agree that the number one thing I take from this course is the unpacking of my invisible backpack. I agree that it has changed the way I think and how to be more self-aware. I was also confused by coding and agree that it seemed like just another organizational style. In terms of what you are certain on I am very happy to hear that you recognize your ability to stay productive when working on long and complex projects. This can be a very mentally tough skill to establish. Just like you, I would also like to spend more time researching and in particular interviews. I think this would be an amazing opportunity to have and get more experience.

Overall, I have enjoyed reading your posts throughout the semester and I think you have really engaged with the course material and have produced very good blog posts.

-Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

Final Post- A Reflection

As the semester comes to a close, the last blog post is to reflect on all that I have learned throughout Applied Human Geography. I will be talking about the things that don’t really make sense still and reflect on things I know as a human geographic researcher myself. I think after every class it is always key to take a step back and think about what the course taught me and why the professor thought certain aspects of the course were important to teach.

Things I know for certain about human geography research

I have previous knowledge of research methods from other classes so there were already aspects of the course that I was aware of. However, there was one key thing in particular that really stuck out and will stick with me for the rest of my life. In week two we started to learn about power and research design. Within this topic, we learned about unpacking invisible backpacks. It was introduced by Peggy McIntosh when she was exploring women’s studies (Hooykaas, Week 2, 2021). The idea is taking accountability for your place in research and it’s a lot about self-recognition and being aware of the effect you may have. It is something I think is very important in research and should be the foundation of all research.

A topic that is very related to this is critical reflexivity. This topic really seemed to click and make sense when I first learned about it. Critical reflexivity involves the idea of power from information gathered and how this can influence your research (Hay, 2005, Chapter 2). This is something I wasn’t fully aware of previously, but it makes complete sense. I think that unfortunately sometimes researchers go about research without being self-aware of the power they have as a researcher and how this can even influence the research process. Research is something that needs attention to detail so critical reflexivity is very important and I believe this is an aspect of human geography research that I know for certain.

This brings me to my last point, as I mentioned there is a lot of attention to detail needed when doing research. This is why research ethics are a crucial aspect of research. In week three we learned about why research ethics clearance is necessary and all the ethical requirements for protection of human research participants. We learned the ins and outs of the federal, provincial, and municipal protection acts and why these are put in place. It is clear the researchers are responsible for ensuring the participants are not at any risk and that consent is obtained. I know that when researching humans, it is important that they are not subject to any physical, psychological, social, or economic harm (Hay, 2005, Chapter 3). Overall, I think that the protection of human research participants is something I very confident in when it comes to human geography research.

Three things I am still confused by

For the most part, I found it easy to grasp the concepts in this course. With that being said there were a few things that I am still slightly confused by. Firstly, the idea of coding. In my blog post on coding, I was one of the very few that when coding I actually highlighted things related to my keywords, not the words themselves. From my point of view, I think that this saves time for the researcher and really picks out the parts you as a researcher need rather than just the word. I may be wrong about the idea of coding but to me, it is more logical to highlight the parts of the article that are related to the topic.

I am also still confused by is the types of analysis. When I was doing my blog about the article on trawling and climate change, I couldn’t really pinpoint a specific type of analysis that the author used. It got me thinking if the fact that there are only three types of analysis is slightly restrictive. I could be completely off and just didn’t pick up on the type of analysis the author used but that is what confused me.

Lastly, this is something that I have struggled with in all my classes but the idea of evaluating sources that are peer-reviewed. In high school, I never had to find sources and cite things because I was in the British school system so as soon as I entered university all of a sudden peer-reviewed sources were the most reliable sources no questions asked. This is still something I question but I am not quite sure how to ensure it is a reliable source.

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

I know for certain that if I am to conduct research in the future, I am going to keep critical reflexivity and unpack my invisible backpack when carrying it out. This is something I think is very important that I mentioned previously, and I think it is a vital step in research. The second thing I am certain about me as a human geographic researcher is that I find interviewing is quite an interesting topic to learn about and is something I would consider trying in the future. I think it was very interesting to learn about the considerations when selecting the cases and participants and the different types of sampling like the convenience and opportunistic sampling (Hay, 2005, Chapter 6). Lastly, I am certain as a human geographic researcher, I am going to spend more time learning about coding and the different types like deductive or inductive coding (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). I think it is a skill everyone should have and can be used in many different circumstances.

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

In order to feel more confident in my skills, I am going to do more research into the reliability of peer-reviewed sources so that I can fully understand why they are known to be reliable and why they are so commonly used throughout research. I am also going to learn more about how to produce high-quality codes and how to capture positive and negative codes (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). I think coding is a very useful tool to master and take with me throughout my whole academic career and possibly even after that. Finally, the last thing I want to spend more time developing in order to feel more confident in my skills is actually doing my own research and testing whether I can be completely critically reflexive. As I have already mentioned I understand the idea behind critical reflexivity and unpacking my invisible backpack but if I am being honest, I would need to actually perform research so that I can see if I am truly self-aware of my place and power in research.

References

Hay, I. (2005). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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

[amfgeog2260]

Mapping Racial Injustice

Article in ‘The Conversation’

For this week’s blog post I came across an online article published by ‘The Conversation’ journal on February 23rd, 2021 (link to the article: https://theconversation.com/how-black-cartographers-put-racism-on-the-map-of-america-155081). The article discusses the importance of cartography, which is the use, creation, and analyzation of maps. The article explains how useful cartography has been in the history of racial injustice, as a means by which to “put racism on the map of America” (Alderman and Inwood 2021). I have mentioned this in previous blogs, but I found a similar, more recent article for our digital storytelling project which mapped the global protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. This article caught my attention because it uses physical and social geography in the same way as the more recent article, but addresses and visually shows the impact of race related injustice across the United States. The article and maps also give visual weight to the specific states and regions which perpetuated more racial injustices throughout history, which we can draw similarities to the same states today. 

Key Message

There is a strong and noteworthy message here. Although this is not an easy topic to talk about or write about, this article explains the power of mapping social injustice, especially in the history of the United States. The article explains the ways and uses of mapping and cartography over the course of history in America, to better understand, reflect on, and keep account of nationwide racial injustice. The article provides examples of cartography’s use from the late 1800s to examples like mapping police brutality through cartography more recently in 2014 (Alderman and Inwood 2021). Which outlines very clearly for the reader, that racially motivated injustices and inequities are continually perpetuated even almost a century after they were first mapped out. 

The Articles Sources

Because of the historic value with which this article was written, a lot of their sources would have been primary sources or historical, geography related resources. Specifically, the article used a primary source published in 1919 by the “National Association for the Advancement of Colored People”. The primary resource shows a map of the United States of America, and mapped out is all of the lynchings which occurred in a decade long span from 1909 to 1918 (Alderman and Inwood 2021). The second cartograph from the same primary resource shows a similar map of America but for a thirty-year period between 1889 and 1918 (Alderman and Inwood 2021). The other notable primary source you can see below this paragraph; civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in 1963 using maps to organize a march on Washington. The article explains that this is another way/reason for maps to be used to create politically disruptive movements for social change (Alderman and Inwood 2021). This is another parallel to my more recent example related to maps of global protests for anti-racism movements and solidarity for George Floyd. 

Expectations and Responsibilities of the Consumer

I think one of the most important parts of this article is the impact that it could have, either for awareness, education, and/or the future of social justice policy in the United States. We also have a responsibility as a consumer to take any source or article we see and properly evaluate it and reflect on it. The textbook and this week’s content discusses the importance of conducting participatory action research (PAR) which can create positive results associated with co-learning and collective action (Hay 2016, p. 352). This is the type of resource where we all have a responsibility to acknowledge the social injustices, inequities and structurally systemic issues that still impact an underrepresented minority of people. The text also mentions the important process of transformative reflexivity, in which the researcher and the audience or in the case of the textbook, person being researched to reflect on issues and “negotiate meanings of information generated together” (Hay 2016, p. 355). The text also talks about the technique of mapping to further our research and understanding of a topic. For reasons related to our social geographic topic in our final project, to the racial injustices seen in the United States and Canada over the past year, this seemed to be a prominent and important piece of writing to reflect on, and hopefully discuss further. 

References

Alderman H., D., & Inwood FJ., J. (2021, February 23). How black cartographers put racism on the map of America. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/how-black-cartographers-put-racism-on-the-map-of-america-155081

https://www.loc.gov/static/classroom-materials/naacp-a-century-in-the-fight-for-freedom/documents/lynching.pdf

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford.

[chgeog2260]

Hey Aden,

Your post stuck out to me because I think the article you picked is super interesting. I think it’s impressive how cartography was used to highlight this injustice. I also will be looking into the map of global protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. I love this cross-over of physical geography and human/social geography, especially as it is on a topic that needs to be exposed. I agree that the key message is strong, and the article shows the use of cartography from the late 1800’s up to now. I also agree that due to the historical aspect of the article, the sources are primary sources or historical, geography-related resources. The “National Association for the Advancement of Colored People” source is definitely a primary source as well as the second cartograph provided.

In terms of the expectations and responsibilities of the consumer, I think you hit the nail on the head. I like that you highlighted that the essential parts of the article are the impact of it. When looking at historical sources, I think it is always important for the readers to gain knowledge and awareness of the situation and, like you mentioned for this example, impact the future of social justice policy in the United States. I also agree we have the responsibility to take any source or article we read and reflect and evaluate it.

Overall, I think this was a great post and I am glad that I was able to read the article you discussed.

-Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

Critical Evaluation of Trawling & Climate Change Article

Link to article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/climate/climate-change-oceans.html

For this week's blog post, I decided to critically evaluate an article written by the New York Times called 'Trawling for fish may unleash as much carbon as air travel, study says. This was written on March 17th, 2021, by Catrin Einhorn, who covers wildlife and extinction for the New York Times. This article caught my eye in particular because, in high school, I was taught about the environmental impacts of the fishing industry, so since then, I have always wanted to learn more about the dark side of the fishing industry and make those around me aware of it too. Overfishing is already a significant issue, so the fact that trawling is releasing carbon and threatening marine life even more, is very alarming.

Sources and Evaluation

The article's key message is that studies have shown that trawling for fish may release as much carbon as the aviation industry, which would inevitably reduce the ocean's capacity to absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Einhorn, 2021). Catrin uses secondary sources like peer-reviewed journals and quotes from the marine biologists who conducted the study. For example, she discusses findings from a study and hyperlinks the study within the article. When evaluating the sources, Catrin uses scholarly articles directly from those who are conducting the studies. There was no reference to how these articles were evaluated, but Catrin hyperlinked the study she referred to. When deciding how the author analyzed the data, I had a hard time picking one because there was no sign of dialectical or metaphorical analysis. However, I think that there is slight use of fantasy theme analysis in that she looked at the implications for the community and the field (Hooykaas, 2021). In terms of the interview, there was no reference to the type of interview conducted. Catrin only quoted what the interviewees were saying and also didn't refer to her questions. From what I can gather, I think that she used a semi-structured interview. In terms of verification, Catrin refers to a "ground-breaking new study" that is peer-reviewed. I think overall; she validated her sources through the idea that peer-reviewed sources are credible sources.

As a reader of this article, I think the consumer's responsibility should be to check the author's sources. When reading anything, it is always a good idea to review the sources, even if they are peer-reviewed, because it can give them some more insight into the background of where the author got their information. In terms of expectations, I think it is good for the readers to understand what trawling is and how it works. There is some reference to how it works initially, but prior knowledge makes it an easier read.

Let me know what you guys think of the article!

References

Einhorn, C. (2021, March 18). Trawling for Fish May Unleash as Much Carbon as Air Travel, Study Says. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/climate/climate-change-oceans.html

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 9: Writing Qualitative Geographies, Constructing Geographical Knowledge Data Analysis, Writing, and Re-Evaluating Research Aims Presenting Findings.

[ahgeog2260-deactivated20211210]

Coding Through a Pandemic

Introduction

I independently coded two journal articles that indirectly relate the spread of economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic to the subject of Geography. My first source is a peer-reviewed journal published in the Journal of regional science by Ascani et al. (2020) and uses the coronavirus in Italy as an example. My second source is a peer-reviewed journal published in the Journal of economic and social geography by Sokol & Pataccini (2020).

Coding and Frames

I decided to code these two articles by searching for keywords that appeared multiple times throughout both articles and were closely related to the topics of the two articles. I was able to indicate four words that met this criteria:

COVID-19 (pink)

Geography/geographies (green)

Economic (yellow)

Crisis (blue)

Deductive coding is when we start with a predefined set of codes and assign them to our qualitative data (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). For the purpose of these two articles, deductive coding is what was used when coding the data in both articles. This method was chosen because the topic of choice was one that had already been thoroughly studied throughout the last year via personal research, online findings, and news channels.

A flat coding frame is used to allow for each code to have the same level of significance (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). This type of coding frame can prove to be difficult to use as the different themes, and therefore keywords, may not hold the same amount of significance (Hooykaas, Week 8, 2021). I chose to use a flat coding frame in my analysis as I believe that for the topic of study in both articles, all codes relate directly back and have the same amount of significance.

Applying Coding

The codes of the two journal articles used for this blog will not be useful to apply to my assignment because the topics differ. However, this weeks lecture and this blog post have challenged me and put into perspective a new way to analyze journal articles for the upcoming assignment. The topic of my assignment is environmental geography. When conducting my research I will search for codes that are common across all articles to insure they relate to my topic of study. Two very obvious codes that I will search for are “environment” and “environmental.” Another code to keep a lookout for will be “history,” as my part for the assignment is dedicated to the history of environmental geography, such as how it came to be and how it was conducted in the past. When conducting my research, I will utilize the coding method further by making note of key ideas/phrases instead of just single words. I believe applying coding to my research in this way will aid in staying on the correct path and not straying from my topic of study.

References

Ascani, A., Faggian, A., & Montresor, S. (2020). The geography of COVID‐19 and the structure of local economies: The case of Italy. Journal of Regional Science. doi:10.1111/jors.12510

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 8: Coding

Sokol, M., & Pataccini, L. (2020). Winners And Losers In Coronavirus Times: Financialisation, Financial Chains and Emerging Economic Geographies of The Covid‐19 Pandemic. Tijdschrift Voor Economische En Sociale Geografie, 111(3), 401-415. doi:10.1111/tesg.12433

[chgeog2260]

Hi Alyssa!

I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I think Covid-19 and economic geography are very related to each other at the moment so I can see these being very interesting topics to explore and code. I think your four words are great for the articles you picked, and I also used deductive coding when coding my data. I think this is one of the better forms of coding, especially for your situation. You mentioned that flat coding can be difficult to use because the different themes may not hold the same amount of significance. This is something I didn’t really consider before, but I would have to agree. I think for the type of work we are doing this is not an issue but for other instances, I can see how it could be a problem.

I also agree that this week’s blog post was a challenge and has definitely opened my eyes to a different way of analyzing articles and will hopefully prove to be useful in this class and future classes. I think your plan for coding articles for your assignment is great and will hopefully help you with your research and keep you on the correct path.

Thanks for sharing!

Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

Coding Population Geography

This week’s lecture taught us about coding and how useful this is for conducting research and how it can narrow down the process for the researcher and pick out the relevant information needed for their research.

I coded two sources that my group is using in our digital story telling project. My first article is about population geography with heavy focus on the social impacts of migration. My second article is about the projection of mortality attributed to heat and cold. Specifically, the impact of climate change in a dry region of Iran. When coding I always want to have set colour coordination for my codes so that when going back through the articles it is very organized with an easy layout to understand.

My themes:

Mortality – Yellow

Policy – Green

Population and population change – Blue

Migration – Pink

Social impacts – Purple

I tried to focus my codes on ideas that were relevant to the purpose of our digital storytelling project rather than the main points of the article. This is because one of the articles I coded is used as a supplement to highlight how relevant population geography is across all subjects of geography. Overall, with my coding themes I aimed to have topics that reflected what my group is going to point out and explain about population geography.

Article 1: Mortality

Some of my highlights are larger sections but I did this to have a more general idea of what is discussed before I go into more detailed coding once I have a good idea of what I want to get out of the article. This article in particular is useful for our digital storytelling project because it demonstrates the impact of population on major issues like climate change. I used PDF format and highlighted the codes with the colours provided.

Article 2: Population Geography and Migration

Deductive Coding

I used deductive coding when analyzing the articles because my group already established the kind of information we wanted to take from the articles and how they would serve our research. So before coding, I decided what my five codes were, to really get the detail that applied to my project. My biggest challenge with this was not having bias when coding but I tried my best to refrain from letting the bias shine through. I also used a flat coding frame because each code I have has the same level of significance and specificity (Hooykaas, 2021). The only issues with this are that when going back to code for more detail it can make it hard to organize and navigate the concepts because there is no order.

Usefulness in our digital storytelling project

I think this coding will be very beneficial for our digital storytelling project because I used the articles we are using in the project and because it is a great way to get the key information from the articles and find things, I may not have considered being relevant at first glance. I think if all the group members combined code-relevant articles it will be very helpful in the long run. Overall, I think coding these articles has allowed me to gather and organize my thoughts and has helped with finding the main focus and takeaway from each article.

[ekgeog2260-deactivated20231114]

GEOG*2260 has been a bit of a dichotomy for Me

GEOG*2260 - Applied Human Geography has been an interesting experience for me and it has helped me a number of ways, but it has definitely been a dichotomy between being finding the course content important to learn and not being interested in doing what the course content teaches.

I mentioned in my 4th original blog post (Week 4, Feb 1-7) that I have zero interest in conducting academic research after my university education. For me, this class and the course content has helped me greatly in confirming that research is not the right path for me and my interests. It has been an interest experience for me being in a course that teaches solely about research techniques when I have already established to myself that I don’t want to do research as a career. Reading and learning about interviewing, creating questionnaires, research ethics, and research design has been slightly excruciating due to my lack of interest in applying those skills in a research project setting. However, there have been topics so far that I have found very interesting, both directly and indirectly relating to the specific course content.

Directly relating to the lectures and readings we have had, I have found the second lecture on the philosophy, power, and politics of applied human geographic research, as well as the Week 3 reading on cross-cultural research. I found that learning about critical reflexivity (the process of constant, self-conscious scrutiny of the self as a researcher and of the research process) (Hooykaas, 2021) very important, not only as a researcher, but as a person who thinks and processes information in everyday life. I have found that being aware of applying reflexivity when there is time to do so can have the potential to yield important insights about yourself and the way you interact with other people and the world around you. Learning about what it means to be objective, subjective, or intersubjective as a researcher is also something I have realized can apply to many other aspects of life (Hooykaas, 2021). I think the most important of these three concepts, that might not be realized as much as the others is intersubjectivity; that the researcher (yourself), the participants (the people around you), nor the nature of your interactions will remain unchanged during the research process (your relationships/life) (Hooykaas, 2021). I also enjoyed learning about cross-cultural research, specifically the differences and shifts between colonial, postcolonial, decolonizing, and inclusionary research (Howitt & Stevens, 2016). It’s exciting and heartening to learn about the shift towards inclusionary research, that can help “…empower subordinated, marginalized, and oppressed others…” through research (Howitt & Stevens, 2016).

Indirectly relating to the course content, I believe I am still interested in the concepts and issues that human geography attempts to research, and there are many of these that I see as important to address and as interesting to examine. For example, the predicament of Kiribati from Blog Post 2 is an issue that I think is one of major importance, and that needs to be addressed by the global community immediately. However, these issues are things that I would want to potentially address in a way other than as a researcher.

Thank you for reading my post! I appreciate any responses and I’m excited to hear what you have to say!

References:

Hooykaas, A. (2021, January 19). Week 2: Philosophy, Power, Politics, and Research Design. Lecture. Retrieved March 1, 2021, from https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/668082/viewContent/2673139/View

Howitt, R., & Stevens, S. (2016). Cross-Cultural Research: Ethics, Methods, and Relationships. In 1221261455 908622289 I. Hay (Ed.), Qualitative research methods in human geography (4th ed., pp. 45-75). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

[chgeog2260]

Hey Eric,

I really enjoyed reading your post this week. I really respect your honesty about your disinterest. I think that there is always something to take from every class we take whether its learning it’s something you are passionate about or in your case confirming it’s something you do not want to pursue. I think both are equally beneficial things to learn and you now do not have to wonder if researching was a potential path for you to take. I am sorry to hear that you find the content excruciating due to your lack of interest, but I am glad you have found some of the topics interesting.

Just like you I found learning about critical reflexivity very important and that many of the things we are learning about can be applied to our everyday life. I also enjoyed learning about cross-cultural research and Kiribati. I am interested to know if you don’t want to address issues like the Kiribati case study through research, how would you go about addressing these types of issues? I think a major way to help address these kinds of issues is from a political approach.

Overall, great post and I hope this course doesn’t treat you too bad for the rest of the semester.

- Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

My thoughts on Applied Human Geography

As a geography major myself, I am required to take this course. If I’m being honest, I am not drawn to the human side of geography. I have always preferred the physical side of geography rather than learning about humans. The name “applied human geography” did not excite me at first and I wasn’t very sure what the applied part really meant. After the first week I quickly realized that this would be a class focused on researching. This was a relieving discovery as I find research interesting, and I also realized that there was more to human geography than things like economic geography and cultural geography. I enjoyed the blog post where we could discuss whatever we wanted to research. I liked that I could pick something that meant something to me and was personal instead of a study assigned by the professor. The idea of having unlimited resources to study anything seems pretty dope and I was also happy to learn that environmental geography can also fall under human geography.

I think the blog posts have been a great learning platform for this class. I have never made a blog before and I find it as a fun way to learn and share my knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the blog posts about the Kiribati islands and Agafia Lykov. I think the Kiribati blog was super interesting to learn about as well as see research in a video format. I also enjoyed the documentary about Agafia as I had never seen it before, and I think it was a good example to show research ethics. I have learnt about ethics in high school, so I was already aware of majority of the ethics, but I was glad to learn about invisible backpacks. I think this is crucial to research and should be considered by every researcher. I think the idea of self-reflexivity is not only important in research but throughout daily life. As for the group project, I have never done a group project in university yet, so this is quite new for me, but I think it is a great learning experience for my development and for whatever my future job entails. I also think the layout of this course has kept me engaged with the material.

Overall, I do not think researching is the field I will go down in the future, but I could be wrong. This class has made me realize that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and has actually opened my eyes to the research side of human geography.

[aggeog2260]

An Interview with Carl Sauer

Cultural geography, as a subfield of human geography, acknowledges the valuable relationship between humans and their environment. It looks to understand cultural traditions and values, while also noting the way that the environment affects cultural practices and vice versa. Key thinker Carl Sauer (1889 - 1975) is noted to be one of the founders of the modern day conception of cultural geography. His work in the early 20th century worked to understand the relationship between humans and the natural landscape, specifically in how the advent of industrial agriculture has evolved to shape these relationships (“Research Guides: Human Geography: Cultural geography”, n.d.). He studied not only how landscapes affected humans, but also how human societies affected the environment around them. He also looked to understand the cultural histories of things such as agriculture or the domestication of animals (“Carl Sauer and the Cultural Landscape”, n.d.). His work in understanding these relationships fostered growth for the field of study of cultural geography, and therefore it would be very interesting and eye - opening to have the opportunity to speak with him about his experience. 

Should I have the opportunity to have a five minute interview with Carl Sauer, my first question would be what inspired him to study and develop the field of cultural geography. Cultural geography is a rather niche field of study within the broader field of geography, and I would be interested to know how Sauer got into the field, and what inspired him to pursue his research. 

By understanding these motives, I could gain a deeper understanding of his perception of cultural geography, which would lead me into my next question; what cultural geography means to him, and what his specific definition of the field is. Though one can easily search the definition of cultural geography on Google, and be presented with a variety of quick answers, hearing the meaning of the field from one of the key founders would allow for a deeper understanding of the field as a whole. 

Thirdly, I would ask him where he sees cultural geography going in the future. As Sauer was a thinker of the early 20th century, he would not have experienced the extreme cultural changes that came with the Technological Revolution. If I somehow had the opportunity to speak with him about these changes, I think that it would be interesting to see his perspective on the role of technology within society, and how that alters both our culture and our relationship with nature. 

My fourth question would be to ask Sauer how his perception of human culture and the environment would have been different had he been a prominent thinker in the 21st century compared to the 20th. This would allow me to better understand. 

My fifth and final question would be; how do you see the relationship between humans and their culture and the environment changing as we progress into the climate crisis? As Sauer passed in 1975, it would be interesting to gain his perspective on how the climate crisis might change the relationship between human culture and the environment, in unprecedented ways.

 I would choose to ask these questions based on the Primary Question Types of box 8.3 on page 155 of the textbook (Hay, 2016). The first question is posed as a storytelling question, and would allow for Sauer to tell his story of how he got into the field in his own words. My second question would fall under that of descriptive, as I am asking him to describe what his perception of cultural geography is. My third question would be categorized as an opinion style question. Though it could be argued that the ‘future’ of cultural geography in his mind has already come (as he passed in 1975), it would be interesting to see whether his future predictions have come true or not. My fourth question would fall under the contrast type of question. By asking him to compare his experience of a 20th century geographer to a more modern day, 21st century geographer, I could perhaps understand the ways that the field of study has changed over time. My last question would target the opinion style of questions. By asking what his opinion is on the changing relationship between humans and their environment as we progress through the climate crisis, I could hope to gain a deeper insight through his expertise in the field.

 (Hay, 2016) By asking a variety of types of questions, I would be able to gain a more encompassing perspective of cultural geography than if I had just stuck to one single type of question. By doing this, I can hope to gain a deeper and broader understanding not only of cultural geography but also Carl Sauer’s perspective.

Do you think that I accurately categorized my questions according to Box 8.3? Do you think that these questions would provide me with accurate results that will aid in my progress through the Digital Storytelling Project? Let me know below!

References:

Carl Sauer and the Cultural Landscape. E-education.psu.edu. Retrieved 25 February 2021, from https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog571/node/145.

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (4th ed., p. 155). Oxford.

Research Guides: Human Geography: Cultural geography. Researchguides.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 25 February 2021, from https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/human_geography/cultural.

[chgeog2260]

Hey April!

I really enjoyed reading your blog and learning more about who you chose as your key thinker in cultural geography, as well as why you chose to interview them. I like that you chose to interview one of the founders of cultural geography because they will have a wide range of knowledge on the subject. Unfortunately, your key thinker passed away in 1975, which you acknowledged, and I am glad you recognize his research. The only critique I would have about this is to choose someone who is still alive, but that was not required for the blog. However, for your particular topic, ‘cultural geography,’ it could be more beneficial to interview someone who has lots of knowledge of historical culture and who is the founder of the concept. Your first question is excellent, and I would love to hear what inspired him to develop the field of cultural geography. I also like that you would ask him his thoughts on the future. It is always interesting to see what those who study particular fields have to say about future predictions. One question that I will recommend for your interview is asking him if he has anything he wants to tell you. This is a great way to learn more that you may not know about who you are interviewing. Sauer is a researcher himself, so by asking this at the end of the interview, he may have some ideas or things he may think are beneficial to the interview.

Overall, great post, and I can tell you put thought into your questions and considered the textbook and lecture this week.

-      Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

Interviewing William Clark

Who am I interviewing?

My digital research project focuses on population geography and how demography contributes to all aspects of geography. If I could interview anyone in this field, I would interview William A. V. Clark. He is got his BA and MA in Geography from the University of New Zealand and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He is now a research professor with his Ph.D. in geography. He has published 10 books and has three main research areas: housing choices, patterns of segregation and their explanations, and migration and mobility. He has received many awards and grants for his work (Clark, 2020). Overall, I think he is very knowledgeable in population geography and well suited for the interview.

5 questions

1. What first got you interested in studying geography, and how did you direct your studies more specifically to population geography?

- This initial question will be a good way for me to gauge how he got into the study and get him talking about his passion and keeping it broad. This is a great first question to get the conversation flowing and to give him an idea of the kinds of questions I will be asking him (Hay, 2016).

2. How influential do you think population geography and demography are for other aspects of geography?

- This is the key topic we discuss in our digital storytelling project, so I would like to know his stance on this. I also think it is a great question to follow from the first question because it allows him to give his opinion and not really have to think too much in detail.

3. What is your stance on population and climate change?

- I think a big part of climate change is our population, so I want to know his take on the contribution, and I am leaving this question quite open and vague to allow him to say as much as he feels on this topic instead of making it super focused.

4. You research migration and mobility and population. Do you think there will be changes in migration and population patterns during and after the pandemic?

With this question, I want to gain some insight into his opinion on what is currently going on with the pandemic and how he thinks this will affect population patterns, and his predictions for the future. This is a more specific question related to his research, but I still want to keep the question quite open for his own elaboration.

5. Is there anything else you would think would be useful for me to know?

- For my last question, I am opening up the floor to him to give Dr. Clark the chance to offer any additional information that he thinks may be beneficial for me. The Oral history that he may provide would be beneficial, and possibly give me the information I was not aware of would be a great supplement to my interview (Hooykaas, 2021).

About my interview

I would do a semi-structured interview so that the questions are more open-ended, and I can get as much detail from the questions as possible. To keep this interview semi-structured, I would ask mostly open-ended questions to allow Dr. Clark to elaborate as much as he can in the 5 minutes. As a researcher himself in a field that most likely involves interviewing people, he is already aware of the types of questions, so I think the semi-structured format is appropriate (Hay, 2016). I would also make sure to have previously memorized the questions so that the conversation flows, and I do not seem unprofessional. I ask a range of questions related specifically to his field as well as broader questions about population geography to get an overview of his thoughts on the subject.

References

Clark, W. (2020, October 21). William A. V. CLARK.

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

Hooykaas, A. "Data Collection - Interviews, Oral Histories, Focus Groups." University of Guelph, 2021.

[jpgeog2260]

Pandemic Effects on Low Wage Workers

The Research

If I had the ability to conduct research as a graduated student with limitless resources, then I would like to examine the effects that COVID 19 has played on the lives of low wage workers in North America. My research has a variety of locations that it could focus on and would compare the similarities and differences between areas in Canada and the United States. I would concentrate my attention and research on families who have had negative experiences with COVID 19 due to the loss of jobs, or the inability to work from home. I would be able to look at the geographical location of certain communities where data has shown to have high cases. Social factors could also be involved, while looking at gender, race, and transportation of the people in the research. This research has been an interest of mine after learning more about the pandemic and experiencing some of the negative impacts that it has created. I would specifically like to see how it has targeted people who may not be able to stay safe due to their jobs or their loss of jobs. This future research would be a great way to allow families to share their experiences and stories, while also generating potential help from others who see the research.

This cartoon picture illustrates everyday workers and relationships with COVID 19.

Image from: https://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/low-income-covid-19

My Proposal

This research would need to take on the same format as previous documentaries that we have watched and analysed for our blog posts and discussions. A short documentary video would allow viewers to understand how COVID has affected the lives of everyday people, who have not had the same privileges as others in regard to the situation. The research would take place once the risk of COVID is gone, but the examination of communities that have had large amounts of positive tests and unemployment, would begin as soon as possible.

Relation to Course Content

This research would need both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative methods would be used in the research for statistics, and where COVID is affecting jobs most often. This would be done in order to look at data and identify behaviour within certain areas (Hay, 2016). Qualitative methods would be used in the filmmaking aspect of the research. It would specifically be used to explore the human experiences with the situation, and the gathering of participants (Hay, 2016). Interviews would be the main aspect of the research, as it is the main goal to look closer at the lives that COVID has negatively affected. Due to the situations, it is important to be critically reflexive all the way through the process, and acknowledge the privileges that I have, as well as my job as a researcher because of my personal invisible backpack (Hay, 2016). My life and experiences are much different to theirs, so it would be important to acknowledge that privilege that I have. The final part, and the most important part is ethics and consent. Consent would be incorporated from the very beginning of the research, as before I recruit people, I would go to the communities and talk with potential families who have been affected. From there, I would let them know my plans with the research, and if they feel comfortable being filmed while telling their stories. If or when written consent is given I will have to apply ethical behaviour throughout the process (Hay, 2016). Concern for welfare will be a major focus, as I have to realize the impacts of the research involved, and the participants individual wellbeing (Hay, 2016). Some questions could be uncomfortable to talk about, so understanding the privacy of participants should be important.

Benefits of this research

This research would be able to benefit both myself and the participants involved. I would be able to benefit as my work would be shown and the information I have gathered/presented will be able to be supported with the stories given from the participants. The research would also benefit the participants because of the exposure and relatability it will have with others in the same situation. People could help these families, as well as other families affected by COVID 19 through the use of donations or assistance.

References

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

https://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/low-income-covid-19

[chgeog2260]

Hi Josh,

I was immediately drawn to your post because I agree that the pandemic has had detrimental effects on low wage workers. I liked how you would specifically look into areas that have higher cases of COVID-19 because that’s where you would expect there to be the most unemployment. I also liked that in your proposal you said you would do it in a short documentary style to really allow people to grasp what the people are going through. You did well to explain your research methods and I like that you mentioned that you would consider critical reflexivity because that is very important when it comes to researching. I also respect that you recognize your privilege when doing this research because that is something very important to acknowledge. I agree that the most important part of the research is the ethics and particularly consent. Privacy in this type of research would be very important as unemployment is a sensitive subject. I also agree that your research could help the participants because of the exposure.

My question for you is what types of questions would you ask these people when doing your qualitative research? If I was doing this, I would make an effort to ask if they are receiving help from the government in these times. Also, I think with unlimited resources you could try and aim the research at governments so that they are more aware of the specific areas that are being affected and can take action on the situation.

Obviously since this is a pandemic there’s not much that can be done but if this research can shed light on the effects of the pandemic, I think it could be beneficial.

Great post!

-Caitlyn

[chgeog2260]

Tourism Industry: One of COVID-19's many victims

Growing up on an island where tourism is one of the biggest contributors to the economy, I have seen with my own eyes the impact of the decline in tourism due to COVID-19. My research would be focused on the repercussions that COVID-19 has on those unemployed by the tourism sector. It is estimated that tourism employs more than 220 million people globally (Saarinen et al. 2011). With limitless resources, I aim to focus on the major impact’s COVID-19 has on tourism and the unemployment it has caused to so many of these people.

Quantitative research

I would begin my research by investigating how many people worldwide have been unemployed in the tourism industry. I would then look into specific countries with the most amount of unemployment and see if there is a link between the amount of unemployed people and the regulations out in place by that country. It could be that there are more unemployed in certain countries because they have completely blocked their borders to any tourists.

Qualitative research

I would approach my qualitative research though ethnographic research. I would interview those who have lost their job in the tourism sector due to COVID-19. When approaching this subject there are some things I would need to consider. Firstly, as unemployment is a sensitive subject it will be difficult for me to display dispassionate interpretation but when doing my research, I will keep this in mind to make sure the research is not influenced by my outside perspective. I would also have to acknowledge and unpack my invisible backpack. I would mention that I as a university student am privileged to be the one researching this and I am not the one being impacted by this unemployment. In terms of the types of questions I would ask the people I am interviewing; I would ask questions to get insight of the outcome of the unemployment. For example:

- How are you coping during these times?

- Do you have any fears for the future of the tourism industry?

- Is there support available for you?

- If so, is this support sufficient?

- Are you guaranteed a job once things begin to “normalize”?

- What do you think of the governments?

With this qualitative research I want to see if the unemployed are getting support through these hard times and how they view the policies in place that may have led to their unemployment. I also wish to know how they generally feel about the unemployment and their thoughts on the future of their job.

Ethics

I am aware my research can impact many people. In my interviews I need to make sure that names are kept confidential and the questions I am asking are not leading questions and that they feel comfortable and do not think I am being judgmental towards their answers. I would also make sure that I have consent prior to interviewing them and that they are aware they do not have to answer anything they are uncomfortable answering. I would also make sure to get consent to publish the results whilst still keeping their information confidential.

Who will benefit?

With limitless resources I am hoping that this research would help get the attention of the governments who aren’t helping the unemployed enough. I would also hope that it would encourage those living in tourist destinations to help out the local’s businesses and if they can go on “staycations” and take part in the touristy activities. As this is a pandemic, I recognize there isn’t very much that can be done until the virus is better contained but if my research can help others realize how lucky they are to still be employed during these times then I think it can still be beneficial.

References

Saarinen, J., Rogerson, C., & Manwa, H. (2011). Tourism and Millennium Development Goals: tourism for global development?

[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

[chgeog2260]

Hi Eric, 

Great post! Such a fascinating documentary and something i definitely would not have known about if i hadn’t taken this class.  I agree that their interview questions were fairly inoffensive and i’m glad they went about it this way. I also agree that the potential influence of the invisible backpack is not obvious in the documentary, but i am glad you acknowledged and unpacked it. I think it could be useful for the documentary if they unpacked it to show the viewers that they recognize their privilege. 

In terms of ethics, like you said there seems to have been some ethical consideration, especially with the types of questions they asked her. Although i did realize that they said her full name and published it publicly so I’m curious if they got her consent to publish her name. I liked that they didn’t intrude in her space and brought a tent to sleep in as well as helping her out with the hard-core work.

Overall, i think it would be smart to approach this research like you said with an open mind, engage in her way of life and ensure that she was comfortable with everything that was being filmed. 

Thanks 

-Caitlyn 

[chgeog2260]

Surviving Siberia's wilderness for 70 years

What it's about

VICE produced a documentary that explored the life of Agafia Lykov, a woman who has been living in Siberia's wilderness her whole life. Like many others in 1936, her family left their lives behind after being treatened by Stalin for being Old Believers. They settled 160 miles away from civilization in the Sayan Mountains. Agafia was born and raised in the Sayan Mountains with her parents and sisters. The Lykov family lived the wilderness for 40 years before Russian geologists found the family. Agafia’s sisters died from pneumonia after meeting the geologists because they weren’t exposed to people for 40 years and her father passed not too long after. Her mother died in 1961 due to starving herself so that her family could eat. Agafia is now the last member of the Lykov family. The VICE researchers travelled to the Sayan mountains to live with Agafia for three days in order to gain some insight into the life of a 70-year-old woman living in the wilderness alone.

Research techniques

The main research technique used in the documentary was interviews. They did a series of interviews with Agafia and those that know her. They started by asking her general questions about her daily routine and chores. They also asked Agafia about how she manages living alone in the wilderness as a 70-year-old woman and the hardships she’s faced. Following that they got her view on the outside world and her perspective of the city. She mentioned she has visited the city 5 times before, but she could never live there. The researchers asked Agafia about her experiences with the wildlife and discussed how she has confronted bears in the past and how she deals with it. They also conducted observations where they would follow her around on her typical day and help her with some of her chores like chopping wood and clearing the snow off her roof. They would also use these observations as ways to ask more questions and get to know more about her lifestyle. When conducting this research, the researchers had an invisible backpack that could influence the way they viewed her lifestyle and conducted the research. I think the biggest thing that stuck out to me was how she requested that the researchers bring her a goat and chickens. If the researchers were to unpack this and analyze it, they could note that they have easy access to food and resources which is completely different to the lifestyle that Agafia lives. However, it is key to note that during this documentary the researchers did not make reference to this.

Ethics

In terms of ethics, I think they took good precautions when conducting this research. For example, they stayed in a tent outside instead of in her house, so they weren’t coming into her personal space and gave her privacy. From what I saw in the interview they did not try to change her view on the city life or disrespect her religion. They also helped her out with her chores and brought her a goat and chicken. However, I do think when they were filming her praying, they did get a bit up close and could have filmed it differently and they didn’t keep her name anonymous. Overall, I think this research was reasonably ethical and the researchers didn’t try to change her beliefs or discourage her.

Overall, I think if I was given this project, I would approach it slightly different. I would begin by asking Agafia off camera what she is comfortable with and get her consent. I would then go about it from there. I would also try to film it in a way that would show what a typical day looks like for her. With that being said, the most important part of my research would be coming into the project unprejudiced and with the intention of gaining knowledge on her lifestyle. As a university student I would also address my invisible backpack to show the viewers that I recognize my privilege and not let it impact my research. I would also let Agafia know that whatever she is not comfortable with she does not have to answer, and I will consider all the possibilities that could cause harm to Agafia when conducting my research and avoid it at all costs.

VICE. (2013, April 9). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years. Retrieved 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68%29

[krgeog2260-deactivated20241207]

Kiribati’s Climate Emergency

The Issue At Hand

The Republic of Kiribati has become nationally known for being one of the first countries to suffer incredibly from the effects of climate change. Due to its low elevation, changes in sea level are becoming very damaging, very quickly, to the people of Kiribati. In an attempt to mitigate these issues, approaching research and future projects the correct way is critical because we’re running out of time.

Roles of Power and Examining Critical Reflexivity

In the documentary, there is a very asymmetrical relationship between the researcher and the participants. An asymmetrical relationship is defined as “significant differences in social positions of the researcher and those being researched” (Hay, 2016, pg 36). Anna (the researcher in the video) has travelled to the island to experience society and its damaged environment for the purposes of research and awareness but has the luxury of leaving the island to a possible safer place. While this relationship is visible in the video, it brings a certain tone to the presented research due to its ability to provoke empathetic emotions from viewers of the documentary.

I want this project to be as comprehensive and all-encompassing as possible while creating a finished project that shows the severity of Kiribati’s situation to help induce change. Critical reflexivity from myself throughout the research process would help to keep my personal experiences or potential bias out of the critical research. Recognizing that if I were to visit the island and do hands-on research, I would also be creating an asymmetrical dynamic because of my position in society of living in a more economically active or industrialized country, just like in the video. To reflect critically, a researcher needs to examine power, subjectivity and be able to identify where you fit as both a person and/or a researcher. (Hooykaas, 2021). As we learned in GEOG*2260 content this week, it is almost impossible to complete good research and stay completely objective (Hooykaas, 2021), so taking a deeper look into intersubjectivity or subjectivity is necessary. In knowing myself, I know that subjectivity would come easy to me, and I also know that I am a complete outsider. I get influenced by emotion and opinion so an approach like this feels most natural for my style of work. Intersubjectively, creating connections with my researcher participants would hopefully allow them to open up to me. My critical reflective skills will help maintain a balance of my subjectivity and effective research.

Human Geographic Approaches

In my opinion, there is a need for somewhat of a mixed approach to this research. Using mainly the approach of ethnography that stems from the interpretivism paradigm of qualitative research, with the incorporation of critical geography. Ethnography is dependent on field research and is involved closely with social groups and social structures (Hay, 2016, pg 14). This approach stays in theme with the visiting of the island and using oral methods of data collection for the project. By then including the use of critical geography, which is ideas and practices that challenge unequal power relationships and apply critical theories to geographical problems or social justice (Hay, 2016, pg 441). Using these two together with the researcher being able to critically reflect on themselves and the project as a whole creates an environment where the purpose of the project stays at the forefront of all the work involved in combatting Kiribati’s climate crisis.

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.

[chgeog2260]

Hi Kirsten, 

I loved your post and i agree that Anna films it in a way that makes it very emotional for the viewers. I also liked your idea of having an all-encompassing approach to the research. This way of approaching it will mean that the viewers can really get a sense of what has happened to Kiribati. I also agree that if we were to visit the island and do research from the outside perspective, it would create an asymmetrical dynamic. This is something i think all researchers in this field must consider and just like you mentioned it’s important to always be critically reflective because it would help keep personal experience and bias out of the research. 

I like your idea of having a mixed approach because i think the more variation in the type of research, the better. Ethnography for this research just makes sense because you mentioned you are going to collect oral data. I also decided to use this approach because i think it will help the viewers really get a good sense of what the people are going through. I also like your idea of using critical geography. Before reading your blog post i wasn’t really considering it but i can now see that it can be very beneficial. 

I would love to hear more about what audience you would target this research towards and how that would serve Kiribati. Overall, great post and i can tell you understand this week’s content. 

[chgeog2260]

Kiribati: A Victim of Climate Change

Kiribati is a series of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that are among one of the first countries to confront the direct impacts of climate change. Rising of sea levels have been quickly eroding and flooding the islands and have forced many of the people to lose their homes. The low-lying nation is no longer questioning if they will have to migrate, instead it is just a question of when they will have to migrate. In this blog I aim to describe how I would conduct research in Kiribati, in hopes of helping the disappearing nation (AJ+, 2014).

The role of power

Prior to conducting qualitative research, there are many factors that I would need to consider. I would first recognize that I would be conducting my research from an outside point of view. Thus, I would need to address that I am not the one who is facing the hardships of losing my home to climate change and that I must be critically reflective when directing my research. The role of power plays a big part in my research, and I would need to consider what my aim of this research is and who it would impact. With an issue such as climate change that has profound impacts on many people, it would be extremely exciting if I were able to be directly powerful and effect real change in the lives of the affected and in the policies that contribute to this issue. I would use a bottom-up approach and share the accounts of the issue through the lens of those who are experiencing it. This would ensure that I am not interfering with this research but instead providing the people with a platform for their voices to be heard.

The roles of objectivity, subjectivity and intersubjectivity in my research

In terms of objectivity, it would be appropriate to provide evidence of the rise in sea level over the years. I would do this by taking satellite imagery of the last ten years to demonstrate the rise in sea levels and it would also be beneficial to supplement that evidence with records of temperature changes and carbon dioxide levels. With this evidence I would hope that it would provide people with knowledge of just how much damage climate change has caused these islands. I would also provide a subjective side which involves personal opinions and social interactions (Hay, 2016). I would do this by interviewing the local people and those directly affected by the sea level rise. I would get their first-hand perspective on the impacts that has caused not only loss of land but effected the livelihoods of the local people. Lastly, in terms of intersubjectivity, following up from the conversations and interviews with the locals, I would acknowledge that my characteristics and social position are not being fully controlled when doing my research (Hay, 2016). Therefore, I would have to consider critical reflexivity because I know my outside viewpoint will be biased in the situation I am studying.

Human geographic approach

As a human geographer I recognize that there is a need for a variety of research techniques. For this particular research I would use ethnography research and historical research. I would use ethnography research because this has to do with collecting data orally and this is how l collect most of the stories and information from the locals. I will use historical research when collecting data from the satellites to show past data of the sea levels when they weren’t as high and compare those images to the sea levels now.

In order for Kiribati to see a positive change there would need to be a major global effort to shift to a greener way of life. Industries would need to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide they are releasing into the atmosphere and we would need to adjust to more environmentally friendly ways of producing energy and living. For over a decade the president of Kiribati has lobbied for binding of international efforts to cut their carbon emissions and there has been no change. The country has hardly contributed to climate change and yet they are among the first to be experiencing it (AJ+, 2014). How is this fair? Unfortunately, as a second-year university student I do not have much political power to help Kiribati stop the sea levels rising through changes in global policies. However, I can do my best to provide people with the information that can help them become aware of what is going on in the country and the urgency of this issue.

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography.

AJ+ (Director). (2014, December 8). Kiribati: The Sinking Islands Being Destroyed By Climate Change[Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY