GEOG*2260

4th year Environmental Governance, University of Guelph 

[jbgeog2260]

Critical Evaluation of COVID-19 Variant Data in Ontario

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-variants-death-analysis-ontario-1.5964296

Key Message

The article, “60% higher risk of death from coronavirus variants, Ontario analysis finds: sources” by Lauren Pelley, describes the increasing amount of variant COVID-19 cases in Ontario and how they will potentially impact the risks of hospitalization and death, especially in younger populations. With variants making up more than half of the current COVID cases in Ontario, the growing contagiousness and deadliness of the disease is a significant cause for concern. These COVID Variants are said to have a 60 percent increased risk of hospitalization, a 100 percent increased risk of being admitted to an ICU, and a 60 percent increased risk of death. By presenting this data, CBC News hopes to make it clear that while the pandemic appears to be getting better, there are still important reasons to treat it with just as much caution as we have the whole time, and if not, with more. Lower COVID cases, the reopening of recently locked down activities like shopping and dining, and the increasing amount of vaccines can make it seem as though we are safe from COVID. However, with younger populations being unvaccinated, and more likely to engage in the recently opened activities, they are now more vulnerable than ever, especially with the rise of COVID Variants. 

Sources and Verification

The quantitative data on COVID variants is the basis for this article and the main argument for why we must continue being extremely cautious around COVID (the key message of this article). For this reason, it is important to know where CBC is getting their data and how valid it is. Lauren Pelley explains that the majority of data was acquired from an upcoming briefing note prepared by members of Ontario’s science advisory table. She stated that while they didn’t receive a direct copy of the findings in the briefing note, they talked to multiple sources who had an idea of the contents. They were, however, unable to identify who they talked to in order to maintain confidentiality since the scientists were not permitted to talk about it publicly (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). It was also important for them to maintain confidentiality in case they misinterpreted the data, though this would be less likely to occur considering the data was mainly quantitative (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). 

CBC demonstrated a clear effort to validate this data through interviews with experts in the field where they performed a dialectical analysis (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). The three people Pelley mentioned she talked to was Dr. Kali Barrett, a member of the COVID-19 Modelling Collaborative, Dr. Andrew Morris, an infectious disease specialist with Toronto’s Sinai Health System, and Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen’s University’s. These experts completely agreed with the data and constantly related it to the fact that younger populations are likely to be at risk. To further prove validity, CBC compared their data with Denmark and the U.K., who were both hit hard by variants, and found that many of their findings were similar and lined up with one another. On top of that, CBC explained that Ontario Clinicians have been noticing COVID-19 patience to be much younger and sicker. This combination of sources to prove the validity of data is an example of triangulation and was very beneficial in this article as it helped make up for validity when one source was unable to (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). While dialectical analysis usually focuses on the conflicts in data, this analysis mainly focused on how the data made sense (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). 

 Expectations/Responsibilities of the Consumer

After reading this article, the consumers are left with the responsibility of making the change. CBC did a great job in proving the validity of this data which made it evident how severe the pandemic still is. Everyone, especially young people and those who are unvaccinated, must be extremely careful as the province reopens and continue to treat the pandemic with just as much caution as we always have, in order to prevent worsening the virus and spreading variants.

References

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

Pelley, L. (2021, March 27). 60% higher risk of death FROM CORONAVIRUS variants, ontario analysis Finds: Sources | CBC News. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-variants-death-analysis-ontario-1.5964296

[kgeog2260]

Hi Josh,

I found your evaluation of the research article really well-done, especially because this is such a severe and current issue that has raised a lot of concern in Ontario. The article was extremely interesting and does a great job highlighting the severity of the issue, especially in terms of the risk amongst younger people. The issue of variant strains emerging from the pandemic is extremely serious, especially since the timeline of the pandemic has been so long and people are beginning to become careless.

You did a great job summing up the article and discussing the credibility of the sources in which CBC collected their data from. You provided an excellent discussion on the research methods used, as well as clearly and properly sourced citations. I enjoyed your discussion on the responsibilities of the consumer in ensuring we are contributing to making a change, especially since young people seem to have the most trouble with abiding by COVID guidelines. The only thing we can do is take responsibility and make sure we are stopping the spread.

Great job!

[kgeog2260]

Disease outbreaks more likely in deforestation areas, study finds (an evaluation)

Article:  

           The article I chose to review for this week’s discussion was titled “Disease outbreaks more likely in deforestation areas, study finds” written by Jonathan Watts for The Guardian and published on March 24th2021. The key message of this article is stated directly in the title, and is made very clear throughout the reading. Outbreaks of infectious diseases are more likely to occur in areas in which deforestation and monoculture plantations, and epidemics are projected to increase and biodiversity declines (Watts, 2021). Watts discusses the trend between forest cover and disease control through the ability of species to filter and block diseases in healthy ecosystems. By displacing our forest ecosystems, we risk losing natural disease regulation, as well as the multiple environmental benefits.

Sources:

           The author made it very clear throughout the article which sources he was using to back up his statements, including multiple research articles published by Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The main paper referenced multiple times throughout the recent article is “Outbreaks of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Are Associated with Changes in Forest Cover and Oil Palm Expansion at the Global Scale” written by Serge Morand and Claire Lajaunie, both members of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. The statistics and research collected and used within the research are collected from the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Food and Agricultural Organization and the Gideon epidemic database. Watts also conducted an interview with Morand in which he received direct quotes on their research, as well as other individual case studies that highlighted how land use changes are linked to epidemics.

Research Methods:

           The research methods used for the information collection throughout the article seemed to be validity and authenticity techniques. This method is used to include continuous validation of data through checking for representativeness of data and using expert consultants (in this case Morand and Lajaunie) (Hooykaas, Week 9, 2021). Direct quotes from Morand throughout the article also gave me the impression of a semi-structured interview in which the researcher discussed his opinion on climate change and public health.

Consumer Expectations:

           I personally believe those who choose to read this article are curious about environmental issues and their impact on our society, such as deforestation and the link to increased epidemics. Therefore, it is expected that consumers reading this article have a somewhat understanding of the issue at large and want to know more in order to build their knowledge on the subject. I don’t believe there are any further expectations or responsibilities for the reader to take simply due to the fact that it is an informational piece with the goal to let people know the future predictions for the state of our planet and nothing more. Although some may choose to further educate themselves on the issue, there is no required responsibility.

References:

Hooykaas, A. (2021). GEOG*2260 Course Notes. Retrieved from: https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/668082/Home

Watts, J. (2021). Disease outbreaks more likely in deforestation areas, study finds. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/24/disease-outbreaks-more-likely-in-deforestation-areas-study-finds

[kgeog2260]

Coding Qualitative Data

Introduction:

        For this week’s discussion I chose to code the peer reviewed journal article that discussed the decision making approach behind the inefficiency of water pumps in water scarcity scenarios in Sub-Saharan Africa, written by Narsimha Rao et al., (2016). I followed this up by also coding a similar article that discusses various policies for controlling water supply in Sub-Saharan Africa, written by Adams et al., (2018). Both these articles shared a similar topic, as well as similar verbiage to discuss the overall concept of water supply/scarcity throughout this region.

Coding Methods:

           I chose to take a deductive approach, in which I started with a predefined set of codes, and then assigned these codes to the new qualitative data (Hooykaas, 2021). I chose this approach for both my articles due to the fact that I had a premeditated idea of what theme I wanted to stick with. I then chose to use a flat-coding scheme that assigns the same level of specificity and importance to each code (Hooykaas, 2021). I understood the importance of the themes I was coding and felt I could keep it organized. The codes I chose to look for throughout both articles were: Sub-Saharan Africa (yellow), Water supply/scarcity (pink), Urban growth/population growth (green) and Water pump/Hand pump (blue).

Research Project:

Although these weren’t articles that my group will directly be using in our discussion of health geography, I thought both of them included interesting information in regard to clean drinking water in Africa. The implementation of water pumps in rural communities is important for supplying clean water to these regions in order to minimize sickness and death caused by contaminated water or no access to water at all. I thought this was an interesting sub-category within the general topic of health geography due to the fact that although these installations are seen as a solution to a health problem, they raise an entirely new problem within the topic of health geography. Although it would be interesting to explore the discussion of performance solutions to health issues within health geography, it doesn’t directly apply to our general discussion. It would however make an interesting research project in the future.

References:

Adams, E.A., Sambu, D., Smiley, S.L. (2018) Urban water supply in Sub-Saharan Africa: historical and emerging policies and institutional arrangements. International Journal of Water Resources Development. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2017.1423282

Hooykaas, A. (2021). Week 8 Coding. University of Guelph.

Narsimha Rao, R.G., Ahmed, S., Sailaja, R.R.N, Sharma, K.V. (2016). A decision making approach for energy efficiency improvement in municipal water pumps during water scarcity scenario. Energy Efficiency. Doi:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-015-9354-2

[awgeog2260]

Oral Histories: Why they Should be More Acknowledged in Qualitative Research

Originally I enrolled in this course (it is not required for my program) because I wanted to gain research skills in case I decide to do a masters program or do research with a professor at some point after my undergrad. But after the first two weeks I realized how valuable the course content and textbook material is for any consumer of knowledge. Thinking about where we get our information from and how we know this is reliable, is crucial to reflect on in 2021, when there is an abundance of information at our fingertips. We must be able to decipher what is legitimate information and what is not - or just make conscious decisions about what we indulge in. I also found week two on critical reflexivity, power, and subjectivity particularly interesting and again, felt like this kind of learning should be taught to a broad array of people, as it is very relevant in our lives not just as potential researchers, but as knowledge consumers. Thirdly, the Week 6 lecture and the incorporation of oral histories and tradition as a part of qualitative research and data resonated with me.

Personally I think that oral histories tell a story in a way that modern interviews or traditional history books can not. The part of human geography that I find interesting is the individualized human perspective. I like hearing stories from people who were there when a particular event unfolded, or who was living in a geographical place before it shifted into an entirely different landscape, or someone who has personal lived experiences and knowledge in a field that maybe doesn’t make it into our history classes. Right now I’m reading a book called Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, I am sure some of you have heard of this as it was #1 on the bestseller list for some time.

The author is also a plant scientist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation. She uses oral histories that her mother told her to solve mysteries in the world of botany, and that is a lot of what she writes about in Braiding Sweetgrass. She explains that when she was an undergrad student research plants, she would ask her professors questions like “why do *flower A* and *flower B* always grow together in meadows?”, and the professor would tell her that is not a scientific question. She decides to research this topic more on her own, by asking her relatives that grew up collecting wildflowers and other plants for traditional medicines. Without spoiling this part of the book, I’ll just say that there was a scientific explanation to this question, just not one that was a part of traditional western research. It is important that we document the lives and histories of people before they are forgotten. These histories can also be told through maps and illustrations, later being used to maintain the integrity of these people’s experiences in museums, radia, television, or books. These oral histories seem to be often left out of research, especially in academia. I have tried citing information that people have verbally communicated to me throughout my life in an academic paper and was quickly shut down. To have richer, more inclusive research, we should include oral histories more often.

What are some ways you have seen oral histories used in qualitative research? I would be so interested to know!

References: Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions.

[kgeog2260]

Hi Alanna!

I found your post really interesting, and I was also considering discussing my interest on the concept of oral histories in the research field. I haven’t read braiding sweetgrass, but I’m really interesting after hearing your short description. Oral histories used in qualitative research provide studies (in my opinion) with an extremely interesting perspective, however as you mentioned, it’s a shame its not seen as a reliable information source. The biggest example I can think of oral histories used in our society is the information we receive from Indigenous cultures in regard to our environment. This information has been passed down from generation to generation, and although some would argue its not necessarily reliable due to the fact that there isn’t many academic sources to back it up, we still rely on it for many environmental projects simply because it gives us a new perspective that can further develop the efficiency of land planning. As you mentioned, I believe oral histories really does provide a richer and more inclusive component to research projects and should definitely be used when it is available.

[kgeog2260]

The Invisible Backpack

What has resonated with me throughout the Course?

Throughout the entirety of the semester, I have found that various concepts discussed within the course have helped me prepare for my future in the field of research and evaluation. However, one of the concepts that have resonated with me the most throughout the course was the discussion of the invisible backpack. The concept was first developed by Peggy McIntosh through her work in women’s studies, in which she discovered the experiences of women and certain races involved a lot of oppression and disadvantage and defined the concept as an invisible package of unearned assets that are included in an invisible weightless backpack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks (McIntosh, 1989). McIntosh further elaborates on the invisible backpack by discussing that society teaches us to view ourselves as an individual with our own morals, rather than possible oppressors in a damaged society. Even if we don’t necessarily view ourselves this way, majority of us still benefit from unearned privilege in our daily life.

This approach to research analyzes the different perspectives we have of the world based on our different privileges, and how white privilege has influences our actions. As many remember, we discussed the concept of the invisible backpack in our discussion of “Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years” and how the concept of privilege can be applied to ethical practices of researchers. I think the invisible backpack highlights how researchers who choose to conduct their research with people or environments that differ from theirs need to understand the privilege they possess, and the considerations they must take into account because of this. Researcher must understand the ethical responsibility they have to detach their own invisible backpack when trying to understand others perspective. I do not believe this means completely disregarding how their personal experiences differ from those that they are studying, but rather understanding the differences and approaching it with as much awareness as possible, much like the researchers interacting with Agafia.

Research conducted within a field that involves direct contact with unfamiliar people, cultures or environments can be difficult if ethics are left out. The invisible backpack not only draws attention to how researchers can consider their privilege before a project, but also how they can be as considerate as possible when trying to understand personal experiences from a different perspective. The discussion of the invisible backpack made me rethink how my privilege has impacted the way in which I view research, and how if I were in the position of a researcher, how my invisible impact would influence the way I conduct it.

Do you believe every researcher should be aware of the invisible backpack? What are ways that we can teach ourselves to be mindful of our privilege when conducting research?

References:

McIntosh, P. (1989). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack. Retrieved from: http://www.interpretereducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/white-privilege-by-Peggy-McIntosh.compressed.pdf

[kgeog2260]

An Interview with John Snow

Why John Snow?

If I had the opportunity to conduct a five-minute interview with a key thinker in health geography, I would choose John Snow. Snow’s background as a physician lead to the development of anesthesia and epidemiology, as well as the discovery of how cholera is spread after Snow discovered the source of a cholera outbreak in 1854. I believe a discussion with Snow on the developments of health geography would greatly benefit my perspective on the subject, especially with someone who provided some of the earliest contributions on the topic. Snow’s knowledge and research involving the mapping disease patterns and comparing this to the spread of diseases has been extremely beneficial to the study of health geography.

Conducting an Interview:

Question 1: How did your background as a physician contribute to your development of water-borne theory?

This first question would allow for Snow to discuss his experience working in the medical field before combining it with geography, and introduce his early experiences in the field. This question would also allow Snow to discuss how he first became interested in the medical field.

Question 2: How did you first develop the idea to plot cholera cases on a map?

I would follow up with this question in order to gain access to Snow’s thought process in his early contributions to health geography, and try to better understand how this idea came to him. This question specifically would open a discussion to directly talk about how his idea to map cholera cases lead to the better understanding of the disease and ways in which we can control it.

Question 3: How did the political controversy surrounding your theory lead to further developments in health geography?

This question is especially interesting and I would love to hear Snow’s answer. It directly addresses the controversies Snow’s medical theories stirred up, as well the political challenges it created for the public health sector.

Question 4: How could the field of health geography be improved?

This question could further discuss Snow’s perspective on current practices and developments within the field of health geography, as well as his opinion on possible improvements for health geographers to make. I think this would be an especially interesting question to ask with the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Question 5: Do you have any advice for people pursuing a career in health geography?

I believe this question would sum up the interview by discussing Snow’s perspective on future developments in health geography.

Overall, the textbook outlined a series of research questions that should be asked throughout an interview. Due to the fact that the interview conducted is limited to such a short amount of time, I think it is important to get the most out of the answers given in order to fully understand the topic of health geography better. I tried to incorporate storytelling, descriptive, opinion-based, contrast and structural questions within my interview in order to get multiple perspectives on the subject and thoroughly understand how John Snow’s contributions to the subject have really influenced health geography.

References:

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

Rosenberg, M. (2019). A Map Stops Cholera. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/map-stops-cholera-1433538

[rhgeog2260]

The Ocean’s Secrets: A Research Project

As some of you may know by now from my introduction, I have been extremely interested in Marine Biology my entire life. My dad SCUBA dove frequently before I was born, he hand-painted my nursery to appear as though you are underwater, and I was the “dolphin girl” at school. I spent my teen years sailing on a tall ship, and I now have a SCUBA license of my very own. Everything has pushed me towards marine biology - everything, that is, except for first year chemistry and physics. It is for that reason that I am now in Geography, with the hopes of eventually working in the field of Oceanography. 

Should I conduct research as a graduated student with unlimited resources, I would pursue the art of ocean floor mapping, with emphasis around shipwrecks. Ocean floor mapping is an early science - in fact, as of June 2020, only 5% of the ocean floor has been mapped (Amos, J., 2020)! This means that, extraordinarily, we know more about space than our own home planet. NASA states in a 2009 document, “we have better maps of the surface of Mars and the moon than we do the bottom of the ocean”. 

While many scientists may care about ocean floor mapping, I could guess that a good amount of those are not necessarily interested in mapping shipwrecks. I, however, feel this could be an exceptional tool in our historical development as a global population. With the implementation of marine archaeology, we could explore not only typical trade ships or lost freighters, but also vessels of ancient civilizations. From a historical geography perspective, we can learn a lot about the landscape of ancient civilizations based on where we locate their old boats. It is for this reason that I would propose this research project to a board of historians, most likely in Europe and Asia. 

Along with learning about the geographic landscape, finding these shipwrecks and mapping them could solve mysteries, create patterns, and more. For example, the infamous disappearance of Ernest Shackleton and his entire crew in Antarctica in 1912; or, for example, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart in Additionally, patterns like the Bermuda Triangle - if many many wrecks can be pinpointed to a specific range of coordinates, that may inspire more work into the meteorological/climatological phenomena that occur in the area. This could make naval travel safer in the future. (Should you be interested in furthering your knowledge about Shackleton and the Endurance’s crew, or about Amelia Earhart, I recommend these links: https://www.history.com/news/shackleton-endurance-survival , https://www.biography.com/explorer/amelia-earhart )

As a humanity-driven individual, I truly would like to conduct this research purely for the potential of gaining knowledge and preventing future naval disasters. Additionally, as a lover of ALL sea creatures, big and small, I would ensure my research would be conducted in a manner that does not endanger the wildlife, including corals and vegetation. I feel I could implement my knowledge of GIS mapping systems, as well as my sailing experience, in order to facilitate my work. I also have a lot of experience with naval cartography working with charts, so in a way, I feel I would find oceanic mapping easier than land-based mapping. I recognize that I may, however, be wearing a set of metaphorical blinders - just because you love something does not make it easy. 

All in all, I think it is vital to research something you have a passion for to prevent your work from become a chore. Passion drives discovery, and discovery drives growth. If everyone pursued what they were curious and passionate about, I truly believe we could make some amazing advancements in the near future. 

PS, if anyone would ever like to talk about any of these subjects, I would be thrilled to discuss them :)

RESOURCES:

Amelia Earhart. (2020, August 20). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/explorer/amelia-earhart

Amos, J. (2020, June 20). One-fifth of Earth’s ocean floor is now mapped. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53119686

Dunbar, B. (n.d.). Oceans: The Great Unknown. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/oceans-the-great-unknown-58.html#:~:text=There were no satellites studying,about most of the ocean.

Mulvaney, K. (2020, October 21). The Stunning Survival Story of Ernest Shackleton and His Endurance Crew. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/shackleton-endurance-survival

[kgeog2260]

Hi Robin! 

I really loved your post because when I was younger it was my life mission to be a Marine Biologist and I think its so cool that your family was involved in scuba diving! I found it interesting that your research project would look at certain areas that a lot of people studying the ocean don’t go into detail about, such as shipwrecks and the geographic mystery behind some of them. Was this always an area of interest of yours?  

Karina 

[kgeog2260]

Mitigation and Adaption Efforts Against Climate Change

When I think of conducting a research project with limitless resources, my immediate thought was the ability to put together a project that researched how climate change impacts different groups of people around the world, in terms of health, well-being, living conditions, etc. This has always been a topic of interest for me, as I find it fascinating that the impacts of climate change have caused such severe changes in some individuals lives, while there are others who don’t believe in it. In second year specifically, I did a research paper on how droughts in Ghana impacted single, divorced or widowed woman more than anyone else in the region, and ever since then I have always had the desire to be apart of a hand’s on research project to understand more about this topic and ways in which I can help.

Research in this field would best be conducted through qualitative research and time spent in these regions and accurate observations on various people’s lifestyles and the changes they have/will undergo with a changing environment/climate. I would most likely aim my research in places that have already undergone severe environmental changes, such as Bangladesh, or Kiribati. I would propose this project as a potential tool to a to further understand how individuals could potentially adapt to these changes while continue finding mitigation methods against climate change. I would also want to research the impacts of climate change in certain, more progressive regions in North America and Europe and compare how climate change affects different people with different incomes and living conditions.

I believe a variety of people would benefit from this research, especially since this issue is only becoming more prominent in our society. The development of adaption methods and tools is something that is unfortunately under a time crunch due to the rapid changes in some regions, i.e. Kiribati. By assessing the degree of severity and risk factors in different regions in comparison to other regions who potentially have already implemented adaptation methods or mitigation efforts, we can further apply this to different places and different groups of people in order to improve quality of life. I think this would especially benefit vulnerable individuals who have already been displaced or faced serious changes within their life due to impacts from climate change. These solutions could help individuals who rely on resources such as farming, to better cope and prepare for situations that arise from a changing climate in order to reduce the devasations of income and livelihood being destroyed.

I would want to keep this research as ethical as possible in order to ensure the group of people being observed feel as if they are actually receiving help and contributing to making sure we can eliminate future trouble caused by climate change. When working with vulnerable groups I believe ethics plays a major role in ensuring you, as a researcher, are actually helping individuals and improving areas in their life affected by climate change, rather than being invasive and doing more harm then good.

Overall, if this was a research project I took on 10 years from now I would aim to make living conditions with climate change much more adaptable for those who face the most risk and vulnerability. Do you believe we’ll ever reach the goal in which we can successfully apply mitigation and adaption efforts to reduce vulnerability from climate change?

[cvanheergeog2260]

Surviving the Siberian Wilderness Alone

The VICE documentary Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years is a case study about Agafia and her journey. They live in an area in Siberia that is over 160 miles away from the nearest town and it takes quite a lot of effort to get there. Agafia’s father fled in 1936 to this location, where the Lykov family would spend most of their lives in isolation with very few visitors. The Lykov family has been through a lot, even though they are isolated. Agafia’s mother starved herself so that the family would have enough food to eat. After a group of geologists found them, 3 of the older children died due to contracting pneumonia. Agafia’s father died eventually too. 

Being the last Lykov, Agafia lives a very interesting life. Siberia is an area larger than the United States, and is almost entirely untouched wilderness. The only way to reach the residence was either a 7 day canoe trip in summer or by helicopter during the winter. Other than those two options there are none that are relatively safe. 

The research done in this mini-documentary is unique. It is so because not only is the situation they are researching special , but what the researchers have to go through is astounding as well. The researchers arrived by helicopter, brought camera equipment, several other fold such as park representatives, and a large amount of other equipment for staying there (tents and such). Looking at how Agafia lives, it is such a juxtaposition to see. Agafia has to wake up at 6 in the morning everyday and spend all day doing chores just in order to survive. She does this on top of keeping up her religious practices, taking care of some pets, and takes care of a geologist who moved there 16 years ago. 

The researchers bring what’s called an invisible backpack with them. The invisible backpack is what every person has, it is their life experience and their privilege. It is a way to explain that every person has a different upbringing, and no matter what they do they always carry a piece of it with them in their invisible backpack. These researchers bring with them an invisible backpack that includes the amenities of modern day life such as roads, electricity, cars, access to healthcare, and many other things. 

VICE does a good job at not letting their invisible backpack influence the research. It is borderline impossible to not let it influence research in some way, however in the video it is not evident.  Personally I would absolutely love the opportunity to go on a research expedition like this. I know for a fact it would be difficult for me to not apply my biases and worldviews while there, and it would take a lot of planning on my part to ensure the research is done ethically and with as little biases as possible. That is one way I look at an opportunity like this, on the other hand I would be remorseful if Agafia was not interested or wanted the research to be done. I would like to proceed with this only if I had the blessing of the family, I would not want to make anyone feel obligated to welcome me or any researchers for that matter. Basically if they want me there then great, but if they do not then it would be unethical and wrong to pursue the research any further. 

Apply this to the topic of uncontacted tribes in the amazon. Could the same level of non-intrusive research be achieved with that? Are the risks the same? I think in many ways they are the same yet different situations.

[kgeog2260]

Hi Cilliers!

I found your post extremely interesting, as well as your question in regard to applying this same topic to uncontacted tribes living in the Amazon. Due to the fact that Agafia was more than happy to share her story and experiences with the researchers made this specific case successful, especially since the researchers didn’t try to compare their way of life to hers or try to convince her to move back to a more civilized location. I think if the exact same researchers tried to use this same approach to these Amazon tribes, the outcome wouldn’t be as successful. Although Agafia has been in this isolated region her whole life, her family understood how a civilized and populated society interacted, which most likely gave Agafia some perspective on the outside world. Uncontacted tribes on the other hand might not thoroughly understand this method of research, which could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. I agree, that in many ways they are similar due to the secluded way of life, but they are so different as well due to the level of understanding and acceptance Agafia had for the research team.

[kgeog2260]

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years

“Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years” documents the story of the Lykov family and their lifestyle secluded from civilization. Agafia Lykov is the youngest and only living member of the family, who was born into the isolated lifestyle in 1944 and continues to live in the mountains surviving off the land at 70 years old. The family moved to the remote environment in 1936 due to fear of persecution under the ruling of Stalin. The settlement made by the Lykov’s is located 160 miles from any other form of civilization, with the easiest method of access being by helicopter. The documentary is centered around Agafia and her way of life, especially on her last 25 years in the civilization without her family, as well as her ability to care for herself, and geologist Yerofei Sedov, on resources from the land alone.

           The research shown throughout the documentary is extremely hands on and investigative, but still uses an ethical and respectful approach. We follow VICE on their journey to visit Agafia and get a better understanding of her lifestyle. The specific method of research being used is qualitative, due to the fact that it is very analytical and uses an in-depth experience of the researchers to understand more about Agafia’s situation and background through firsthand interactions. The researchers even participate in Agafia’s daily chore routine to get a better understanding of her lifestyle and experience the amount of labour that is crucial for her and Yerofei’s survival.

           The invisible backpack is the metaphorical term used to define the difference in privileges between individuals. In this scenario, the reseachers have access to different and more modern tools in their daily lives that differ from Agafia’s. The researchers can use the helicopter for transportation, or their cells phones to connect with the outside world, unlike Agafia, who uses only the resources she needs to survive. Although the researchers were interacting with this way of life and participating in some of Agafia’s daily routine, their invisible backpacks don’t disappear due to the fact that it makes up their normalized way of life.

           If I was given my own opportunity to conduct research on this specific case study, I think I would do it in the exact same way as the VICE team. I found the documentary incredibly interesting due to the interaction of people who come from a modernized, capitalist way of life, interacting with someone on the opposite side of the spectrum. I believe the documentary told the incredible story of Agafia in a respectful and ethical manor, which would be the approach I would also take if I were the researcher. It would be extremely interesting to interact with Agafia and get a thorough understanding of the lifestyle from her perspective, especially considering how much time she spent alone.

Sources:

VICE. (2013). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68&feature=emb_title

[awgeog2260]

The Future is Uncertain

In this specific research example I believe direct power roles may be at play. The Kiribati government and peoples explained in this video that they need the help of other countries to reduce their carbon emission if their islands have any hope for the future. Myself, a university student from Canada, a country with a large amount of industrial activity, being the researcher in this research example means that I have the opportunity to share the information I obtain with people at the university who may have more of an opportunity to influence Government and Industry decisions regarding climate change mitigation in Canada. I think this could be a weak argument considering I do not have any legislative power myself, but I think that this situation could be classified as directly powerful. In this case I think this power role would encourage the Kiribati peoples to tell the researcher all the information about the islands’ current issues and their needs, and it would be the researcher’s job to tell their stories as clearly as possible.

I think that intersubjectivity in the research process would be best suited in this example. This is a research relationship that requires insight from both the participants and the researcher to create meaningful research that could be the catalyst for effective change internationally. Also, due to the fact that I would likely travel to Kiribati to get the most out of the research project, I would need to adapt to changing dynamics by talking with as many people as possible, and getting as many perspectives as possible on the islands. This is a time-sensitive task, as the islands of Kiribati continue to sink under sea level. The situation is evolving by the minute. I would need to be very active in interacting with the participants, as to not waste time. The youth activists, government, students, and community members input into how to save these islands is crucial. Their efforts at planting mangroves to save the coastline and their own research is successful because they know the place, they have been there for many generations. Also, I think my personal input as a person with education on environmental politics and physical geography could add to these interactions. This is an issue that requires many perspectives and areas of expertise.

I would use both ethnographic approaches and historical approaches in my research. I think these types of research would be best because I would focus on the community and the phenomena happening there while also evaluating the history of sea level rise and its present and future effects in this region. In addition I would need to use historical research of global carbon emissions and sea level riseI would use qualitative approaches such as oral storytelling, like the researcher in the initial video. Hay states, “The use of such techniques also enables the researcher to engage with their local, academic, and surrounding communities in a process of knowledge exchange that can empower and give voice to the researched as well as the researcher” (Hay, I., 2016, p.9-10). Using oral storying to collect data may help to understand ancestral ways of protecting the coastline and adapt that into finding new ways to mitigate the effects of climate change in Kiribati. Hay also says that, “The richness of information, and its validity and meaning, is more dependent on the abilities of the researcher than on size of sample” (Hay, I., 2016, p.125). I would not necessarily have to collect oral data from the majority of the Kiribati people. Instead I would need to talk to the right people. I would need to collect data from a variety of sources and people who are directly affected by sea level rise in Kiribati to collaboratively create a plan to move forward. 

This would all be a difficult task considering the tragedy that is prevailing in Kiribati, but applying these methods and approaches I believe would serve the community best.

[kgeog2260]

Hi Alanna!

I think we had extremely similar perspectives on how we would handle researching in this specific case. I especially agree with your point on using insight from both participants and the researcher to create meaningful research that ultimately leads to effect change – not only locally, but internationally. I believe collecting data from Kiribati locals is one of the most efficient methods of research in terms of the communities’ best interest, but also for finding the most successful mitigation efforts that could be applied to the islands. Great post!

[kgeog2260]

Saving Kiribati

Due to its position in the central Pacific Ocean, Kiribati is located along the equator, making the islands much more susceptible to the tragic impacts of climate change. Majority of the islanders who once lived off the resources the coastal islands provided have been forced to flee, leaving behind significant cultural infrastructure and their indigenous way of life. The “king tides” or rising of sea levels that surround the islands have already began to have irreversible damage on the land – with the risk of water contamination being one of the most prominent issues resulting from this. However, there is possibility for mitigation strategies in order to ensure the future of Kiribati is not lost.

           As a researcher working for the Kiribati government to mitigate the current issues the islands are facing, the role of power in this specific case in order to ensure success, would be to allow locals to have an active role in determining the best possible solutions for mitigation. This is the most efficient method of research collection due to the fact that Kiribati locals have historical and geographical knowledge that could potentially give more insight. This method of indirect power uses personal experiences as an approach to bring a new perspective to the impacts of climate change in Kiribati.

           I believe when considering what role objectivity, subjectivity and intersubjectivity would specifically be applied to this case, intersubjectivity is the best fit. As a researcher, I would hope for as much hands-on experience in this specific case in order to fully understand the resident’s perspective, that can only be achieved through physical interaction with the islands and the people who reside there, as well as individuals who had to flee. The research collected through this method would allow for the opinion of residents and could possibly shape the next steps in implementing a successful plan for mitigation. I believe the importance of using indigenous knowledge in early research is extremely crucial due to the fact that the islands obviously hold historical significance to the residents, and therefore, their active contribution could ensure we are implementing successful strategies that will preserve the islands, whilst also respecting the culture of Kiribati locals.

           I believe the human geographic approach that would allow for the most success in mitigation efforts is the combination of historical geography and ethnography. One of the things that stuck out to me the most whilst watching the documentary was the significance of the local life throughout the island, and the cultural importance that could be seen in the desire to preserve certain structures, as well as the way of life the residents ancestors would have lived. By focusing on the community, in contribution with trends and events of the island, using qualitative research methods could give us more insight on how past residents would have adapted to environmental changes, or when they first began, etc. The use of ethnography in contribution with the historical patterns could be essential in structuring the most successful mitigation methods.

           Overall, from a researcher perspective, I believe I would best serve the islands through the in-depth research, not only on the environmental changes occurring and the proper mitigation methods to combat the “sinking islands”, but as well as the integration of the cultural significance as a way to draw global attention to the problem.

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

Kiribati: The Sinking Islands Being Destroyed by Climate Change. AJ+, 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY.

[kgeog2260]

Geography!

           Hi everybody! I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Karina Martins and I am a fourth year Environmental Governance major, also minoring in geography here at the University of Guelph.

Geography was never important to me when I was growing up and only became a topic of interest during my first year in Guelph, when geography courses started becoming extremely engaging and interesting. I originally started off in first year majoring in Sociology whilst taking multiple geography electives due to the fact that my friends said they were easy. However, I found myself becoming more interested in the material I was learning in my geography courses which ultimately lead me to switch my program to Environmental Governance and pick up my Geography minor.

           This is what started my interest in geography and learning about environmental processes, which has escalated to where I am today! I became much more engaged in my classes and came to the realization that I wanted to pursue a career within this field. Switching to a full course load of environmental and geography courses allowed me to develop a more in depth understanding of how our world is structured and the way in which the environment works.

           After taking multiple geography courses, I find that majority of my information I rely on comes from a variety of online journals that I used almost every day during the school year, which I find through omni search. I find these journals are the most reliable in terms of finding creditable sources, especially articles that have been peer reviewed. This method for finding information is my favourite when I am doing schoolwork, but the internet is a source where I also find a lot of my information. This can be considered a less credible source, but I find when I properly fact check through multiple sources, this is one of the best and most reliable sources of information! Lastly, the main method of information is my courses here at the university, as well as my professors. I have learned so much in the last four years and find that majority of information I learn in each course overlaps with information I learn in my other classes, so I know its reliable.

           I am super excited to be taking this course and really looking forward to this semester. I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts!

[kgeog2260]

GEOG*2260

This blog was created for GEOG*2260, 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 information supplied by this blog