Human geography Final Exam

Why does place matter to health?

Because Place shapes the social, economic, environmental, and cultural conditions that influence well-being

What are some of the characteristics of a neoliberal approach to health?What are some of the characteristics of a neoliberal approach to health?

neoliberal approach to health emphasizes individual responsibility, market-based solutions, and reduced government intervention in the delivery of healthcare. Privatization of Healthcare/Individual Responsibility

What does it mean to think geographically about health, and how might that be
difWhat does it mean to think geographically about health, and how might that be different than a neoliberal approach to health?

it considers health as shaped by where people live, work, and interact, including the social, economic, political, and environmental conditions tied to place.

• What factors have contributed to the increasing incidence of global pandemics?

. Globalization and Increased Mobility

• International travel and trade rapidly spread pathogens across borders.

• Urbanization and global migration link distant populations, allowing viruses to move quickly from local outbreaks to global crises.

What is the difference between food security and food sovereignty?

Food Security

Definition: Ensuring that all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious foodat all times. Often technical or economic, supported by governments, international agencies, and markets.

Food Sovereignty

Definition: The right of people and communities to control their own food systems, including production, distribution, and consumption. Emphasizes local, culturally appropriate, ecologically sustainable food production.

What does Doreen Massey mean by “a global sense of place”?

Doreen Massey's concept of "a global sense of place" challenges the idea that places are static, bounded, or purely local. Instead, she argues that places are dynamic, interconnected, and shaped by global processes.

Why does Doreen Massey challenge the idea that space is simply “an expanse that we
tWhy does Doreen Massey challenge the idea that space is simply “an expanse that we travel across”?

Space Is Not Empty—It's Made of Relationships

• pace is not a neutral container that just exists for things to happen in.

• It is produced by interactions, connections, and power relations between people, places, and institutions.

What is scale, according to Max Liboiron? And what does Liboiron mean by “scalar mismatches”? What is an example of a scalar mismatch?

According to Max Liboiron, scale is not just a neutral or fixed measurement (like local, regional, or global), but a political and methodological tool that shapes how we understand, study, and respond to environmental issues. If policy only responds to the global data (e.g., banning straws), it misses the local health risks or the community-specific knowledge and solutions

What factors led to the Flint water crisis?

Environmental Racism and Class Inequality

• Flint is a majority Black, low-income city, and many experts and activists argue that environmental racismplayed a role in how slowly authorities responded.

• The crisis exposed how poor, racialized communities are often devalued in public health and infrastructure decisions.

Water Source Switch

• In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, switched its water supply from Detroit’s treated Lake Huron water to the Flint River, a more corrosive and polluted source.

• The switch was made as a cost-saving measure during a period when Flint was under state-appointed emergency management.

What are some of the impacts of climate change, as discussed in class?

Impacts on Agriculture and Food Security

• Changes in precipitation patterns and more frequent droughts threaten food production in many regions.

• Crop yields can decrease, especially in tropical and subtropical areas, leading to food shortages and higher prices.

• Coastal communities are facing increased flooding, erosion, and the loss of habitable land.

• Island nations and low-lying cities are especially vulnerable.

Burning of Fossil Fuels

• Coal, oil, and natural gas are the primary sources of energy for industries, transportation, and electricity generation.

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the major GHG emitted from burning these fuels.

• Transportation, including cars, airplanes, and ships, is a significant contributor to CO₂ emissions.

• Deforestation and Land Use Changes

  • Clearing forests for agriculture, urbanization, and logging releases carbon stored in trees into the atmosphere as CO₂.

  • Agricultural expansion, especially in tropical regions, significantly reduces the carbon sequestration capacity of forests.

  • Land degradation (such as soil erosion) can further release stored carbon and reduce the ability of the land to absorb carbon.ivestock farming, particularly cattle, produces methane (CH₄), a potent GHG, through enteric fermentation (digestion in ruminant animals).

What are some factors that contribute to climate vulnerability?

• Poverty: Low-income communities often have fewer resources to prepare for or recover from climate-related disasters. They may lack healthcare, safe housing, and access to information.

• Access to education: Communities with lower educational attainment may lack awareness of climate risks and how to respond, making them more vulnerable.

• Wealth and assets: People without substantial financial resources or access to insurance are less likely to protect their property or invest in adaptive measures (e.g., resilient infrastructure).

• Proximity to coastlines: Coastal areas are more vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surges, and flooding.

• Location in extreme climates: Regions in low-lying areas, deserts, or high-altitude locations may face specific climate threats like droughts, flooding, or extreme temperature shifts.

• Exposure to extreme weather: Areas that are prone to hurricanes, typhoons, flooding, or heatwaves are at higher

What might climate justice refer to, in relation to these unequal contributors and impact

Climate justice refers to the concept and movement that seeks to address the unequal distribution of the causes and effects of climate change, and the injustices faced by marginalized and vulnerable communities. It emphasizes the idea that those who have contributed the least to climate change are often the ones who bear the heaviest burden of its impacts, and that equitable solutions must be a key part of addressing climate change.

What are some of the problems with the idea that population growth is the major driver of environmental problems?

1. Overemphasis on Population Growth Without Considering Consumption Patterns

• The belief that more people automatically leads to more environmental harm ignores the differences in consumption and resource use across populations.

  • Wealthier countries and individuals consume much more than those in low-income nations. For example, a person in the United States may consume multiple times more resources (energy, water, food, etc.) than a person in a developing country, even though both contribute to population growth.

  • The lifestyle and consumption patterns of populations are a far more important factor in environmental degradation than sheer numbers. In fact, high consumption rates, rather than population size alone, often have a much greater environmental impact.

What does it mean to say that legality and citizenship are socially and structurally produced?

Saying that legality and citizenship are socially and structurally produced means that these concepts are not inherent or fixed, but are shaped and defined by social, political, and economic forces. Rather than being natural or universal, the definitions of who is considered legal or a citizen, and the rights or privileges associated with those categories, are the result of historical processes and social relations that vary across time and place.

What are some of the push factors that might contribute to emigration?

Economic Hardship: Political Instability: Environmental Challenges: religious or Ethnic Persecution

What are some of the pull factors that might contribute to immigration?

Economic Opportunities:

• Higher wages and better job prospects are major pull factors.

• Political Stability and Safety: Better Living Conditions

What are some examples of differential mobility that we have covered over the course of the semester?

Wealthier individuals and upper-class groups typically have greater mobilities Wealthy individuals may be able to move across countries for better job opportunities, while low-income individuals may be restricted to local migration within a single country due to economic barriers.

What do Jones and Johnson argue about the contemporary geographies of borders and bordering?

• Jones and Johnson emphasize that borders are not fixed or natural; rather, they are created through social and political processes. These processes often reflect the interests of powerful states and elites, and may serve as mechanisms for control and exclusion.

• Borders, in their view, are about governance and sovereignty, and they can be manipulated or reinforced in response to changing political climates, such as in the case of immigration policies or national security.

What are some of the impacts of the interstate highway system on cities and metropolitan areas in the United States?

. Suburbanization and Urban Sprawl:

• One of the most significant impacts of the Interstate Highway System was the suburbanization of metropolitan areas. The ease of travel between suburbs and city centers made it possible for people to live farther away from urban cores while still maintaining easy access to jobs, shopping, and services.

• Decline of City Centers (Central Business Districts):

  • The growth of suburban areas, supported by easy highway access, contributed to the decline of city centers.

What is the meaning of the concept of a “right to the city”?

he concept of a "right to the city" refers to the idea that all people, particularly marginalized and disenfranchised communities, have the right to access, shape, and enjoy urban spaces.

What are some of the dynamics of global urbanization, as discussed in class?

• One of the most significant drivers of global urbanization is the migration of people from rural areas to cities in search of better economic opportunities, employment, and improved living conditions. This migration is often fueled by:

  • Lack of job opportunities in rural areas (such as agriculture or small-scale industries).

  • Better educational opportunities and access to healthcare in cities.

  • Push factors like poverty, political instability, natural disasters, and conflict in rural areas.

What processes and dynamics of urbanization are relevant to understanding the development of the City of Chicago

Migration and Population Growth:

• Chicago experienced rapid population growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to internal migration and immigration from Europe.

  • Many European immigrants, especially from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Poland, moved to Chicago in search of work in the city’s factories and meatpacking plants.

  • Industrialization and Economic Growth:

    • Chicago became a central hub for industrialization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The city was home to a wide range of industries, including meatpacking, steel production, and railroads.

    • The Meatpack

Geographic Location and Strategic Positioning:

• Chicago's location at the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan was crucial for its early development. Its position in the Midwest and access to waterways made it a strategic transportation hub

How have housing policies and urban policies contributed to major racial wealth gaps in the United States?

Suburbanization and "White Flight":

• After World War II, suburbanization became a dominant trend, especially with the development of the GI Bill, which made it easier for returning white soldiers to purchase homes in the suburbs. The bill provided loans for education, housing, and unemployment benefits that were often not made available to Black veterans due to racial discrimination in the implementation of these programs.

• As white families moved to suburban areas, they left behind racially segregated urban centers, contributing to the economic decline of inner-city neighborhoods. Suburban areas received investments in schools, infrastructure, and amenities, while urban centers, which were predominantly African American, were often left without these resources.

Redlining

Redlining is a discriminatory practice that began in the 1930s in the United States, in which banks, mortgage lenders, and federal institutions denied loans or insurance to people—usually African Americans—based on where they lived, rather than their actual financial qualification

White flight

White flight refers to the large-scale migration of white populations from racially mixed urban areas to more racially homogenous suburban or exurban areas, particularly during the mid-20th century in the United States.

food insecurity

food insecurity is the condition of not having reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food to lead a healthy and active life.

Food Security

Food security is the condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Food Sovereignty

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to define their own food systems. It goes beyond food security by emphasizing who controls the food system, how food is produced, and the rights of farmers, communities, and nations to make decisions about their agriculture, food, and land.

Monoculture

Monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop, plant species, or livestock breed in a particular area at a time—often across large expanses of land. It is a key feature of industrial agriculture and is commonly used for crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice.

Differential mobility

Differential mobility refers to the unequal ability of individuals or groups to move freely—geographically, socially, or economically—due to structural, political, economic, and cultural barriers.

Movement

Movement is one of the five key themes in human geography and refers to the way people, goods, information, and ideas move from one place to another. It helps geographers understand how places are connected and how spatial patterns develop.

Mobility

Mobility, in human geography, refers to the ability of people, goods, information, and capital to move across space.

Anthropogenic climate change

Anthropogenic climate change refers to changes in the Earth’s climate that are directly caused by human activities,

Disaster-induced displacement

Disaster-induced displacement refers to the forced movement of individuals or communities due to the immediate or long-term effects of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, or droughts. This type of displacement can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity and duration of the disaster

Social infrastructure

Social infrastructure refers to the physical and organizational structures and facilities that support social services, community well-being, and the functioning of society.