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Geography CoursesFor Distribution Requirement purposes, GGR courses are classified in various categories; see entry at end of each course. |
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INX199H1 SSC199H1 SCI199H1 Undergraduate seminar that focuses on specific ideas, questions, phenomena or controversies, taught by a regular Faculty member deeply engaged in the discipline. Open only to newly admitted first year students. It may serve as a distribution requirement course; see page 48. GGR100H1 Inroduction to physical geography, with an earth systems approach. Topics include the atmosphere, weather and climate, Earth materials and plate tectonics, geomorphic processes and the genesis of landforms,glaciers, soils, and world biomes. Emphases placed on processes, energy flows, cycles and scale. Lab exercises and a local field trip provide practical experience with each major topic. GGR101H1 This course focuses on the rise and fall of ancient civilizations (i.e. Mesopotamia, China, India, Inca, Aztec) within the context of (1) environmental barriers encountered during the development of city-states, (2) the technology advancement made to overcome physical and climate barriers, and (3) the ways in which natural resources were exploited by ancient cultures. GGR107H1 Examines the relationship between population growth, agricultural development and the natural environment, from the origin of agriculture to the present day. Focuses on environmental change due to human activity, and the prospects for a sustainable human society. GGR124H1 Introduction to the urban process. From the origin of cities to global urbanization; the evolution of systems of cities; uneven growth and the functional specialization of cities; globalization and economic restructuring, migration, public policies. World cities. Dynamics of urban property markets, population and demography, job location, housing, mobility and neighbourhood change, social structure and spatial inequalities. Planning, politics and policy issues in U.S. and Canadian cities. GGR201H1 An introduction to the principles of geomorphology; earth materials; major features of crustal morphology; landforming processes of water, wind, waves and ice; human impact on earth surface processes. One hour laboratory session approximately every other week; a local field trip. GGR203H1 Introduction to the large scale processes responsible for determining global and regional climate and atmospheric circulation patterns, as well as the small scale processes responsible for determining the microclimates of specific environments. GGR205H1 Introduction to soil science dealing with the chemical, physical, and biological properties of soils; soil formation and development; the classification of soils, and the application of soil science to environmental, agricultural and forestry issues. GGR206H1 An introduction to the hydrologic cycle with emphasis on the physical processes, including precipitation, interception, evaporation, runoff, ground water and soil water. Basic hydrological models will be practised. GGR216H1 With films, fiction and critical theory, this course explores global cities from around the world by looking at their everyday life: the people of these cities; how they got to be there; what they do; and how their lives are being shaped by increasingly globalized political, economic and cultural forces. JGI216H1 In this course, we examine the processes of globalization, mass urbanization and economic change that are taking place in cities around the world. This includes an interdisciplinary exploration of the industrial and economic changes that have ensued as a result of globalization, as well as the social and cultural manifestations associated with the emergence of global cities. GGR220H1 This course focuses on theoretical and empirical topics aimed at describing, analyzing and explaining the spatial distribution of economic activity at macro- and micro-spatial-scales. Topics covered could include theories of regional economic growth and change, issues surrounding uneven development in space, the empirical definition of regional economic systems, and the measurement of economic growth and structural change. GGR221H1 This course provides an introduction to economic geography and economic geography theory from the 1970s on, illustrating the different ways that geographers have conceptualized the restructuring of resource industries, manufacturing and services. The crisis of Fordism and the rise of new production models will be given particular attention, along with the reorganization of finance, the rise of cultural industries and the globalization of commodity chains. New regimes of governance of the economy will also be considered. JGE221Y1 The foundation for students in the Centre for Environment programs and the Environment and Resource Management Program in Geography, this course examines the social, ethical and biophysical dimensions of one or more selected environmental issues such as air pollution and climate change, why these issues need to be addressed, and some approaches for doing so. Draws from relevant interdisciplinary domains in an examination of environmental degradation, the responses of various actors and models for a more sustainable future. The environmental issues discussed vary from year to year. GGR240H1 An introduction to the historical geography of North America from the pre-Columbian period to the present. Topics include European imperialism, staple economies, colonial settlement, railroads and the West, industrialization and urbanization, sovereignty and security, environmental and agricultural change, and regional identities. GGR241H1 An introduction to the historical geography of urban social exclusion and segregation after 1750. Using a selection of cities from around the world (such as Berlin, Lagos, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mumbai, Shanghai and Toronto), the course examines the impacts and implications of urban social inequalities. GGR246H1 An historical, topical, and regional introduction to the geography of Canada. Primary emphasis is on the resource base, regional differences and disparities, urbanization, industrialization, social and economic policy and population change. GGR249H1 Conflict between the conservatism of long-established patterns of settlement and land use and the drive for economic development. Agricultural reform; colonization of the interior, emergence of industrial regions; growth of large cities. Case studies of the problems of regional development. Latin America in world trade. Trade relations with Canada. (Offered in alternate years) GGR252H1 The problem of retail location. The spatial structure of consumer demand and retail facilities. Shopping centres and retail chains. Techniques for site selection and trade area evaluation, location strategies, retail planning. GGR254H1 After a brief historical overview, focuses on contemporary issues in American society: economy, politics, race, regional distinctions and disparities, urban development and the U.S. as world power. GGR256H1 Introduction to spatial organization and environmental impact of recreation. Prediction of demand, problems of over-use, ecological risks, conflicts of interests, planning perspectives, Canada’s tourist trade. GGR270H1 Theory and practical application of elementary quantitative techniques in geography emphasizing descriptive, inferential and spatial statistical analysis, probability, and sampling. GGR271H1 Practical course on field methods designed to enable students to carry out their own research projects. Behavioural observation, interviewing, questionnaire design, sampling theory, content analysis of written and graphic material, data coding and focus groups. GGR272H1 Introduction to digital mapping and spatial analysis using geographic information systems (GIS). Students learn how to use GIS software to find, edit, analyze and map geographic data to create their own maps, analyze geographic problems and use techniques that can be applied to a variety of subject areas. GGR273H1 Builds on GGR272H1 by providing students with practical spatial analysis methods and the underlying theory needed to understand how to approach various geographic problems using geographic information system (GIS) software and a variety of data types and sources. GGR299Y1 Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. See page 48 for details. GGR300H1 Content in any given year depends on instructor. The program in which the course can be used depends on its content. Consult Department Office in April. GGR301H1 Elements of drainage basin morphology and hydrology, classification of rivers, stream patterns and hydraulic geometry. Elements of open channel flow, sediment transport and the paleohydrology of river systems. River channel adjustments to environmental change, human impact and the management/design of river habitats. Exercises include experimentation in a laboratory flume. GGR302H1 Principles underlying use of ice cores, marine sediments, lake sediments, tree rings, coral reefs, and pollen to reconstruct past climates. Exercises involve downloading, plotting, and analysing proxy climatic data that are available over the Internet. (Offered in alternate years) GGR303H1 Discussion of the exchange of energy and matter (carbon, water) between the Earth’s biosphere (terrestrial vegetation) and atmosphere, with a focus on processes underlying key feedbacks on regional climate. Examples will be taken from research on contemporary as well as paleoclimate systems. Case studies to include how human disturbances like land-use change or future climate change may alter these processes. GGR305H1 The course identifies and explains plant and animal distributions through space and time. Topics covered include ecological and evolutionary dynamics, disturbance, dispersal, migration, continental drift, paleoenvironments and island biogeography. We will also examine terrestrial and marine biomes, microbial ecosystems and address recent biogeographic changes associated with human impact. GGR307H1 An introduction to physical and chemical processes operating at micro- to landscape scales and their effects on soil and water quality. Discussion of anthropogenic impacts and management and conservation issues. Local and international case studies. GGR310H1 The changing relationship between people and the biosphere from the emergence of hominids to the present. Environmental constraints on human evolution, hunter-gatherer societies and their environmental impacts, evolution of agriculture and consequences of increasing population and technology, including deliberate and inadvertent introductions of plants and animals and forest fragmentation. (Offered in alternate years) GGR314H1 A comprehensive examination of the greenhouse warming problem, beginning with economic, carbon cycle, and climate model projections; impacts on and adaptive responses of agriculture, forests, fisheries, and water resources; abatement options; technical and institutional issues. GGR320H1 This course examines recent changes in global migration processes. Specifically, the course addresses the transnationalization and feminization of migrant populations and various segments of the global labor force. The coursework focuses on analyzing classical paradigms in migration studies, as well as emerging theoretical approaches to gender and migration. In addition, it traces the shifting empirical trends in gendered employment and mobility patterns. It uses in-depth case study material to query the frameworks employed in migration studies and to understand the grounded implications of gendered migration. It pays particular attention to the interventions made by feminist geographers in debates about work, migration, place, and space. JUG320H1 The idea of wilderness permeates narratives of Canadian national identity, while policy-makers seek to manage and contain natural areas. This course compares and contrasts historical and contemporary wilderness narratives in literature, painting and film with policies in areas such as conservation, urban planning, land claims and tourism. JAG321H1 This course explores Aboriginal views of environment and resource management from pre-European contact times through to the present from an Aboriginal perspective. Emphasis will be placed on the emerging role of Aboriginal people in environmental and resource management in Canada. Topics to be covered include: history of Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal relations, Aboriginal world view and philosophy, Aboriginal environmental ethics and principles and current environmental issues confronting Aboriginal people. GGR323H1 Explores issues in geographies of population at a variety of scales from global to local. Issues include demographic patterns and population change, fertility, families and cohorts, mortality, and migration and immigration. GGR324H1 An introductory overview of major issues in interurban and intraurban transportation at both local and national scales. Topics include causes of spatial interaction, graph theory and network analysis, gravity and entropy-maximizing models, urban transportation and land use, congestion, public transit and transport policy. GGR327H1 An introduction to the work of feminist geographers. The course will explore the relationship between gender and space, emphasizing spatial cognition, architecture, and layout of the city. GGR328H1 This course explores changes in the nature of work and the structure and geography of labour markets. Topics will include globalization, lean production, flexibility and risk, industrial relations, workfare, the body at work, and gender and work. GGR330H1 Human activities are altering the Earth’s climate and changing the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere. Globally, climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion, and regionally, acid precipitation, air toxics, particulate matter, and smog are receiving much attention. This course discusses these air quality issues, the human health impacts of these problems, and possible solutions GGR331H1 Introduction to and critical evaluation of major social theoretical paradigms applied to environmental and natural resource politics and regulation. Topics include: neo-classical approaches, eco-Marxism, political ecology, social constructivism, production of nature, ecological modernization, tragedy of the commons, staples theory, science and administrative rationalism. GGR332H1 This course examines 1) factors affecting the spatial distribution of wastes; and 2) models and policy implications inherent in all aspects of waste management, from waste generation through recycling and waste disposal. Contrasting waste management practices in the developed and the developing world is a central theme. GGR333H1 Examines the technical and economic potential of advanced fossil-fuel-supply technologies, renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, ocean, hydro), and the potential for more efficient end use of energy in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. Also discusses: innovative energy systems, global scenarios, policy implications. GGR334H1 Managing demand and supply; linkages between water quality and human health. Case studies from the industrial world and from developing countries, rural and urban. Implications of population growth and climate change for water resource management. GGR335H1 Steadily increasing pressure on biospheric resources (eg. water) and sinks (eg. the atmosphere) requires business to adapt and innovate, while simultaneously responding to globalization and the information revolution. Examples include the financial services sector, as well as energy, transportation, tourism and resource-based industries. GGR336H1 Processes of urbanization; development of urban systems; changing internal patterns: central area, residential districts, housing, transportation, reform and planning movements. Emphasis on the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. GGR337H1 Principles of optical, active and passive microwave remote sensing; satellite orbit and sensor characteristics; image processing and analysis techniques and software; and environmental remote sensing principles. GGR338H1 Describes and analyses a broad range of the key environmental issues currently facing developing countries from geographical perspectives. Emphasis is on air pollution, water contamination and treatment, residential and industrial solid waste collection and management, with multimedia and written examples drawn from throughout the developing world. GGR339H1 The interdependence of political processes and institutions, public policy and urban geography. The political economy of federalism, urban growth, planning and public services as they shape the urban landscape. The spaces of the city as the negotiated outcomes of variously empowered people and the meanings they ascribe to localities and places. Approaches informed by post-colonial, post-modern, and feminist perspectives. Canadian, U.S. and European comparisons. GGR341H1 An introduction to Canada’s arctic and subarctic regions ‘north of 60’, an examination of physical processes that have shaped the region, as well as environmental, social, economic and political themes covering topics such as exploration and settlement, aboriginal land claims, wildlife and resource management, economic development and other current issues. GGR342H1 Examines changes in the social, political and economic geography of Southeast Asian countries. Examples drawn from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines as these emerging newly industrialized countries enter the 21st century. Emphasis on political-economy, urbanization and environment since 1950. GGR343H1 The evolving physical, social, political and economic landscape of China. Focus on development strategies, industry, agriculture, urbanization and the environment since 1949. Special attention paid to the character and impact of China’s on-going transition from a planned to market economy. GGR344H1 Overview of the physical environment and historical geography; changes in population distribution during the Soviet period; current demographic and ethnic problems; the rural economy; urbanization, industrial location, and regional development issues. JGI346H1 An overview of how planning tools and practice shape the built form of cities. This course introduces twentieth century physical planning within its historical, social, legal, and political contests. Community and urban design issues are addressed at local and regional scales and in both central cities and suburbs. The focus is on Toronto and the Canadian experience, with comparative examples form the other counties, primarily the United States. JGE347H1 The course examines the options available for dramatically reducing our use of primary energy with no reduction in meaningful energy services, through more efficient use of energy at the scale of energy-using devices and of entire energy systems. Topics covered include generation of electricity from fossil fuels and energy use in buildings, transportation, industry and agriculture. JGE348H1 The course examines the options available for providing energy from carbon-free energy sources: solar, wind, biomass, hydro, oceanic, geothermal energy, as well as through sequestration of carbon from fossil fuel sources. The hydrogen economy is also discussed. GGR350H1 This course considers geographic relationships between Canada and the world in the era of globalization, from the colonial period to the present. Local and regional sites will be linked to cultural, economic, environmental, and political processes occurring at a global scale. Key themes will include trade and investment, nationalism and identity, and Canadian geopolitics. GGR357H1 An introduction to housing in context: as a commodity, a political process and social necessity. The analysis of housing markets in an urban and spatial context, emphasizing the allocation mechanism, residential location and tenure choice, the role of the state, social housing and the relationships of housing changes to mobility, neighbourhood transition, and social equity. Case studies of specific policy issues and alternative housing strategies. GGR360H1 The history of approaches to the idea of landscape. A consideration of the origins and uses of the term in geographical inquiry will be followed by a series of case studies, global in scope, from the Early Modern period to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the representational aspects of landscapes, as well as struggles over their definition, interpretation, and use. GGR361H1 Three related themes are discussed: the underlying social, cultural and economic forces that have given cities their form and image; various aesthetic and political philosophies that have been put into practice in constructing the urban landscape; and recent European and North American attempts to control the landscape of the contemporary metropolis by the application of urban policy and planning. GGR363H1 This course introduces a diversity of critical perspectives in human geography, spanning anarchism, Marxism, feminism, sexual politics, ‘postcolonialism’ and anti-racism. In so doing it illustrates how such a range of radical ideas about space, society and culture have emerged and influenced our thought and action. GGR366H1 Toronto’s development compared to other large North American cities. Culture, social life, economy, politics, and planning process. GGR368H1 Topics in the distribution and spread of languages and dialects, including dialect atlases, innovation diffusion, measures of dialect distance, and linguistic consequences of urbanization and mobility. Rudiments of phonetics and grammar are integrated in the geolinguistic content. GGR371H1 This course is designed to give students exposure to advanced quantitative techniques including inferential applications of the simple regression model, multiple regression analysis (MRA), data screening for MRA, model building issues in MRA, qualitative independent variable models, discrete choice models, cluster analysis and forecasting methods. GGR373H1 Advanced theory, techniques, and applications in geographic information systems (GIS), including interpolation, geostatistics, modeling, and raster and vector analysis. GIS project design and implementation. GGR390H1 Introduction to field methods in vegetation mapping/analysis, soils, hydrology and geomorphology. The course includes exercises and a project during a one-week field camp early in September, a little preparation during the preceding summer, and complementary practical work and/or seminars during the Fall Term. Each student is required to pay the costs of their transportation and accommodation. Students must register with the Department by April. Course may be limited by size. GGR391H1 A seminar course in which each student prepares a research proposal incorporating relevant theory, published research, sources of data, and methods of enquiry and analysis. A proposal prepared in this course may be used to plan research for GGR491Y1. GGR393H1 Environmental impact assessment as a mechanism for avoiding or mediating the costs of development. Emphasis on the institutional development of EIA in Canada, and EIA in the context of environmental regulation. Includes case studies of EIA statements and processes at various levels of government. GGR398H0 GGR399Y0 An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. See page 48 for details. GGR400H1 Content in any given year depends on instructor. The program in which this course can be used depends on its context. Consult Departmental Office in April. GGR403H1 Seminar course on biogeochemical cycling of carbon, water, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and iron between the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere. Focus will be placed on the global carbon cycle, including how other biogeochemical cycles feedback on carbon-based processes and mechanisms. Examples and case studies will be taken from research on contemporary as well as paleoclimate systems. GGR409H1 The environmental behaviour and toxicology of inorganic and organic chemical contaminants is discussed in order to understand the scientific basis of pollution concerns. Theory is illustrated with qualitative and quantitative examples and case studies that extend from chemical emissions to health effects. Facility is gained with simple mathematical models. The interface between science and policy are discussed throughout. GGR413H1 Modern developments in hydrology and ecology, including form and process models, interactions of hydrology, ecology and geomorphology; the course emphasizes use of computer simulation models of drainage basin processes. GGR415H1 The policy and institutional aspects of resource and environmental planning in Canada. Overview of the evolution of resource and environmental management and the examination of selected planning techniques; community involvement in planning; the ecosystem approach to planning; emphasis on environmental planning in the urban context. GGR418H1 Examines political aspects of the appropriation of natural resources, including policy and regulation, environmental impacts, and social justice. Emphasis is placed on reading contemporary literature on the politics of resource access and control from geography and other social science disciplines. GGR421H1 The history of geography as an intellectual subject, focusing primarily on the modern period, and on the genealogy of central concepts such as region, landscape, and place. Disciplinary developments will be situated next to broader contexts, including imperialism and militarism, the relationship between culture and nature, and the shifting social role of the academy. GGR431H1 Theory and analysis of regional economic change with emphasis on North America and Western Europe. Export-base, neoclassical, increasing returns, and political-economic explanations of regional growth and decline, globalization, knowledge-based economy and the role of regions. Geography of technological change, labour-markets and labour relations. Objectives and approaches for local and regional development policy, including talent-based strategies for enhancing local creativity. GGR439H1 Introduction to geopolitical theories. Emphasis on the development of the nation state, theories of land claims and the territorial manifestations of nationalism. Will examine recent theoretical as well as empirical challenges to many of the conventional geopolitical assumptions about scale, space, and power in global politics. Please note that this course is open to students who have taken GGR239H1 (formerly Global Political Geography). GGR450H1 This course is an introduction to medical geography. It includes the following topics: concepts and techniques of medical geography; human ecology of disease; regional patterns of diseases; biometeorological influences on health and disease; health effects of environmental modification and contamination; disease diffusion; spatial distribution of health care resources; and emerging and re-emerging infections. GGR451H1 An exploration of the aspects of health in which place or location matters. Particular attention will be paid to the role of environments (physical, social, etc.) in explaining differences in health between places, the structuring of health-related behaviour in place, and the development of health policy for places. GGR452H1 The changing nature of space and our thinking about it, centering on works of contemporary geographers and spatial theorists such as Lefebvre, Soja, Gregory, Harvey, Massey and challenges to this thinking. Explores changing concepts of spatiality that inform geographic thought and help us understand the ways political, economic and social power is constituted and contested. JGI454H1 This course will focus on the role of a planning practitioner in contemporary society using a wealth of examples drawn from recent issues and debates in Canadian cities and regions. The course will walk students through the demands made of planners in terms of both technical expertise as well as political necessity and ask them to think actively about how to prepare for the extraordinary growth of cities during the next century. Examples of issues that will be discussed in some detail include the myths surrounding the city vs. the suburbs, the creativity and passion involved in planning work and the need to see Toronto’s future from a regional perspective. GGR457H1 This course investigates post-war suburbs, beginning with an examination of their competing contemporary meanings. It considers images of prosperous private enclaves, of declining and difficult to access places, of racialized and segregated areas, of banality and homogeneity, of precarity and polarization, and of creative social struggles. It assesses these different visions through an analysis of urban growth and change since WWII. The course will focus on themes of public and private space; class, race and segregation; gender and suburban space; immigration; ‘urban sprawl’, and the changing social and economic geography of the suburbs. It examines North American areas, with examples from Australia and Europe. GGR458H1 Though there is some debate about the actual moment, we have either already surpassed or will very soon exceed the point when over 50 percent of the earth’s inhabitants live in cities. In most developed countries, the rate of urbanization is well over 70 percent already. In short, the twenty-first century is rapidly shaping up as the urban century. The social, economic and political significance of cities is thus increasingly important to understand. This course will cover advanced work on the geography of cities to further this understanding. The first third of the course will cover foundational ideas in urban geography while the final two thirds will cover two separate contemporary topics in the field. The course will be useful for those broadly interested in the topic or more particularly interested in preparing for a career in urban planning or policymaking. GGR462H1 Students work in groups to develop their own research project and then acquire, organize and analyze geographic data to complete it. Emphasis is placed on research design, project management and the application of GIS concepts and skills learned in previous courses to a practical problem. JFG470H1 Application of operational research and information technology to develop decision support systems for forest land management planning. Basic principles of mathematical programming, simulation and decision analysis, and their application to planning for forest conservation and sustainable development, policy analysis and other land management planning problems. GGR473H1 The design and production of maps using GIS cartographic and graphics software packages. Map perception and map use, principles and elements of cartographic design, data acquisition and manipulation, production and reproduction of maps and atlases. Practical exercises culminate in a major project in thematic map design. JFG475H1 Use of operational research and information technology to develop mathematical models and decision support systems to design and evaluate the performance of emergency response systems. Forest fire management systems are used to illustrate the basic principles of emergency response system planning that can also be applied to urban fire, police, and ambulance services. GGR490H1 A two-week course emphasizing the use of advanced field methods for analyzing the pattern of variations in vegetation, soils, surface hydrology and geomorphology in montane and alpine environments. Course is offered in August at the University of Calgary’s field station, Kananaskis, Alberta. Students are responsible for the cost of board, lodging and transport to and from the field. Students must register with the Department in March. (Offered in alternate years) GGR491Y1 A course specially designed for students wishing to gain experience in conducting research in their area of specialization. Of particular value for geographers interested in graduate study, or positions in government, planning and consulting firms where research skills may be an asset. Students select a research problem and complete a project under the supervision of a faculty member. Enrolment requires written permission from a faculty supervisor and Undergraduate Coordinator; early discussion with a likely supervisor is encouraged. Enrolment may be completed at any time up to September; open to students in a Specialist or Major Program sponsored by the Department of Geography. GGR492H1 Students design and implement an independent applied geography/planning project in consultation with an NGO or government organization, who will act as their “client.” Enrolment requires written permission from a staff supervisor and Undergraduate Coordinator. Only open to students who are enrolled in a Specialist or Major program sponsored by the Department of Geography. GGR498H1 An independent research extension to one of the courses already completed in Physical Geography. Enrolment requires written permission from a faculty supervisor and Undergraduate Coordinator. Only open to students who have completed 10 credits and who are enrolled in a Specialist or Major program sponsored by the Department of Geography. GGR499H1 An independent research extension to one of the courses already completed in a social science or humanities branch of Geography. Enrolment requires written permission from a faculty supervisor and Undergraduate Coordinator. Only open to students who have completed 10 credits and who are enrolled in a Specialist or Major program sponsored by the Department of Geography. |