Geography and Technology

Discusses technologies such as cartography, the camera, aerial photography, computers, and other computer-related tools. This book addresses the impact of such technologies on geography and society, and is useful for those in the humanities, social, policy and engineering sciences, planning and development fields.

This volume celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Association of American Geographers. It recognizes the importance of technologies in the production of geographical knowledge. The original chapters presented here examine technologies that have affected geography as a discipline. Among the technologies discussed are cartography, the camera, aerial photography, computers, and other computer-related tools. The contributors address the impact of such technologies on geography and society, disciplinary inquiries into the social/technological interfaces, high-tech as well low-tech societies, and applications of technologies to the public and private sectors. Geography and Technology can be used as a textbook in geography courses and seminars investigating specific technologies and the impacts of technologies on society and policy. It will also be useful for those in the humanities, social, policy and engineering sciences, planning and development fields where technology questions are becoming of increased importance. Geography clearly has much to learn from other disciplines and fields about geography/technology linkages; others can likewise learn much from us.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Douglas Richardson.- Preface and Acknowledgements.- Contributing Authors.- Color Plates.- Part I - Geography and Technology Interfaces.- 1. Geography and Technology.- 2. Communications Technology and the Production of Geographical Knowledge.- 3. Federal Funding, Geographic Research, and Geographic Technologies: 1904-2004.- Part II - Technologies that Changed Geography.- 4. The Imbrication of Geography and Technology.- 5. Computers and Geography.- 6. Remote Sensing of Selected Biophysical Variables and Urban/Suburban Phenomena.- 7. New Digital Geographies.- Part III - New Geographies with New Technologies.- 8. From Globes to GIS.- 9. Fieldwork in Nonwestern Contexts.- 10. The Camera and Geographical Inquiry.- 11. Film Networks and the Place(s) of Technology.- 12. Motor Vehicles on the American Landscape.- 13. Airspaces.- 14. A World on Demand.- 15. Democracy and Technology.- 16. Technologies Applied to Public Health.- 17. "Real" Bodies, "Real" Technologies.- 18. Geotechnology, the U.S. Military, and War.- Part IV - The Environment and Technology.- 19. Earth Pulses in direct Current.- 20. The Impact of Technology Upon In Situ Atmospheric Observations and Climate Science.- 21. Population-Environment Interactions with an Emphasis on Land-Use/Land-Cover Dynamics and Role of Technology.- 22. Capacity Building and Geographic Information Technologies in African Development.- 23. Natural Hazards and Technology.- Part V - The Worlds before us.- 24. The GIS Revolution in Science and Society.- 25. Why Technology?.- Index.