MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

GCU102  1995 Fall - 9999

Introduction to Human Geography

1.

Describe the historical development of and common approaches to the discipline of geography as it relates to spatial concepts. (I)

2.

Describe features of the physical environment, including earth- sun relationships, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the lithosphere. (II)

3.

Explain the processes by which population is measured and analyzed, and identify governmental and individual policies toward population. (III)

4.

Describe and exemplify types and causes of migration. (IV)

5.

Explain features of human culture, including language, religion, and secular customs. (V)

6.

Define and exemplify the concept of political geography. (VI)

7.

Explain characteristics of economic development as they relate to human geography. (VII)

8.

Explain common agricultural methods and their relationship to human geography. (VIII)

9.

Describe patterns of urban development as they relate to human geography. (IX)

10.

Describe the uses of natural resources and the resulting environmental concerns and challenges. (X)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

GCU102  1995 Fall - 9999

Introduction to Human Geography

I. Basic Geographic Concepts

A. Historical development of the discipline

1. The ancient world

2. The middle ages

3. The modern era

B. Approaches

1. Environmental determinism versus possibilism

2. Regional versus systematic

C. Introductory spatial concepts

1. Location

2. Map scale and projections

3. Grid system

4. Remote sensing

5. Geographic information systems

6. Mental maps

7. Distance decay

II. The Physical Environment

A. Earth sun relationships

1. Rotation

2. Revolution

3. Seasons

B. The atmosphere

1. Earth's energy budget

2. Pressure and wind systems

C. The hydrosphere

1. Hydrologic cycle

2. Weather and climate

D. The biosphere

1. Food web

2. Biomes

E. The lithosphere

1. Soils

2. Tectonic and gradational processes

III. Population

A. Population measures

1. Census

2. Growth rates

3. Density

B. Population analysis

1. Distribution

2. Age sex pyramids

3. Demographic transition model

C. Population policies

1. Governmental

2. Individual

IV. Migration

A. Reasons for migration

1. Push factors

a. Economic

b. Political

c. Environmental

d. Cultural

2. Pull factors

a. Economic

b. Political

c. Environmental

d. Cultural

B. Types

1. Internal

a. Rural to urban

b. Snowbelt to sunbelt

2. External

a. Overseas Chinese

b. European colonization

3. Voluntary

a. North American settlement

b. Guest workers

4. Forced

a. European slave trade

b. Australian convicts

V. Culture

A. Languages and dialects

1. Families

2. Distribution

3. Diffusion

4. Artificial languages

B. Religion

1. Major world religions

2. Distribution

3. Diffusion

4. Influences

a. Upon governments

b. Upon economic development

c. Upon gender roles

d. Upon the physical landscape

e. Upon the cultural landscape

5. Religious conflict

C. Cultural landscapes

1. Folk customs and popular customs

a. Housing and architecture

b. Diet

c. Clothing

d. The impact of television

2. Sequent occupance

VI. Political Geography

A. States, nations and nation-states

1. Borders

2. Shapes

B. Federal and unitary systems

C. Centrifugal and centripetal forces

D. Colonialism

E. Supranationalism

VII. Economic Development

A. Measures

1. Quantitative

2. Qualitative

B. Distribution

1. Developed countries

2. Less developed countries

C. Economic structure

1. Primary sector

2. Secondary sector

3. Tertiary sector

4. Quaternary sector

D. Relationship to social and political systems

1. Market economies

2. Centrally planned economies

E. Development models

1. International trade

2. Self-sufficiency

3. Financial assistance