soils — WISDOMfromPO-MO
If only 99% of the population WERE actually familiar with political maps... — Bitter Crank
a large number of people can not find their state on a map, let alone finding Edinburgh, Beijing, or Cape Town... — Bitter Crank
And using GPS all the time leaves people unable to find their way without it... — Bitter Crank
It isn't stupidity, it's a lack of map instruction (and instruction in arithmetic, civics, and every so many other topics)... — Bitter Crank
Here's a picture of the loess hills of western Iowa. Loess is soil that blew off the receding glaciers, piled up, hardened, and there they are. It's kind of a yellowish soil. One learns about such things on geology field trips. In flat Iowa a hill this high has to be experienced to be believed. — Bitter Crank
The earth is flat, last I heard. — Nils Loc
They might do not know "push and pull factors" as one of the geographer's theoretical devices, but they know it from history and from everyday practice. Most of us live in places which either produce or accept immigrants (or both), so we're aware, to a certain extent, of push and pull factors... — Πετροκότσυφας
We might not be able to theorise on an abstract level about such issues, but most, when it comes to our built environments, are aware of practical considerations such as the existence of green spaces, open spaces, water sources, dumpsites etc. — Πετροκότσυφας
Now, of course, most of our understanding regarding such topics is usually quite simplistic, but that's more or less expected. — Πετροκότσυφας
Also, I think that it's not terribly surprising that most people do not know what GIS is. Most of us are not big in electromagnetism either, despite the fact that we can turn the radio on. Specialisation comes with a cost. — Πετροκότσυφας
How does so much obliviousness to geography continue in highly-educated societies? — WISDOMfromPO-MO
A mix of apathy on the part of students and poor teaching. — Thorongil
I don't know about every school district, but in the ones that I am familiar with the science of geography is non-existent in the elementary and secondary school curriculum. The only geography in the curriculum is memorizing the names of places and their locations on political maps, and teachers do an excellent job at guiding students through such a simple task. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
As far as I know, nobody gets to experience any of that kind of research until they get to the college level. And it is not offered at every institution like philosophy, economics, sociology, etc. are. Therefore, depending on where you go to college, you might not only never be able to major in geography, you might not ever be able to take one single geography course to meet a social or natural sciences requirement for graduation. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
I hate to break it to you, but Kyrie Irving is not a reliable source on such matters. (Neither is he a reliable Cavalier, the bastard.) — Thorongil
A mix of apathy on the part of students and poor teaching. — Thorongil
I don't even know what the geography-illiterate think. They think that the locations of cities, soils, water, etc. were randomly determined by the flip of a coin, maybe? Places are in vacuums and do not affect each other, maybe? — WISDOMfromPO-MO
Intuitively, the location of cities primarily developed around major ports or other hubs of transportation... — praxis
Isn't the location of soils and water geology?... — praxis
Given the categorical disparity between cities and soil & water, I'm not sure what etc. may be referring to... — praxis
I not sure why anyone would think "places" are in vacuums that don't affect each other. Are these places very far apart? — praxis
Well, Thorongil, this is the sum and substance of school for a good share of the population. I've said elsewhere that maybe 20% of students get a good to excellent education. It isn't an accident. The 20% get good education because their parents move into good school districts, or send their children to good private schools. 20% of the school population actually have a bright future. The other 80%, not so much.
Why doesn't everybody get a good to excellent education, when the benefits are so obvious? Because, in the big world of real politic many students are going to be economically irrelevant to a large extent and it just doesn't matter whether they know where Iowa, France, or New Zealand is. It doesn't matter whether they know shit from shinola. It doesn't matter if they know anything at all.
Irrelevant, useless people is what results when economies are organized only to maximize profit for stockholders. Production requiring low skills is transferred to the lowest wage countries. Some goods require lots of skilled workers, large overhead, and investment, but those industries don't employ huge numbers of people.
Irrelevant, useless people will still eat and buy stuff, so they have a function after all, but advertising on television or the internet can take care of teaching them what kind of junk they should buy. — Bitter Crank
But eventually it comes down to a coin toss?But before people can understand and appreciate the location of their settlement, they have to be aware of things like that network. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
So etc. could be referring to any geographical element? Okay.But you started out talking about the relationship between cities and ports (water). — WISDOMfromPO-MO
Yup, them there country folk are real morons.The geography-illiterate might be so provincial that they do not see the small range of latitude and longitude that they work and live in being affected by or affecting any other place. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
But eventually it comes down to a coin toss?... — praxis
So etc. could be referring to any geographical element? Okay... — praxis
Yup, them there country folk are real morons. — praxis
At least when I was in high school (back in the carboniferous period) there was little to no instruction on ordinary economic life. Geography is the best field to cover economic life. Where do goods come from? How are they distributed? What does location, location, location mean? How are seaports, canals, rivers, railroads, highways, airports... work together? How is it that a fragile tropical fruit (the banana) is everybody's favorite, and cheap? Why aren't the apples in the store grown locally? (A lot of it is G E O G R A P H Y.) — Bitter Crank
Education standards in middle and high school should require competence in "general education". The subjects of "general education" include (minimum)
American history (2 years)
World history -- particularly western civilization (1 year, minimum)
World literature and composition (2 years)
American literature and composition (2 years)
British literature and composition (1 year)
General Science (2 years, minimum)
biology (2 years, minimum)
geography (2 years, minimum)
a foreign language (2 years, minimum)
personal finance (1 year)
Less general education includes:
Additional classes in math and science (algebra, geometry, etc.; chemistry, physics, etc.)
vocational classes (focused on practical tasks)
Obviously, subjects taught in 7th grade will be have a less complex presentation than the same subjects taught in the 11th or 12th grade. Geography needs to be included in elementary school to present the general kinds of information--a good grasp of the size and organization of the United States (or Europe for British and European students).
Maybe this seems old fashioned. — Bitter Crank
I said I don't know how the geography-illiterate think about where things are located. Geography is a science, so if a person has not thought geographically then maybe he/she thinks that the locations of things are random. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
Sociology, economics, geology, biology, etc. can all be done without any reference to or account of latitude and longitude--without any reference to or account of location on the Earth. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
You prove the point of this thread with much of what you say. — WISDOMfromPO-MO
Well, Thorongil, this is the sum and substance of school for a good share of the population. I've said elsewhere that maybe 20% of students get a good to excellent education. It isn't an accident. The 20% get good education because their parents move into good school districts, or send their children to good private schools. 20% of the school population actually have a bright future. The other 80%, not so much.
Why doesn't everybody get a good to excellent education, when the benefits are so obvious? Because, in the big world of real politic many students are going to be economically irrelevant to a large extent and it just doesn't matter whether they know where Iowa, France, or New Zealand is. It doesn't matter whether they know shit from shinola. It doesn't matter if they know anything at all.
Irrelevant, useless people is what results when economies are organized only to maximize profit for stockholders. Production requiring low skills is transferred to the lowest wage countries. Some goods require lots of skilled workers, large overhead, and investment, but those industries don't employ huge numbers of people.
Irrelevant, useless people will still eat and buy stuff, so they have a function after all, but advertising on television or the internet can take care of teaching them what kind of junk they should buy. — Bitter Crank
do you think education has devolved, evolved, or progressed since you were last in school? — Thorongil
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