Constructing the geography curriculum

This paper intends to look at the development of the subject content of the English Geography National Curriculum (GNC) through the lens of discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2003) to highlight the extent to which curriculum documents incorporate a range of politically or ideologically derived (whether conscious or unconscious) assumptions about geographical knowledge

Nature and the legacy of Alexander Von Humboldt

The publication of Andrea Wulf’s biography of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859, Figure 1) is a timely reminder of the origins and purposes of geography as a field of enquiry

Women’s experiences of family planning and prophylactic mastectomy following BRCA gene diagnosis

This portfolio thesis is comprised of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical report and supporting appendices.Part one is a systematic literature review which explores experiences women have of making family planning decisions following BRCA gene diagnosis. A systematic search of five databases found five papers suitable for review. Themes and subthemes are identified and discussed, along with a review of the methodological quality of the reviewed papers. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.Part two is an empirical report of an original piece of research exploring women’s experiences of undergoing prophylactic (preventative) mastectomies following BRCA gene diagnosis. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with each of the three participants. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was carried out, with four themes identified and discussed in relation to each individual participant interview. Implications for future research within this population are discussed, as well as implications for clinical practice.Part three is a collection of combined appendices for both the literature review and empirical report, including an epistemological statement and a reflective statement from the researcher

The Anthropocene and the global.

The ongoing discussions about whether to designate the latest period in the geological history of the Earth as the Anthropocene presents both an immense challenge and an enormous opportunity for geography education

To close with and destroy: The experience of Canloan officers in the North West European Campaign, 1944-1945 (World War II)

Since the end of the Second World War the relative performance between the Allied and German Army during the North West European Campaign has become the subject of extended debate. In almost every instance, however, academics have preferred to determine conclusions without extensive examination of the soldier’s experience. This thesis is an attempt to help redress this discrepancy. Through the experiences of Canloan officers serving with the Second British Army, it is evident that the tactical reality was often more complex than has been accepted This is illuminated through the fact that the conditions of service both prior and after deployment into a theatre of operations served as parameters that predetermined the level of tactical and operational success possible. The Allies found that they could not deploy their armour in the same roles as the enemy and were forced into more cautionary roles. In the defensive, the Allies began to rely on those weapons that offered to redress the imbalance, the predominant one being artillery. Even with these measures the rate of attrition among the infantry battalions still remained high creating difficulties in maintaining all forms of traditional regimental leadership. The Canloans, and the men they led into battle, did overcome these hindrances and continued to fight both effectively and successfully. This thesis will also look at the Canloan Program itself and its volunteers in order to help establish the necessary background for the second half of the paper

'Country life'? Rurality, folk music and 'Show of Hands'

This paper examines the contribution of folk music to understanding the dynamic, fluid and multi-experiential nature of the countryside. Drawing from literature on the geographies of music, it examines the work of 'Show of Hands', a contemporary folk band from Devon in England. Three areas are studied. First, the paper examines the musical style of Show of Hands in order to explore how hybridised, yet distinctive, styles of music emerge in particular places. Second, it demonstrates how Show of Hands' hybrid musical style has become closely associated with the Southwest of England. Finally, within these spatial and hybrid contexts, attention is given to the ways in which their music represents the 'everyday lives of the rural'. Taken together these themes assess the relevance of music in the understanding of rurality as hybrid space. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Telling the Stories, Branding the Land: Examining Regional Narratives and Texts in Northern Alberta

This ecocritical study analyzes literary works and narratives related to northern Alberta. It establishes correlations between the way the land, history, and culture have been represented in these buried texts and the master narrative of resource development that continues to dominate this highly contested region. Using an interdisciplinary approach to this understudied content, this investigation combines rhetorical and discourse analysis with ecocritical close readings. The dissertation initially explores recurring themes in northern Alberta’s literature and then examines specific narratives concerning three men who have remained popular in the region: A.M. Bezanson, “Twelve Foot” Davis, and “Peace River Jim” Cornwall. While their legacies have endured, the thesis addresses the fact that other important texts that were written by women – such as Mary Lawrence, Katherine Hughes, Dorothy Dahlgren, and Alvena Strasbourg – have become scarce and obscure. After comparing the gendered perspectives contained in these texts, the discussion turns to authors who have been affiliated with fossil fuel development, including petroleum pioneer Sidney Ells, investigative trailblazer Larry Pratt, and industry ally J. Joseph Fitzgerald, who each helped rhetorically define, confront, or embrace local infrastructure projects. Next there is an analysis of three novels that engage with stock genres in order to present their stories, including a northern Alberta-based thriller written in 1980 by best-selling author Alistair MacLean. The thesis concludes by examining two influential local newspaper editors who, through their popular books, became self-appointed gatekeepers of the region’s voices. This example of authorial control over northern Alberta’s published texts speaks to an urgent need to recover, reproduce, and republicize neglected local stories and texts in order to challenge broader hegemonic forces and to better understand this region and its people. This dissertation intervenes to offer a critical starting point in recognizing, reading, and disseminating these vital voices now and in the future