Reference no: EM132954096

Part 1 Humans and Land (Complete a minimum of four)

1. What is an ecosystem? How does a systems approach differ from a reductionist approach in understanding relationships? From the case studies, justify whether you think Geography is more systems-based or reductionist in its approach as a discipline

2. Briefly describe the first four phases of the demographic transition, correlating them to changes in the industrial structure of the economy. Which stage would you say Guatemala was at in 2000? What about the US in 2000?

3. Distinguish between the "youth bulge" and the "demographic dividend" in the demographic transition. In which phase(s) do they occur, and what is any one social consequence. Which would best apply to the US and Guatemala in 2000, and what are the implications?

4. Explain the difference between over population as hypothesised by Malthus, and surplus population as hypothesised by Marx (structuralist theory). From George Lovell's analysis of population growth and land distribution, which school best applies to Guatemala?

5. Briefly describe Ester Boserup's theory of population growth, and identify at least one specific assumption which makes it almost the opposite of Malthus's. Identify an example of "alternative development" from the case studies and discuss whether it could fit Boserup's key assumptions about the relationships between population growth and adaptation. Here, you are showing your general understanding. None of us has figured out social and economic development, yet.

6. What is migration? List two types of either push-pull factors of migration or moorings and give an example of one from the case studies.

7. What is a refugee? What kind of migration is this, in the context of the following list: primary, free/voluntary; forced/compelled; chain; illegal; mass; step. Illustrate any of the previous types of migration from the case studies.

8. What is the epidemiological transition, and what are its three main phases? How does it correlate to the demographic transition, and industrial change? How does the epidemiological transition of Guatemala differ from older industrial countries like Canada and the US with respect to industrial change.

Part 2 Development Geography (Complete a minimum of three)

9. What is gross national product? Explain two limitations of using gross national product for trying to measure a country or community's state of development. Using any case studies, give an example of one economic activity you believe would be counted in GDP and one which would not, explaining your answers. Note: you can still get marks if you get the identification wrong, but correctly identify differences in principle.

10. List Rostow's five "stages of growth" in the correct order and describe two in more detail. Give an explanation of why the stages of growth are now seen as a flawed description of and prescription for development, and illustrate your example from the case studies.

11. Why is development considered an ethnocentric term? Provide a definition of development that considers diverse cultural views on human and physical resources, and one which adds a dimension for participation approaches. Identify alternative definitions and uses of resources in an one of the case studies.

12. How does the dependency school's understanding of the core-periphery relationship differ from the modernisation school's? From the lecture examples and the course text, briefly describe one example of how dependency relationships have played out in practice by keeping a region in poor social and economic circumstances, or even creating those circumstances.

13. Two new approaches in alternative schools of development practice are sustainable development and participatory development. Describe two attributes, or example practices, of one of the schools school further, and illustrate them with examples from the case studies.