Geographic Information and Society

Geography 594:

Geographic Information and Society

Spring 2003

Instructor:

Geographic Information and Society examines the interrelationships between GIS and the political, economic, legal, social, cultural, spatial, and institutional structures of society. Two general perspectives are reviewed: The institutional perspective focuses on GIS implementation processes and benefit/cost measures in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity, as well as on theories and methods for determining how spatial information influences land and policy decisions. The critical social theory perspective focuses on a critical analysis of the effects of GIS technologies on individuals and groups, including issues of representation, alternative modes of reasoning, and differential access to technology. Both theoretical and applied aspects of GIS and Society are reviewed in the context of the two general perspectives.

FACTS ABOUT THE COURSES

SPRING 2003 INFORMATION: GEO 594

TIMETABLE: Geography 594 meets once a week, Fridays, 9 am to 11:50

CREDIT HOURS: 3

GRADING: The grade will be based on a research paper plus class participation.

Draft Course Outline

January 17 (F) Introduction: Geographic Information and Society. Overview of the GI & Society topic

Readings:

Sheppard, E., Couclelis, H., Graham, S., Harrington, J. W., and Onsrud, H., 1999, Geographies of the information society. International Journal of geographical Information Science 13(8), 797-823.

January 24 (F) GIS & Society: Early Papers

Readings:

§ Harley, J.B., 1989. Deconstructing the Map. Cartographica 26(2): 1-20.

§ Harley, J.B., 1990. Cartography, Ethics, and Social Theory. Cartographica 27(2): 1-23.

§ Pickles, J., 1991. Geography, G.I.S. and the Surveillant Society. Applied Geography Conference.

January 31 (F) Intellectual history of GIS and Geographic technologies

Readings:

Mark, D. M., Chrisman, N., Frank, A. U., McHaffie, P. H., and Pickles, J. 1997. The GIS History Project. Proceedings, UCGIS Summer Assembly, Bar Harbor, Maine, June 15-21. http://www.geog.b uffalo.edu/ncgia/gishist/bar_harbor.html
Mark, D. M., 1997. The History of Geographic Information Systems: Invention and Re-Invention of Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs). Proceedings, GIS/LIS'97. http://www.geog.buf falo.edu/ncgia/gishist/GISLIS97.html

February 7 (F) The institutional perspective on GI and Society, 1

Readings:

§ Pinto, J. K., and Onsrud, H. J., Sharing geographic information across organizational boundaries: A research framework. 44-64.

§ Calkins, H. W., and Weatherbe, R., Taxonomy of spatial data sharing. 65-75

§ Kevany, M. J., A proposed structure for observing data sharing. 76-100.

February 14 (F) The institutional perspective on GI and Society, 2

Readings:

§ Dickinson, H. J., and Calkins, H. W., 1988. The economic evaluation of implementing a GIS. International Journal of geographical Information Systems 2(4), 307-327.

§ Calkins, H. W., and Obermeyer, N. J., 1991. Taxonomy for surveying the use and value of geographcial information. International Journal of geographical Information Systems 5(3), 341-351.

Onsrud, H. J., and Calkins, H., 1993. Research Initiative 4: Use and value of geographic information. Closing Report, NCGIA, Santa Barbara, CA.

February 21 (F) Public participation GIS

Readings:

Shiffer, M. J., 1998. Multimedia GIS for planning support and public discourse. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems 25(2), 89-94.
Jordan, G., A public participation GIS for community forestry user groups in Nepal: Putting people before technology. Position paper, Varenius Workshop on Empowerment, Marginalization, and Public Participation GIS. PDF File: http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/varenius/ppgis/papers/jordan.pdf
Harris, T., and Weiner, D., 1999. Community-integrated GIS for land reform in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Position paper, Varenius Workshop on Empowerment, Marginalization, and Public Participation GIS, http://www.ncgi a.ucsb.edu/varenius/ppgis/papers/harris.html.
Kingston, R., 1999. Web based GIS for public participation decision making in the UK. Position paper, Varenius Workshop on Empowerment, Marginalization, and Public Participation GIS, http ://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/varenius/ppgis/papers/kingston/kingston.html.
Al-Kodmany, K., 1999. GIS and the artist: Shaping the image of a neighborhood in participatory environmental design. Position paper, Varenius Workshop on Empowerment, Marginalization, and Public Participation GIS, http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/varenius/ppgis/papers/al-kodmany.html.

Public Participation GIS Home Page
Empowerment, Marginalization, and Public-Participation GIS (Varenius Project)

Direct link to all Varenius PPGIS papers

February 28 (F) Space, culture, indigenous peoples, and tribal GIS

Readings:

Rundstrom, R., 1995. GIS, Indigenous Peoples, and Epistemological Diversity. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22 (1): pp 45-57.
Winchell, D. G., Goodman, J. M., Jett, S. C., and Henderson, M. L., 1989. Geographic research on native Americans. In: G. L. Gaile and C. J. Wilmott, editors, Geography in America, Columbus: Merrill Publishing Company, pp. 239-255.

First Nations Mapping and GIS
ESRI Native/First Nations Index
Intertribal GIS Council Home Page
Native Lands
Roebourne Primary School (Australia)

March 7 AAG Meeting, New Orleans, GEO 594 cancelled Spring break, no classes

March 14 Spring break, no classes

March 21: (F) D Mark in Japan

March 28 (F) Latour and Social Practice

Readings:

Chrisman, N. R., 1999. Speaking Truth to Power: An Agenda for Change In K. Lowell and A. Jaton, editors. Spatial Accuracy Assessment Land Information Uncertainty in Natural Resources Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea MI. pp. 27-31. (PDF Format; about 3700 words)
Chrisman, N., unpublished. Full Circle: More than just Social Implications of GIS Unpublished manuscript, not to be quoted without author's permission. (PDF Format; about 9000 words)

April 4 (F) Legal and ethical aspects of GI and Society

Readings:

Onsrud, H. J., 1999. Basic readings in GIS law
Onsrud, H.J., 1997. Ethical Issues in the Use and Development of GIS Proceedings of GIS/LIS'97.

Promoting Access to and Use of Government Scientific and Technical Data-- An Assessment of Legal and Policy Options

April 11 (F) Social Construction of Reality / Construction of Social Reality – Preparation for the Searle / DeSoto workshop

April 12-15: Searle/ DeSoto Workshop

April 18 (F) The critical social theory perspective on GI and Society, 1

Readings:

Pickles, J., 1995. Representations in an electronic age: Geography, GIS, and democracy. In Pickles, J. (editor) Ground Truth: The Social Implications of Geographic Information Systems. New York: Guldford press.
Sheppard, E., 1995. GIS and Society: Towards a research Agenda. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22 (1): 5-16.
Miller, R., 1995. Beyond method, beyond ethics: integrating social theory into GIS and GIS into social theory. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, 22 (1): 98-103.

April 25 (F) The critical social theory perspective on GI and Society 2 (Mark in Texas)

Readings:

Mitchell, W. 1995. City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Introduction (pp. 1-5) and Chapter 5 "Soft Cities" (pp. 107-131).
Castells, C., 1996. The Rise of the Network Society. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers. Prologue (pp. 1-28) and Chapter 6 "The Space of Flows" (pp. 376-428).
Baudrillard, J. 1994. Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press. Chapter 1"The Precession of Simulacra".
Haraway, D. 1997. Modest_Witness@Second_Millenium.FemaleMan Meets OncoMouse (TM): Feminism and Technoscience. New York: Routledge. Chapter 2.1 "Semantics: Modest_Witness@Second_Millenium" (pp. 23-45)

May 2 (F) Term Paper or Research Project Due

Web sites related to the course:

Last updated on February 20, 2003

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