Editorial

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Notes

Even those who do have such contact misapprehend the contemporary discipline: for example, Prof Felipe Fernández‐Armesto (who has a chair of Global Environmental History at Queen Mary, University of London) wrote that (The Times Higher Educational Supplement, 19 September 2003, p. 20) “Geography has been transformed in my lifetime by the influence of environmental science”. For other examples, see Schoenberger (2001).

Surprisingly little has been written about the National Geographic Society and its impact other than the items referenced here and in Schulten (2001). For the contemporary work of the Society and its magazine see http://www.nationalgeographic.com/.

On comparable, if slightly later, episodes in the UK, see Goodson (1988).

There is a claimed revival in the United States—Gaile & Willmott (2003)—though it remains the case that geography is marginal in school curricula there, as well as in much of the university system.

The National Geographic website has a ‘GeoQuestion of the Day’: I logged in on 27 October 2003 to find that it was ‘Madagascar is the largest island in which ocean?’

Some academic geographers remain in contact with school geography, however, as with those involved in editing and contributing to the magazine Geography Review, a publication specifically aimed at schools: see http://www.philipallan.co.uk/.

Circulation data are from http://abcas4.accessabc.com/demo/eperiodicals/report_maxdate.asp (accessed 27 October 2003). The NGS has been very active in recent years promoting geographical education in US schools—responding at least in part to poll findings regarding American relative geographical ignorance (i.e. not knowing where places are). Others, too, have been pressing the case for more teaching of geography in US schools, but although they won a mention for the discipline in a Congressionally defined ‘national curriculum’ no funds were provided to promote geography teaching, unlike the situation for all other recognized disciplines (Richardson, 2003). One stratagem that has been effective was developed at the University of Colorado. Being troubled by the geographic ignorance of incoming students, a Dean of Arts and Sciences (himself a classicist) introduced a policy that any students without a high school qualification in geography would have to take a course (which did not carry credit points) given by the geography department at the university. Many now take that course, which benefits the departmental budget (and graduate school) enormously; increasingly, courses are now being provided at high schools.

The same ‘moan’ is often made about geographers not having a public policy impact (Martin, 2001), but think of the massive influence that Phil Rees, David Martin and others have had on the nature of the UK Census over the last 15–20 years. Think also of the 1986 BBC Domesday project, whose success was predicated on the work of geographers but for which they received little public attention.

In Nick Middleton's TV series—such as that on Extremes shown on the UK's Channel 4 in 2003—he is presented as a geographer, and brings a high profile to the discipline through informative and yet entertaining programmes about particular environments.

Which is perhaps unfortunate, given the popularity of recent general interest books on the history of cartography (e.g. Crane, 2002; Wilford, 2002; Winchester, 2002).

This is not a new situation: see Lee (1985).