Perspectives on Political Geography in AP^® Human Geography

ABSTRACT

Two trends have remade the field of political geography over the past quarter-century. First, a revision of taken-for-granted concepts that amounted to spatial determinism. Second, pioneering many new and emerging concepts such as political ecology. Both trends are important contributions to the evolving section of the AP Human Geography course on the “Political Organization of Space.” Following a plea to make political geography more political and geographical, this article presents a classroom example from the field of political ecology.

Key Words::

• Advanced Placement Human Geography
• political geography
• critical human geography
• state
• political ecology

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan Leib

Jonathan Leib is an associate professor of geography at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. He is also a former editor of the Journal of Geography, and a reader for the Advanced Placement Human Geography exam.

Jody Smothers-Marcello

Jody Smothers-Marcello teaches Advanced Placement Human Geography at Sitka High School in Sitka, Alaska, USA. She is also a reader and a member of the AP Human Geography Development Committee, the past editor of The Geography Teacher, and a past president of NCGE.