21st Century Geography A Reference Handbook 2 2012

This is a theoretical and practical guide on how to undertake and navigate advanced research in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Research within the Disciplines is designed to help reference librarians – and students studying to become librarians – gain that deeper understanding of disciplinary differences that allows them to comfortably solve information needs rather than merely responding to questions, and practical knowledge about how to work with researchers in a library setting. The book has three chapters that cover the disciplines at the broadest level – humanities, social sciences, and sciences, plus supplemental chapters that focus on associated disciplines (research in history, business, and engineering, research using government sources) and across disciplines (interdisciplinary and critical information literacy). For the second edition of Research within the Disciplines, several chapters have been added that together give a broader and deeper overview of research across all subject areas: research practices of creative and performing artists and of clinical scientists, research in international documents, research strategies for foreign language materials, and visual literacy across the disciplines. Major shifts in technology have been accounted for that have changed how we do research and have expanded the range of resources available to researchers in all disciplines. All of the chapters have been rewritten or heavily revised; this is much more a new book than a new edition.

The Postcolonial Condition of Names and Naming Practices in Southern Africa represents a milestone in southern African onomastic studies. The contributors here are all members of, and speakers of, the cultures and languages they write about, and, together, they speak with an authentic African voice on naming issues in the southern part of the African continent. The volume’s overarching thesis is that names are important yet often underestimated socio-politico-cultural sites on which some of the most significant events and processes in the post-colony can be read. The onomastic topics covered in the book range from the names of traditional healers and male aphrodisiacs to urban landscapes and street naming, from the interface between Chinese and African naming practices to the names of bands of musicians and mini-bus taxis. There is a strong section on literary onomastics which explores how names have been variously deployed by southern African fiction writers for certain semantic, aesthetic and ideological effects. The cultures and languages covered in this volume are equally wide-ranging, and, while some authors focus on single languages and cultures (for example Thembu, Xhosa, Shona), others look at inter-cultural influences such as the influence of the Portuguese and Chinese languages on Shona naming. Written by Professor Adrian Koopman Emeritus Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

In addition to environmental change, the structure and trends of global politics and the economy are also changing as more countries join the ranks of the world’s largest economies with their resource-intensive patterns. The nexus approach, conceptualized as attention to resource connections and their governance ramifications, calls attention to the sustainability of contemporary consumer resource use, lifestyles and supply chains. This book sets out an analytical framework for understanding these nexus issues and the related governance challenges and opportunities. It sheds light on the resource nexus in three realms: markets, interstate relations and local human security. These three realms are the organizing principle of three chapters, before the analysis turns to crosscutting case studies including shale gas, migration, lifestyle changes and resource efficiency, nitrogen fertilizer and food systems, water and the Nile Basin, climate change and security and defense spending. The key issues revolve around competition and conflict over finite natural resources. The authors highlight opportunities to improve both the understanding of nexus challenges and their governance. They critically discuss a global governance approach versus polycentric and multilevel approaches and the lack of those dimensions in many theories of international relations.

The 21st century presents many challenges to the hazard manager; dynamic climatic conditions combined with population growth, rapid urbanization, and changing socio-economic relationships are reshaping disaster impacts, community responses, and social safety mechanisms. Indeed, human vulnerability is constantly restructured by the ongoing interplay of physical, social, economic, and political forces. At the same time, reducing vulnerability and enhancing community resilience require policies aimed at mitigating the consequences of disasters as they affect different locations and different groups, requiring sound scientifically-based research to further an understanding of the forces at play, and to devise appropriate means to counter them. It is within this context that this book examines evolving approaches to natural hazards. Research into natural hazards has a long tradition beginning with a focus on physical processes and evolving into an interdisciplinary agenda that incorporates interactions between the physical and human environments, embracing initiatives ranging from the physical to the socio-economic and political. It utilises various methodological approaches and technological advances, employing both quantitative and qualitative procedures. The papers included in this book offer insights into the development of applied hazards research, as they build on previous work, evolving technologies, improved understandings of the factors involved, and increased awareness of the needs of those who manage hazards. This volume shows an appreciation for the foundation that has been set, and will inspire future researchers as they look to address these very pressing social issues.

This volume offers concepts, methods and case studies of innovative and evolving technologies in the area of watershed assessment. Topics discussed include: (1) Development and applications of geospatial, satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies for land monitoring; (2) Development and applications of satellite imagery for monitoring inland water quality; (3) Development and applications of water sensor technologies for real-time monitoring of water quantity and quality; and (4) Advances in biological monitoring and microbial source tracking technologies. This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers involved in watershed science and environmental studies. Equally, it will serve as a valuable guide to experts in government agencies who are concerned with water-availability and water-quality issues, and engineers and other professionals involved in the design of land- and water-monitoring systems.

“Smart City” programs and strategies have become one of the most dominant urban agendas for local governments worldwide in the past two decades. The rapid urbanization rate and unprecedented growth of megacities in the 21st century triggered drastic changes in traditional ways of urban policy and planning, leading to an influx of digital technology applications for fast and efficient urban management. With the rising popularity in making our cities “smart”, several domains of urban management, urban infrastructure, and urban quality-of-life have seen increasing dependence on advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) that optimize and control the day-to-day functioning of urban systems. Smart Cities, essentially, act as digital networks that obtain large-scale real-time data on urban systems, process them, and make decisions on how to manage them efficiently. The book presents 26 chapters, which are organized around five topics: (1) Conceptual framework for smart cities and communities; (2) Technical concepts and models for smart city and communities; (3) Civic engagement and citizen participation; (4) Case studies from the Global North; and (5) Case studies from the Global South.