Proposal for a Summer Seminar for College and University Teachers

Geographic Controversy: The Bowman Expeditions

Director: Jordan Miller, University of Kentucky

Logistics

• Four-week seminar• Target: University teachers in Geography• Four three-hour sessions per week

Objectives

• Investigate role of militarism within Geography

• Emphasize controversy surrounding Bowman Expeditions

• Stress future of Geography as a discipline

Coordinators

• Jordan Miller – Graduate Student at UK• Co-coordinated by other UK grad students• Department noted for development of

geographic thoughtIncorporates Bowman Expeditions in graduate seminars

Rationale

• Bowman Expeditions controversial• Funding conflict of interest?• Geography and historical militarism• Ethical implications?

Content and Implementation

• Reading and responding to selected texts• Dobson, Herlihy, Bryan, Mutersbaugh, Wood• Geography’s “science of imperialism”• Mackinder, Ratzel, Bowman• WWII Geography and early ethical debates

Weekly Schedule

• 1: Geography’s early history• 2: Bowman Expeditions• 3: Ethics and geographic research• 4: Trajectory of Geography

Peter Herlihy

• Led first Bowman Expedition• Will describe México Indígena • Methods and processes• Describe controversy• What Bowman Expeditions say about

Geography

Joe Bryan

• Vocal critic of Herlihy and Bowman Expeditions

• Geographic militarism• Effect of Bowman on indigenous/marginalized

groups• Military-funded research and the implications

Learning Outcomes

• Understand Geography’s early provocative history

• Connect geographic militarism to Bowman• Trajectory of Geography• Research ethics• What can we learn from Bowman?