The rise of critical discourses in the discipline of geography has opened up new avenues for social justice. Geography and Social Justice in the Classroom brings together contemporary research in geography and fresh thinking about geography’s place in the social studies curriculum. The book’s main purposes are to introduce teachers and teacher educators to new research in geography, and to provide theoretical and practical examples of geography in the curriculum.

The book begins with the premise that power and inequality often have spatial landscapes. With the tools and concepts of geography, students can develop a critical geographic literacy to explore the spatial expressions of power in their lives, communities, and the wider world. The first half of the book introduces new research in the field of geography on diverse topics including the social construction of maps as instruments of power and authority. The second half of the book turns the readers’ attention to geography in the P-12 classroom, and it highlights how geography can enable teachers and students to explore issues of power and social justice in the classroom. Through critical geographic literacy, educators can boldly position themselves and their students as advocates for a more just world.

Contents

Introduction Todd W. Kenreich Part I: Contemporary Research in Geography 1. The Relational Turn and the Political Geographies of Youth Fernando J. Bosco 2. Maps that Say "No!": The Rise of Prohibitive Cartography Mark Monmonier 3. Women at the U.S.-Mexico Border Ellen Hansen and Janice Monk 4. Segregated Cities: U.S. Housing and Race in the Post-Civil Rights Era Jeffrey Crump Part II: Geography and P-12 Education 5. The Complexities of Teaching Simple Geographic Concepts: A Guide to Connecting Critical Geography to the Classroom Rickie Sanders 6. Geography for Civic Action in East Los Angeles Benjamin D. Weber 7. "It’s Just Geography": Critical Geography and a Critique of Placement Human Geography William Gaudelli and Timothy Patterson 8. Queer Geography: A Query of Norms in the Social Studies Sandra J. Schmidt 9. New Meridians: Social Education and Citizenship in a Critical Geography Robert J. Helfenbein 10. Conclusion: The Future of Critical Geographic Literacy Todd W. Kenreich

Author Bio

Todd W. Kenreich is Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor of Secondary Education at Towson University.