Adding the human to geography

Associate Professor Richie Howitt with his book Rethinking resource management: Justice, Sustainability and Indigenous Peoples.

Many people associate the subject of geography with the study and creation of maps. But in the discipline of human geography the focus is on the social, political, cultural and economic aspects of the way the world is arranged.

“Our core concerns in human geography are people, places and the relationships among and between them,” says Associate Professor Richie Howitt, Head of the Department of Human Geography at Macquarie University.

At Macquarie, human geography postgraduate courses focus on topics that are both timely and relevant. They range from social impact analysis, globalisation and sustainability to environmental health and heritage and conservation.

Human geographers find work in a variety of jobs at the local, regional, national and international levels, Howitt says. Thanks in part to an increasing awareness of environmental and indigenous issues combined with the challenges of population growth and the influence of globalisation, the scope for human geographers to contribute at all these levels is expanding.

Sustainable development and social responsibility

Sustainable development is increasingly recognised as a priority for many organisations and the expertise human geographers bring with them is needed more than ever for a variety of jobs and projects within government and non-government organisations, industry, business consultancies and academia.

Howitt notes that changes in thinking about what corporations and governments should be held accountable for means that increasingly, business and government have to reconsider what their responsibilities are towards their shareholders and constituents.

“The bottom line just got bigger,” Howitt says. “There has been a shift to triple bottom line reporting that has a social dimension as well as an economic and environmental.”

Because human geographers focus on spatial behaviour, the pattern and organisation of society and how humans adapt themselves to both environmental and social diversity, their work encompasses a range of subjects including population studies, demography, urban and regional planning, health, social impact assessment and human migration.

Degree options

Macquarie’s postgraduate research degrees in human geography include a PhD, the Master of Arts (Honours) and Master of Science (Honours). Coursework options include a Master of Arts in Human Geography and a Graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Units from the Department can also be taken as part of other Masters coursework programs including the Sustainable Development Program offered by the Graduate School of the Environment and the Master of Policy and Applied Social Research offered by the Department of Sociology and the Master of Applied Anthropology.

More information on postgraduate courses offered in human geography can be found at www.es.mq.edu.au/humgeog

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