1. Geography and environmental studies in Australia: symbiosis for survival in the 21st century?
- Author
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Harvey, N., Foster, C., and Bourman, R.P.
- Subjects
Geography -- Study and teaching ,Universities and colleges -- Curricula ,Conservation of natural resources -- Study and teaching ,Geography - Abstract
This paper presents the results of a detailed survey into the reasons for the spate of mergers between Geography and Environment Studies that took place in Australian universities from 1989 to 1999. The results, from a 1998 survey, suggest that the development of a symbiotic relationship between the two areas of study is merely a veneer masking a complexity of underlying factors. These include financial reasons, internal university politics, staff changes and mobility, and only in some cases, a genuine academic rationale for a merger. The paper concludes that the superficial appearance of a symbiosis between Geography and Environment Studies generally masks an opportunistic pragmatism which is very site specific in its complexity. The result has been a series of departmental mergers which, although providing a firmer financial footing, raise questions about the academic implications for the development of both study areas as we move into the third millennium. KEY WORDS Geography; Environmental Studies; University Department mergers; Australian universities
- Published
- 2002