Growing up in Loretto, Tennessee, population 1,700, people called it "going to town" when they went to any city big enough to have a McDonald's, Walmart, or a movie theater. If someone is not from a small town, they may not know what type of economic activities a small town can support. Will the town have a police department? Will there…

Despite the size and growth of political science and sociology relative to other disciplines, political science and sociology graduate students have received a declining share of funding for dissertation field research in recent years. Specifically, political science and sociology students are losing out to competitive applicants from…

Area studies are calculated to restore a measure of cultural equilibrium to any American-based endeavor, to supply basic data from a rich variety of cultural contexts, and to add orderly descriptions, analyses, and interpretations of economic, political, and social systems other than American. This pamphlet details the interest of the Social…

Introduces the concept of state-forbidden research terrains and examines one such terrain in detail: post-revolutionary Cuba. Examines how U.S. decision makers create and maintain forbidden research terrain and explores the consequences of Cuba's closure to social science investigation. Suggests actions that social scientists might take to open up…

Describes teaching ecology by using highway travel. Provides an outline for the travel observation checklist. Discusses some practical information for using the activity. (YP)

Rural and small-town Ontario, Canada is introduced through illustrations and discussions of seven typical elements that helped shape the province: cemetery, house, barn, hall, fence, roadscape, and main street. Having students make and discuss sketches is an excellent way to help them learn about the human geography of an area. (RM)

Compares and contrasts a historical approach to woodland studies with a conventional ecological approach. Suggests potential sources of information and areas for investigation for the historical ecologist. Also reviews a case study example that employed this strategy. (ML)

A trained eye can make almost any part of the landscape into a vehicle for historical awareness. Discussed is how one farm in Canada is the product of its historic circumstances. (RM)