Geography: History and Concepts - Tapa dura

• What is Geography?: an introduction to the discipline, and a discussion of its organization and basic research approaches, informed by the question 'what difference does it make to think geographically?'
• Foundations of Geography: an examination of geography from Antiquity to the 1950s, with a special focus on human/environment relation.
• Geography 1950-1980: a critical review of the development of geography as a spatial science.
• Paradigms and Revolutions: an analysis of paradigm shifts in geography, introducing students to key debates in the philosophy of science.
• Positivism and its Critics: a detailed discussion of positivism, critical theory, humanistic geography, behavioural geography, and structuralism.
• New Trends and Ideas developing critical responses: structuration theory, realism, post-structuralism, post-modernism, feminism and actor-network theory. 

This text explores complex ideas in an intelligible and accessible style. Illustrated throughout with research examples and explanations in text boxes, questions for discussion at the end of each chapter and a concept glossary, this is the essential student companion to the discipline.

Arild Holt-Jensen (born 1937) is professor emeritus at Department of Geography, University of Bergen, Norway. He has been teaching geography in Bergen since 1965 and is the author of a number of books and articles on history and concepts of geography, environmental, urban and regional planning as well as general textbooks for highschool geography. Rewarded in 2000 ‘Modeens Minnemedalj’ by the Finnish Geographical Society for achievements in geographical education. He has served as Department chair, member of University Senate, member of editorial board for GeoJournal, member of the Council in the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) .

He has long experience in setting up and organising cross-disciplinary courses in environmental science and planning. His research in settlement geography, environmental, local and regional planning cover studies in Norway, the Nordic and Baltic countries. He has been guest professor at University of Washington, Seattle. He has lead a number of field courses for BA and MA students in Norway and the Baltic countries.

Holt-Jensen coordinated 2000-2004 the NEHOM (Neighbourhood Housing Models) project, financed by EU 5th framework programme, involving 11 partners in 8 European countries, which was followed up in the period 2004-2008 by  a Nordic - Baltic project financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers. One result of this project is (Holt-Jensen A and Pollock, E. (eds 2009):’ Urban Sustainablility and Governance; New Challenges for Nordic and Baltic Housing Policies’. NOVA, New York.

From the start of his university studies he has been active in local and national politics:  as member of the Norwegian Liberal Party he headed its Environmental Commission 1968 – 1975 (national), was member of Bergen City Council 1971-1979 and later functioned as Chair of ‘Landås City District’ board in 12 years. From 2004 he shifted to membership in Bergen Socialist (Labour) Party.