Jeffrey Smith 2001-2

-----This is a very dry piece of reading which is redeemed when it reveals the humanity of geographers: the personalities, the diversity of opinions, the dissensions and all the behind-the-scene activities that go on in Academia.
-----The main feature of the article is to give an overall view of Cultural Geography at the turn of the millennium. It is useful as intended. Smith states, "It is hoped that this article will assist prospective graduate students as they decide what to read and perhaps where to complete their studies" (28), though the article only mentions this one goal at the end and reads as a report until then. By then it was clear that this could be one of its use.
-----However, I find 2 things very disturbing though they should be expected in any field of endeavor: There is a self-perpetuating aspect to having a great department attracting great people and therefore producing more great people to keep it a great department, though Smith does recognize that a student finding the right fit in a lesser-known department may do extremely well (Is this what is happening at UNR?), but we need more Zelinskis. Do we need people who are willing to leave the comfort of a secure environment to disseminate knowledge by bolstering aspiring departments? In this day and age of easy communication in travel and information, being in the right place can mean more than a physical location.
-----If retaining the title of being on the **U faculty is that critical, does there exist such a thing as a ‘teaching sabbatical’, where a professor could spend a year in a school that would benefit from that dynamism or expertise?
-----Recognized by Smith is also the self perpetuating aspect of publication: an older, respected, and often published scholar is going to be more easily published and more widely known, and their ideas will keep being disseminated while newer scholars may have trouble breaking through (24). This is nothing new or unique to Cultural Geography.
-----Still overall the article gives a good overview of where the field stands and should be part of a student research when considering graduate school.
-----I actually think that a careful reading my steer a student away from the big names, to use them in the personal setting of a smaller school, while a careless reviewing may dazzle a student into going someplace where they may become lost in the crowd!