Geographical Union Identity

This chapter explores geographical union identity which is projected by unions with membership territories other than those of Great Britain or the UK. These unions project three forms of geographical identity, namely, ‘subnational union identity’, where unions such as SSTA organise an area within Great Britain, ‘binational union identity’ where unions including NUJ are based in two countries, or ‘multinational union identity’ where unions operate in multiple countries as represented by Nautilus, which was formed by cross-border mergers. The analysis recognises that four Northern Irish unions are certified separately and that some Irish unions also organise there. The chapter explores the observable characteristics of geographical union identity together with the impact of mergers, membership benefits, affiliations and political alignment. The work identifies the potentialities for union responses to any reconfiguration of the UK following either Scottish independence and/or the reunification of Ireland and for the formation of multinational unions in order to provide a more effective challenge to multinational capitalism.

Perspectives on internationalism in Geography

International collaboration in science in general continues to grow and the discipline of Geography is increasingly becoming internationalized. Although there are many benefits to internationalism and, indeed, it is essential if we are to address major global challenges, there is debate as to whether or not existing power relations contribute to cementing unevenness and inequity among the global community of geographers. This is reflected in academic publication practices which clearly advantage particular communities over others. In this essay, I offer some thoughts on the nature of internationalism and its influence on representation in the global geographical community. Important constraints to greater inclusivity are highlighted and the role of the International Geographical Union in potentially offsetting some of the apparent inequities is discussed. The paper concludes with some thoughts as to what is needed if internationalism is to help reduce rather than accentuate such imbalances.

Women geographers and the International Geographical Union

This article reports the under representation of women in the discipline of geography in the world and focuses on the position of women in the global geography community of the International Geographical Union IGU. First, it gives an overview of the underrepresentation of women in geography in different parts of the world, demonstrating that women are particularly underrepresented in positions of power and prestige. Second, it summarizes factors that explain the underrepresentation of women in geography. Finally, it analyzes the position of women in the governance of the IGU. It concludes that women geographers are still underrepresented in the IGU in the same way as in geography departments all over the world. The participation of women in the governance of the IGU reflects the gendered nature of subdisciplines in geography as an integrative natural sciences-social sciences-humanities discipline, with a higher share of female representation in human geography than in physical and technical subdisciplines. Female representation is more often from high-income countries in Europe, North-America and Oceania and from Latin-America than from Asia and Africa.

A vacuum to be filled. Central and Eastern Europe in the times of ‘geography without the Germans’

This article analyses strategies used by geographers of Central and Eastern Europe, foremost Poland, to improve their international position, in the interwar. The boycott of Germany and its former allies almost until mid-1930s was a challenge to this group and it gradually hindered its development. The most original attempt at overcoming the threat of marginalization were congresses of Slavic geographers organized from 1924. The greatest success, however, came with the 1934 Warsaw congress of the Geographical Union, which was also the occasion for German geographers to fully return to international scholarly exchange.