Community geography: Toward a disciplinary framework

Jerry Shannon, Katherine B. Hankins, Taylor Shelton, Amber J. Bosse, Dorris Scott, Daniel Block, Heather Fischer, La Toya E. Eaves, Jin Kyu Jung, Jonnell Robinson, Patricia Solís, Hamil Pearsall, Amanda Rees, Aileen Nicolas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Community geography is a growing subfield that provides a framework for relevant and engaged scholarship. In this paper, we define community geography as a form of research praxis, one that involves academic and public scholars with the goal of co-produced and mutually-beneficial knowledge. Community geography draws from a pragmatist model of inquiry, one that views communities as emergent through a recursive process of problem definition and social action. We situate the growth of community geography programs as rooted in two overlapping but distinct traditions: disciplinary development of participatory methodologies and institutional traditions of community engagement in American higher education. We then trace the historical development of these programs, identifying common themes and outlining several challenges that community geographers should prioritize as this subfield continues to grow.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1147-1168
Number of pages22
JournalProgress in Human Geography
Volume45
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2021

Keywords

  • community geography
  • engaged scholarship
  • mixed methods
  • pragmatism
  • praxis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development

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