The American Association of Geographers (AAG) is a scientific institution, which contributes towards the progress of geography. The AAG is a non-profit organization that has been founded in the year 1904 and consists of members belonging to over 60 countries across the world . Through the AAG, members share their interests the practice of geography, including specific theories and methods through scholarly journals, annual meetings and newsletter. The AAG also encourages discussions in geography related field among its members and scholars through specialty groups and affinity groups. The AAG members are mostly professionals and geographers working in the private, public and academic sectors pursuing a wide variety of careers as local, state and federal employees, college instructors, educators, entrepreneurs, scientists, students, administrators and many others .
There are over 60 specialty groups in the AAG that voluntarily communicate on various geographic topics of interest. Some of the examples of these specialty groups are Africa, applied geography, biogeography, Canadian studies, China and many others . Asian geography is one of the significant specialty groups, which consists of 415 members. The mission of this specialty group is promoting geographic research for facilitating teaching in Asian Geography. This specialty group organizes publications and professional meetings through the establishment of contacts with various geographers belonging to the Asian continent . Asian geography develops agenda for the purpose of research and teaching monetary aid. In 2013, the Asian Geography Specialty Group organized paper presentations and poster presentations at the Annual Conference held at Los Angeles, California. This specialty group conducts group discussions and forums on its website for analyzing the interrelationship between humans and physical characteristics of the earth . It helps the members to understand the cultural landscape of the Asian continent.
The AAG offers a multitude of careers in the field of geography. A member of the AAG could pursue career in various sectors, including nonprofit sectors, business, government, academic institutions and many others. The AAG organizes a Geography Center, which connects employers to potential employees for acquiring jobs as surveyors, cartographers and various others . It mentions available job listings on the websites, including salary trends of jobs and projected trends of growth in geographical career. Furthermore, the AAG identifies the required skillset and job titles with respect to geography-related jobs. On its website, the AAG provides information about educational and professional projects that enable career planning. In terms of career development, the AAG promotes diversity initiatives and ongoing research so that geographers could explore new possibilities and solutions . The AAG also offers wide resources on internships and assistantships, which help students to pursue part-time career in geography. It provides ample information about interview preparation tips and multimedia resources that guide the members of the association to research courses, workshops and career events.
Geography is one of the unique fields, which allows individuals to research and explore concepts that are relevant to daily life. It is essential to understand the importance of geographic knowledge to explore how human activities impact the earth . Geography helps to analyze maps and gain information about the climate and weather. Furthermore, geography is essential to describe the natural activities happening on the earth, including changes in physical characteristics of the earth. Geography plays a crucial role in deciding which places to reside, go for a vacation or pursue career. It presents information about the formation of landscapes, evolution of earthquakes and a diverse range of societies. Furthermore, geography fits human life in terms of communication technologies, including the Global Positioning System and the navigation system . In terms of culture, geography helps to explore cultural and ethnic habits of new regions, which in turn aids in observing the changes occurring at the local and global levels. Culture also includes languages, food, religion, entertainment and many others. Most importantly knowledge in geography is essential for understanding spatial processes and spatial behavior, which refer to the distribution and movement of things on the earth’s surface . Spatial behavior is useful for planning transportation routes and proximity to destinations.
Geography enables individuals to evaluate the interrelation between places in terms of accessibility and connectivity. It allows individuals to acquire information about the physical attributes of the planet, which include soil, minerals, terrain, water bodies, plants and many others . It also creates awareness about the formation of continents, oceans and seasons. Geography is necessary for restoring the natural ecosystems, which are under a serious threat due to human activities. It helps to manage both rural and urban environments in an efficient way by safeguarding the natural resources from misuse by humans. Geography enables individuals to look at the world with a distinct perspective and question about the emergence of diverse features on the earth . People who do not have adequate awareness about geography fail to realize how things vary from one place to another place. They also fail to correlate the physical and cultural environments of the earth. Therefore, it is important to gain insights about geography as it influences the lives of individuals in a significant way.
Works Cited
AAG. "About AAG." n.d. American Association of Geographers. 21 01 2016 <http://www.aag.org/cs/about_aag>.
Warf, Barney. Encyclopedia of Geography. New York, NY: SAGE Publications, 2010.
Wolch, Jennifer and Michael Dear. The Power of Geography (RLE Social & Cultural Geography): How Territory Shapes Social Life. New York, NY: Routledge, 2014.
