James C. Saku

Web-Based GIS and the Future of Participatory GIS Applications within Local and Indigenous Communities

As resource managers search for strategies to meet the challenges posed by intense competition for scarce local resources, the implementation of Community‐based GIS applications have become widespread. Besides mapping, the Participatory GIS (PGIS) projects create a peaceful medium for community groups and public officials to meet, exchange views and also learn to develop trust for each other. However, the PGIS projects face many problems including the lack of basic supporting infrastructure and services. The adoption of the Internet as a platform for PGIS applications therefore raises concerns about the future of PGIS projects. While the Internet may open the participatory process, it can also hinder participation among local groups. In an era when PGIS applications have become important in the management of local resources, there is an urgent need to examine implications of the On‐line PGIS project. Accordingly, in this paper, we assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of on‐line PGIS applications within local communities.

Modern Land Claim Agreements and Northern Canadian Aboriginal Communities

Abstract The Canadian governments attempt to create a sound economic system within Aboriginal communities began more than four decades ago. In the mid-1970s, the settlement of Modern Treaties started as a new approach to finding permanent solutions to Aboriginal economic and social problems. Some analysts believe that Modern Treaties provide a strong foundation for sustainable Aboriginal socio-economic development. Others argue that the financial compensations received through the agreements were inadequate to attain a meaningful transformation of Aboriginal communities. This paper examines the impact of Modern Treaties on the economic and socio-demographic status of Aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories and Northern Quebec.

Transportation Development in Ghana Revisited

Abstract This paper examines issues on transportation development in Ghana. Gould (1960) and Taaffe, Morril and Gould (1963) proposed several years ago an ideal model of transportation development in Ghana. According to these authors, transportation development in Ghana would occur in six linear phases. The six phases are (1) scattered ports, (2) penetration lines and port concentration, (3) development of feeders, (4) beginnings of interconnection, (5) complete interconnection and (6) emergence of high priority main streets. While the model provides a useful theoretical explanation of transportation development in developing countries, the attainment of the six stages has not occurred in Ghana. Several factors have inhibited transportation development in Ghana. These factors and the relevance of Goulds model to contemporary transportation issues in Ghana are explored.

Immigration in Canada: Global and Transnational Perspectives

416-929-2774 _Immigration and Canada_ provides readers with a vital introduction to the field of international migration studies. This original book presents an integrated critical perspective on Canadian immigration policies, main trends, and social, economic, and cultural impacts. It offers up-to-date information on migration patterns and examines Canada in an evolving, global-transnational system that gives rise to imagined futures and contrasting real outcomes.

Promoting Development in the Canadian North

More than two decades ago, Orvik (1976) argued that the Canadian north was confronted with complex problems and that a general theory of Northern Canadian development was required to adequately address them. While Orvik may have made a remarkable appeal for a general theory to deal with northern Canadian problems, the region remains confronted with insurmountable human and physical issues associated with living in Artic and sub-Artic environments. While several top-down development initiatives, including housing (Chislett et al. 1987), the Eskimo Loan Fund, and the Northwest Territories Small Business Loan Fund, were implemented to solve these problems, the settlement of modern treaties in the Canadian north within the last three decades represents an example of the bottom-up approach to development. This chapter examines modern treaties within the context of the bottom-up approach to solving economic and social problems in the Canadian north.

The Imagined Economies of Globalization

In their book The World Economy, Stutz and Warf (2005, 13) defined globalization as the ‘‘worldwide processes that make the world, its economic systems, and its society more uniform, more integrated, and more interdependent.’’ The world has become highly integrated and interdependent within the past two decades. The Asian tsunami disaster of December 2004, and the corresponding worldwide response, underscore the degree to which globalization has advanced. The global interaction between cultures and economies has generated tremendous interest within and outside academia. But what is globalization, and which processes drive it? These questions are often answered from disciplinary perspectives, and the two books reviewed here are no exceptions. Cameron and Palan’s book, The Imagined Economies of Globalization, examines contemporary perspectives on globalization and implications for state and corporate policies. Consisting of six chapters, the book is structured into two parts. Part 1 contains three theoretical chapters that explain contemporary positions within the academic and policy debates on globalization, the relationship between theory and reality as well as narrative and performance, and the process of sociospatial change within the context of globalization. Part 2 also consists of three chapters, and these focus on imagined economies. Understanding Globalization focuses on the role of globalization in transforming capitalism, state government, the media, and cultural identity. Chapter 1 deals with different perspectives on globalization. Chapter 2 examines the history and ideology of globalization through the approaches of Marxism, cultural theory, and the globalist perspective. The third chapter explores globalization within the framework of technology and information flow. Chapter 4 treats the effects of globalization on institutions and practices of capitalism. Chapter 5 analyzes the impact of globalization in transforming national states. Chapter 6 explores the relationship between globalization and culture. In Chapter 7, the authors examine the relationship between globalization and public sphere, which has given rise to Americanization or Westernization of public space. Chapter 8 focuses on the process of institutionalizing the global system. The different perspectives presented on globalization are the greatest strength of this book. Schirato and Webb maintain that these range from economic to human movement to the effects of power relations. The two other aspects of this book that are appealing are the relationships among globalization, technology, and the media. Comparatively, the two books offer similar but different perspectives on globalization. Whereas The Imagined Economies of Globalization focuses mainly on economic aspects of globalization, Understanding Globalization deals not only with the economic aspects of globalization but also with relationships among technology, media, and culture. Both books are excellent starting points for reading and research on globalization. The Imagined Economies of Globalization is more geographically oriented, whereas Understanding Globalization appeals to students of communication and cultural studies.