Geography Outreach by Undergraduate Students

Abstract

In this study, we examined geography outreach by undergraduate students, how society reacted to student activities such as the publication of magazines and television appearances, and how the students reacted in turn to those public perceptions. Initially, it was intended to promote the outreach of geography by publishing the outcomes of an undergraduate class. Reactions to the media coverage demonstrated that people in broader society were surprised that young women studied geography, as it is generally perceived as a “masculine” subject. The attention of the media on female students taking geography classes frustrated the original intention of the students to promote the outreach of geography more generally. However, as a result of that focus on “girls in geography,” many media outlets covered the story, which in itself facilitated the outreach. Student-based outreach can attract people who are not directly interested in academic knowledge because young people can communicate their familiarity and interest in a different dimension from academic expertise. Because student-based outreach differs in objective, purpose, and content from the outreach by scientists intended to convey advanced research results, it is thus an effective approach to communicating with society.