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The classic American novel, Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick", can be used in geography and English classes at the high school and college levels to explore five themes that have a geographic component or are of interest to geography students: (1) the journey, (2) human/environment interactions, (3) social relationships in space, (4) acquiring knowledge, and (5) ambiguities and their resolution. Included are detailed discussions of the themes with specific references to critical literature and passages in the novel, suggestions for background reading, and suggestions for classroom discussions and assignments.

Limited physical access to primary health care is a major factor contributing to the poor health of populations in developing countries, particularly in mountain areas with rugged topography, harsh climates and extensive socioeconomic barriers. Assessing physical access to primary health care is an important exercise for health care planners and policy makers. The development of geographic information system (GIS) technology has greatly improved this assessment process in industrialized countries where digital cartographic data are widely available. In developing countries -- particularly in mountain areas, however, detailed cartographic data, even in hardcopy form, are nonexistent, inaccurate or severely lacking. This paper uses GIS technology to assess physical access to primary health care in a remote and impoverished region of Andean Bolivia. In addition, it proposes an alternative model of health personnel distribution to maximize physical accessibility. Methods involved extensive fieldwork in the region, utilizing GPS (global positioning system) technology in the development of the GIS and gathering other pertinent health data for the study. Satellite imagery also contributed to the development of the GIS and in the modeling process. The results indicate significant variation in physical access to primary health care across the three study sites. More importantly, this paper highlights the use of GIS technology as a powerful tool in improving physical accessibility in mountain areas of developing countries.

This paper focuses on the question of sampling (or selection of cases) in qualitative research. Although the literature includes some very useful discussions of qualitative sampling strategies, the question of sampling often seems to receive less attention in methodological discussion than questions of how data is collected or is analysed. Decisions about sampling are likely to be important in many qualitative studies (although it may not be an issue in some research). There are varying accounts of the principles applicable to sampling or case selection. Those who espouse 'theoretical sampling', based on a 'grounded theory' approach, are in some ways opposed to those who promote forms of 'purposive sampling' suitable for research informed by an existing body of social theory. Diversity also results from the many different methods for drawing purposive samples which are applicable to qualitative research. We explore the value of a framework suggested by Miles and Huberman [Miles, M., Huberman, A., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis, Sage, London.], to evaluate the sampling strategies employed in three examples of research by the authors. Our examples comprise three studies which respectively involve selection off 'healing places'; rural places which incorporated national anti-malarial policies; young male interviewees, identified as either chronically ill or disabled. The examples are used to show how in these three studies the (sometimes conflicting) requirements of the different criteria were resolved, as well as the potential and constraints placed on the research by the selection decisions which were made. We also consider how far the criteria Miles and Huberman suggest seem helpful for planning 'sample' selection in qualitative research.

THE STEAMER PARISH: The Rise and Fall of Missionary Medicine on an African Frontier. By CHARLES M. GOOD JR. xx and 487 pp.; maps, ills., bibliog., index. University of Chicago [...]

Opinion. Argues about applying social theory in the teaching of medical geography in universities. Other techniques which are used; Problems with social theory; Benefits of social theory; Exercises which can be used in classes.