Spatial Temporal Life Spatial Temporal Life Patterns of Notable Women Patterns of Notable Women

JournalistsJournalistsborn between 1896-1956born between 1896-1956

A Method for “The Other A Method for “The Other Biogeography”Biogeography”

There’s increasing interest in geographic There’s increasing interest in geographic literature about the influence of place on literature about the influence of place on

an individualan individual Place mattersPlace matters: :

de Blij, de Blij, The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny, and Globalization's Rough Landscape. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

de Blij, de Blij, Why Geography Matters. New York: New York:Oxford University Press, 2005.Oxford University Press, 2005.

You are where you live:You are where you live: Florida, R, Florida, R, Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where

to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life. New York: Basic Books, 2008. New York: Basic Books, 2008. You are who you live among: You are who you live among:

Johnston, R. and Taylor, P, Political Geography: A politics of places within Johnston, R. and Taylor, P, Political Geography: A politics of places within places. Parliamentary Affairs, 39: 135-149, 1986.places. Parliamentary Affairs, 39: 135-149, 1986.

The importance of invention/intelligence clusters:The importance of invention/intelligence clusters: Kotkin, J, Kotkin, J, The New Geography: How the Digital Revolution Is Reshaping the

American Landscape, Random House, 2001, Random House, 2001.. Your well being is highly related to where you were bornYour well being is highly related to where you were born

Sachs, J, Mellinger, A, and Gallup, J, The Geography of Poverty and Wealth, Sachs, J, Mellinger, A, and Gallup, J, The Geography of Poverty and Wealth, Scientific American, March, 2001.Scientific American, March, 2001.

There’s also recent research on the link There’s also recent research on the link between personality and geographybetween personality and geography

Rentfrow, PJ, Gosling, SD, and Potter, J, A Theory of the Emergence, Persistence, and Expression of Geographic Variation in Psychological Characteristics. Perspectives on Psychological Science, V3(5), 2008.

conscientious

neurotic

Extraverted

agreeable

open

Personality variants associated with US Census Regions

However, However, there’s little there’s little data correlating data correlating geography and geography and longterm life longterm life pattern.pattern.

StateState NFL NFL PlayersPlayers

CaliforniaCalifornia 211211

TexasTexas 181181

FloridaFlorida 177177

OhioOhio 8585

GeorgiaGeorgia 8080

LouisianaLouisiana 6868

PennsylvanPennsylvaniaia

5656

New JerseyNew Jersey 5555

MichiganMichigan 5353

AlabamaAlabama 5050

States Producing the Most NFL Players: http://sports.yahoo.com, Sep 26, 2010

““For many social scientists, location is just For many social scientists, location is just another attribute in a table and a not very another attribute in a table and a not very important one at that. After all, the important one at that. After all, the processes that lead to social deprivation, processes that lead to social deprivation, crime, or family dysfunction are more or crime, or family dysfunction are more or less the same everywhere…less the same everywhere…

… … in the minds of social scientists, many in the minds of social scientists, many other variables such as education, other variables such as education, unemployment, or age are far more unemployment, or age are far more interesting as explanatory factors of social interesting as explanatory factors of social phenomena than geographic location. phenomena than geographic location. Geographers have been almost alone Geographers have been almost alone among social scientists in their concern among social scientists in their concern for space.”for space.”

Michael Goodchild, Michael Goodchild, Social Sciences: Interest in GIS Social Sciences: Interest in GIS GrowsGrows, 2009. , 2009. http://www.esri.com/library/bestpractices/social-http://www.esri.com/library/bestpractices/social-sciences.pdfsciences.pdf

But the impact of geographic context is not But the impact of geographic context is not apparent in a spreadsheet….apparent in a spreadsheet….

And a spreadsheet doesn’t explain And a spreadsheet doesn’t explain geographic variation in street life….geographic variation in street life….

Each of us intuitively knows Each of us intuitively knows that education, employment, that education, employment,

or age are not sufficient to or age are not sufficient to account for differences account for differences

between people in these two between people in these two areas.areas.

The use of GIS to analyze individual life pattern is The use of GIS to analyze individual life pattern is surprisingly infrequent.surprisingly infrequent.

While cross sectional studies of demographic groups and While cross sectional studies of demographic groups and specific behaviors (crime, health habits, economic status) specific behaviors (crime, health habits, economic status) over short time frames are common, longitudinal GIS over short time frames are common, longitudinal GIS biographic analysis is rare.biographic analysis is rare.

A GIS may not be the best way to understand the A GIS may not be the best way to understand the relationship of place and personal life. The problem is relationship of place and personal life. The problem is temporal as well as spatial-and GIS is challenged by temporal as well as spatial-and GIS is challenged by temporal representation. But a GIS does provide a way of temporal representation. But a GIS does provide a way of visualizing place and its relationship to life events.visualizing place and its relationship to life events.

Why has GIS not been used to examine Why has GIS not been used to examine the role of place on individual life the role of place on individual life

patterns?patterns? Lack of digitized data sets: Individual biographic Lack of digitized data sets: Individual biographic

datasets have only recently begun to be datasets have only recently begun to be digitized; most biography is unstructured text. digitized; most biography is unstructured text.

Lack of a well developed spatial-temporal Lack of a well developed spatial-temporal methodology for biographic database and display.methodology for biographic database and display.

Academic disciplines traditionally studying Academic disciplines traditionally studying individuals and their behavior (psychology, individuals and their behavior (psychology, anthropology, history, sociology) do not think anthropology, history, sociology) do not think spatially. “Many historians regard visualization spatially. “Many historians regard visualization as inherently inferior to words….Serious history is as inherently inferior to words….Serious history is written history (Staley, K.J. Computers, written history (Staley, K.J. Computers, Visualization, and History. Armonk, NY: M.E. Visualization, and History. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe Press, 2002.)Sharpe Press, 2002.)

This project explores the question of This project explores the question of what might you learn using GIS to what might you learn using GIS to analyze the role location plays in the analyze the role location plays in the career of accomplished innovators in career of accomplished innovators in one profession. one profession.

MethodMethod

Identify biographical transcripts rich enough Identify biographical transcripts rich enough in detail to provide dates and locations of in detail to provide dates and locations of significant biographic events-place of birth, significant biographic events-place of birth, education, and work for a reasonably sized education, and work for a reasonably sized sample of successful individuals within one sample of successful individuals within one profession. profession.

Spatially and temporally code these life Spatially and temporally code these life events.events.

Analyze whether there are spatial patterns in Analyze whether there are spatial patterns in the relationship between significant events the relationship between significant events and location.and location.

Data SourceData Source A wide variety of biographical sources exist, including A wide variety of biographical sources exist, including

biographies of famous historical figures, “Who’s Who” biographies of famous historical figures, “Who’s Who” books, brief biographies in professional organization books, brief biographies in professional organization directories, biographies of Nobel prize winners… However, directories, biographies of Nobel prize winners… However, transcripts were required that covered a full life history transcripts were required that covered a full life history with dates and locations for significant life events. To with dates and locations for significant life events. To reduce variance related to different career tracks in reduce variance related to different career tracks in different professions, the transcripts were also limited to different professions, the transcripts were also limited to individuals in one profession, who were identified by a individuals in one profession, who were identified by a professional association as accomplished innovators in professional association as accomplished innovators in their field, and who were reasonably contemporaneous.their field, and who were reasonably contemporaneous.

The transcripts used were from The Oral History Project of The transcripts used were from The Oral History Project of the Washington Press Club Foundation (the Washington Press Club Foundation (http://www.wpcf.org/oralhistory/intvwees.html). The total ). The total number of digital interviews was 36 with each interview number of digital interviews was 36 with each interview taking between three and seven hours to code.taking between three and seven hours to code.

Places Born - 59% Midwest, 30% East, 11% West

Places Educated – 46% Midwest, 40 % East, 14% West

Places Worked – over a life span 11% worked in the West

Places Traveled - 78% of places traveled were East of the Mississippi

Spatial Characteristics of Spatial Characteristics of BirthplaceBirthplace

Places of birth (red) were largely “bedroom” Places of birth (red) were largely “bedroom” suburbs of major cities (yellow dots are US suburbs of major cities (yellow dots are US populated places larger than 10,000)populated places larger than 10,000)

Boston (5)Chicago (6)

Dallas (2) Moline (2) Los Angeles (2)

Places Born – a surprisingly high number of the journalists (22 of the 36) were born in the middle of the US

Spatial Characteristics of Spatial Characteristics of EducationEducation

There is a migration pattern Eastward from high There is a migration pattern Eastward from high school location to college location (blue boxes school location to college location (blue boxes high school, blue dots college)high school, blue dots college)

Where did they most often go to Where did they most often go to college? (with several individuals also college? (with several individuals also

attending graduate school)attending graduate school)

Baltimore (5)

Chicago (10) New York (7)

Boston (7) Los Angeles (5)

Relationship of birthplace to Relationship of birthplace to college locationcollege location

Journalists move East from Midwest places of birth (red) for education (blue)

Relationship of college location Relationship of college location to first job and last jobto first job and last job

Early career jobs after college (white) appear to be located wherever work can be found and dispersed from the college location (light blue)

Late career jobs (dark blue) show a definite Eastward shift from the location where journalists attended college (light blue)

Spatial Characteristics of Spatial Characteristics of WorkWork

Across three decades of working life, place of work tends to Across three decades of working life, place of work tends to change from mid-west to the two coasts, with East Coast change from mid-west to the two coasts, with East Coast predominance. First jobs (often during the depression) were predominance. First jobs (often during the depression) were more western with mid and last jobs shifting significantly more western with mid and last jobs shifting significantly Eastward (white square –age 22-32, blue triangle age 33-42, Eastward (white square –age 22-32, blue triangle age 33-42, blue square age 43-60)blue square age 43-60)

Relationship of birthplace to work Relationship of birthplace to work locationlocation

First jobs (white) are dispersed from place of birth (red)

Mid-career jobs (blue) move towards the coasts-primarily Eastward

Late career jobs (blue) definitely trend Eastward

So What have we learned?So What have we learned? Prominent women journalists, at a time Prominent women journalists, at a time

when women were not routinely in that when women were not routinely in that career, were most frequently born and lived career, were most frequently born and lived through early adulthood in the midwest. through early adulthood in the midwest. The next most common pattern was birth in The next most common pattern was birth in the east coast area, remaining in that region the east coast area, remaining in that region throughout their career. They went to throughout their career. They went to college (65 different colleges for 36 people) college (65 different colleges for 36 people) at a time when that was not the norm for at a time when that was not the norm for women. Midwesterners more often went to women. Midwesterners more often went to midwest colleges, easterners to eastern midwest colleges, easterners to eastern schools. After college, journalists schools. After college, journalists progressively moved from the interior to progressively moved from the interior to coastal areas, primarily Eastern.coastal areas, primarily Eastern.

ConclusionConclusion Location plays a role in journalist life Location plays a role in journalist life

pattern. It is very likely that location plays pattern. It is very likely that location plays a role in career choice and development in a role in career choice and development in other careers as well. To understand the other careers as well. To understand the influence of location factors influence of location factors (environmental context) that contribute to (environmental context) that contribute to career choice and outcome, more career choice and outcome, more extensive understanding of the human extensive understanding of the human geography of place is required.geography of place is required.

AcknowledgementAcknowledgement

The initial idea for spatially enabling The initial idea for spatially enabling biographical life histories came in a biographical life histories came in a personal discussion with May Yuan, personal discussion with May Yuan, Director, University of Oklahoma Director, University of Oklahoma Center of Spatial Analysis, 2006 Center of Spatial Analysis, 2006 during an exchange on historical GIS.during an exchange on historical GIS.