High school students' images of geography: an exploratory analysis Almost since its introduction into American high schools and colleges, geography has been plagued with the problem of justifying its existence as a bona fide academic discipline. 1 This identity problem has been attributed to a variety of circumstances and conditions, including the common explanation that geography is a virtually unbounded discipline. For many individuals this unduly amorphous characteristic is particularly burdensome when attempts are made to define the subject matter of geography. This, in turn, hampers the presentation of a clear and distinct image of the discipline to nongeographers. Closely related to the problem of geography's diverse content and delineation is the multitude of meanings associated with its very name. Because "geography" conveys different notions from one individual to another, the resulting combination of perspectives frequently leads to an indistinct image of its domain.2 Despite the fact that some geographers may wish that the discipline had a narrower emphasis and a different title, there is little likelihood that such changes will occur in the near future. Consequently, it behooves geographers to investigate the manner in which images pertaining to the subject are formulated and to gain some appreciation about their composition. Because of the almost universal nature of precollege schooling in the United States, it 1For an appraisal of the critical implications of such comments for the geographical community, see J. w. R.
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