An Introduction to Island Studies by James Randall

An Introduction to Island Studies by James Randall

Island Studies can be deceptively challenging and rewarding for an undergraduate student. Islands can be many things: nations, tourist destinations, quarantine stations, billionaire baubles, metaphors. The study of islands offers a way to take this 'bewildering variety' and to use it as a lens and a tool to better understand our own world of islands. An Introduction to Island Studies is an approachable look at this interdisciplinary field - from the islands as biodiversity hotspots, their settlement, human migration and occupation through to the place of islands in the popular imagination. Featuring geopolitical, social and economic frameworks, James Randall gives a bottom-up guide to this most modern area of study. From the geological analysis of island formation to the metaphorical use of islands in culture and literature, the growing field of island studies is truly interdisciplinary. This new introduction gives readers from many disciplines the local, global, and regional perspectives that unlock the promise of island studies as a way to see the world. From the struggles and concerns of the Anthropocene—climate change, vulnerability and resilience, sustainable development, through to policy making and local environments—islands studies has the potential to change the debate.

In this introduction to island studies, James Randall offers us a meticulously researched, exquisitely collated, trans-disciplinary text that serves as a comprehensive and critical review of the study of islandsHere is an authoritative yet jargon-free primer to introduce the study of islanded people, species and places.

-- Godfrey Baldacchino, University of Malta

James Randall has seamlessly integrated his wealth of knowledge and years of research into this comprehensive book. Written in plain terms that make it accessible for a wide range of readers, it will be an excellent guide for all who want to learn or teach about island issues in the world.

-- Yoko Fujita, University of the Ryukyus

At last a comprehensive introduction to island studies! James Randall has provided students with a perceptive, highly readable introduction to the study of islands, whether their focus is on the nature of Islandness, or the future of sustainable island communities, whether on the geography of the sunny islands of the Pacific, or the misty islands of the North Atlantic. Whatever their island interests, here they will find profound insight based on exhaustive research.

-- Andrew Jennings, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland

James (Jim) Randall teaches at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he is also the coordinator of the Island Studies program, leads the Institute of Island Studies and is the UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability. A geographer by training, Jim developed a love of Island Studies later in his career. His research spans many aspects of this interdisciplinary field, with a special interest in development, quality-of-life, and islander-newcomer relationships on small islands.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781786615466
ISBN 10	1786615460
Title	An Introduction to Island Studies
Author	James Randall
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Rowman & Littlefield International
Year published	2020-10-08
Number of pages	302
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable