This book focuses on the intersection of place and overall community health thereby focusing on some of the most critical contemporary social problems, including the opioid crisis, suicide, socioeconomic status and ethnicity, mental illness, crime, homelessness, green criminology, and social and environmental justice. Scholars from a variety of disciplines, including geography, sociology, criminology, mental health, social work, and behavioural sciences discuss the importance of geography in our quality of life. Each chapter introduces the reader to an overview of the topic, presents theoretical frameworks and the most recent empirical evidence, and discusses real world policy implications. As such this book is a key resource for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners working in the field.
About the Author: Dr. Kim Lersch is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Information at USF. In addition to her doctorate in Sociology from University of Florida, Dr. Lersch holds a Graduate Certificate in GIS from University of South Florida and has completed additional training in Risk Terrain Modeling (Rutgers University Center on Public Security) and Social Network Analysis (Common Operational Research Environment Lab, Naval Postgraduate School). Over her 20 year career, Dr. Lersch has published dozens of book chapters, refereed journal articles, and research essays. The fourth edition of her book, Space, Time and Crime (2015; with Tim Hart) was recently published.
Dr. Jayajit Chakraborty is a Professor of Geography in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology and Director of the Socio-Environmental and Geospatial Analysis (SEGA) Lab at the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Chakraborty's research interests are located at the intersection of hazards geography, health geography, and urban geography, and encompass a wide range of environmental and social issues. Specific topics include environmental justice, environmental health, hazards and disasters, racial/ethnic disparities, social vulnerability, sustainability, and urban environmental change. He has published more than 80 articles/book chapters and coedited two books, including the recently published The Routledge Handbook of Environmental Justice.
