Judith McNaught

Bret Wallach (born February 5, 1943) is an American cultural geographer and professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma.^[1] He is known for his critical perspectives on modernization, conservation, and cultural geography. Wallach is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, awarded in 1984 for his contributions to understanding the interaction between culture and landscape.^[2]

Wallach was born in 1943. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, earning an A.B. in 1964, an M.A. in 1966, and a Ph.D. in 1968, all in geography.^[3] His academic background was influenced by the Berkeley School of cultural geography, emphasizing regionalism and cultural landscapes.^[4]

Wallach began his academic career teaching at the University of Victoria in Canada. He later held teaching positions at several American institutions, including Pennsylvania State University, the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Maine at Fort Kent.^[1] He eventually joined the University of Oklahoma as a professor of geography, where he became known for his work on cultural landscapes and development geography. In addition to teaching, he supervised numerous graduate students and published research in leading geography journals.^[5]

Wallach’s work is characterized by a strong critique of modernization and its cultural consequences. His 1996 book, Losing Asia: Modernization and the Culture of Development, explores how modernization efforts in various Asian countries have led to cultural displacement and environmental degradation.^[6]

In At Odds with Progress: Americans and Conservation (1991), Wallach critiques American environmental and conservation movements, arguing that these efforts are often shaped by conflicting ideologies and lack cultural inclusivity.^[7]

His most widely cited work, Understanding the Cultural Landscape (2004), is a foundational text in cultural geography that examines how human values, traditions, and behaviors shape and are shaped by the physical environment.^[8] The book has been praised for its interdisciplinary approach, blending anthropology, history, and geography.^[9]

• 1984 – MacArthur Fellowship for contributions to cultural geography.^[2]
• Invited keynote speaker at several international geography conferences, including the Association of American Geographers annual meeting.^[10]

• Understanding the Cultural Landscape. New York: Guilford Press, 2004. ISBN 978-1-59385-119-4
• Losing Asia: Modernization and the Culture of Development. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0-8018-5170-4
• At Odds with Progress: Americans and Conservation. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1991. ISBN 978-0-8165-0917-1

Wallach’s scholarship has influenced generations of geographers and policymakers, especially those examining the interface of culture, development, and environmental policy. His critical approach has sparked debates on the ethics of development and conservation, particularly in non-Western contexts. His writing is often included in graduate-level geography syllabi, and his analysis of cultural landscapes is cited in global development studies.^[11]

• "Bret Wallach", Google Scholar