Human Geography: Nature and Scope
1. Core Philosophy of Geography
- Integrative and Holistic: Geography is an empirical, practical, and integrative discipline. The dichotomy between physical and human geography is considered invalid because nature and human beings are inseparable and must be studied holistically.
- Anatomical Metaphors: Geographic phenomena are often described using human anatomical terms, such as the ‘face’ of the earth, ‘eye’ of the storm, ‘mouth’ of the river, ‘snout’ of a glacier, and ‘profile’ of the soil. German geographers have even described the state or country as a “living organism” and transportation networks as “arteries of circulation”.
2. Important Definitions and Geographers
For objective questions, it is crucial to match the geographer with their key concepts:
- Friedrich Ratzel: Defined human geography as the “synthetic study of relationship between human societies and earth’s surface” (Emphasis on synthesis).
- Ellen C. Semple: Defined it as the “study of the changing relationship between the unresting man and the unstable earth” (Emphasis on dynamism).
- Paul Vidal de la Blache: Offered a conception based on the “synthetic knowledge of the physical laws governing our earth and of the relations between the living beings which inhabit it”.
3. Paradigms of Human-Environment Interaction
- Environmental Determinism (Naturalisation of Humans):
- Associated with early stages of human development where the level of technology was extremely low.
- Humans were greatly dictated by strong forces of nature, feared its fury, and worshipped it as “Mother Nature”.
- Example: Primitive tribes like those in the Abujh Maad area practicing shifting cultivation and living in direct dependence on nature.
- Possibilism (Humanisation of Nature):
- As society and culture developed, humans created better technology, moving from a “state of necessity to a state of freedom”.
- Nature provides opportunities, and humans use resources to create a cultural landscape (e.g., urban sprawls, orchards, oceanic routes, satellites).
- Example: Overcoming harsh, freezing winters in Trondheim using glass domes, artificial heating, and global networking.
- Neodeterminism (Stop and Go Determinism):
- Introduced by Griffith Taylor.
- Acts as a “middle path” between Environmental Determinism and Possibilism.
- Core Concept: Humans can conquer nature by obeying its laws. It compares environmental limits to traffic lights; humans must stop at red signals and proceed only when nature permits.
- Significance: It warns against the “free run” of unchecked development, which leads to ozone depletion, global warming, and environmental degradation.
4. Evolution of Human Geography (Chronology)
- Early Colonial Period: Focused on exploration and description driven by imperial and trade interests.
- Later Colonial Period: Focused on regional analysis, believing that understanding all parts of a region helps understand the whole earth.
- 1930s to Inter-War Period: Focused on areal differentiation (identifying the uniqueness of a region and how it differs from others).
- Late 1950s to Late 1960s: Known as the Quantitative Revolution. Marked by the use of computers, statistical tools, and laws of physics to map spatial organizations and human activities.
- 1970s: Discontent with the dehumanized nature of the quantitative revolution led to the emergence of three new schools of thought (Humanistic, Radical, and Behavioural).
- 1990s: Post-modernism emerged, questioning grand generalizations and emphasizing the importance of understanding local contexts.
5. Schools of Thought (Emerged in the 1970s)
- Welfare (Humanistic) School: Concerned with the social well-being of people, focusing on aspects like housing, health, and education.
- Radical School: Employed Marxian theory to explain the root causes of poverty, deprivation, and social inequality, linking contemporary social problems to the development of capitalism.
- Behavioural School: Emphasized lived experiences and the perception of space by different social categories based on ethnicity, race, and religion.
6. Sub-fields and Sister Disciplines
Human geography has a highly inter-disciplinary nature. Key linkages include:
- Social Geography: Connects with Sociology and Psychology (Behavioural Geography).
- Cultural Geography: Connects with Anthropology.
- Political Geography: Connects with Political Science and Psephology (Electoral Geography).
- Population Geography: Connects with Demography.
- Economic Geography: Connects with Economics, encompassing sub-fields like the Geography of Agriculture, Tourism, Industries, and International Trade.