Chapter 1 Human Geography Nature and Scope

Introduction

Geography is an integrative, empirical, and practical field of study with a vast scope. Any event or phenomenon that varies spatially and temporally can be studied geographically.

Earth's Components and Geography's Focus

The Earth's surface consists of two main components: nature (the physical environment) and life forms, including human beings. Physical geography focuses on the study of the physical environment.

Human geography specifically studies the relationship between the physical/natural world and the human world. It examines the spatial distributions of human phenomena (like population patterns, economic activities, cultural features) and analyzes how these patterns emerge. It also looks at the social and economic differences observed across various parts of the world.

The core aim of geography is to understand the Earth as the home of human beings and to study all elements that sustain life. This puts significant emphasis on the study of both nature and human beings and their interaction.

Dualisms and Holism in Geography

Historically, geography has faced intellectual debates regarding its approach, leading to dualisms:

• Should it seek to establish general laws/theories (nomothetic) or focus on unique descriptions of specific places (idiographic)?
• Should its subject matter be organized by distinct topics or themes (systematic approach) or by specific areas/regions (regional approach)?
• Should geographical phenomena be explained using theoretical models or through historical and institutional analysis?

Despite these debates, it is recognized that the strict separation of physical and human geography is not entirely valid. Nature and humans are deeply interconnected and should be viewed holistically, as an inseparable whole.

Metaphors in Geography

Interestingly, both physical and human geographical concepts are often described using metaphors drawn from human anatomy:

• Physical features: 'face' of the earth, 'eye' of the storm, 'mouth' of the river, 'snout' of the glacier, 'neck' of the isthmus, 'profile' of the soil.
• Human/economic concepts: regions/villages/towns as 'organisms', networks of roads/railways/waterways as 'arteries of circulation', 'state/country' as a 'living organism'.

This linguistic blending further highlights the difficulty in truly separating nature and humans in geographical study.

Human Geography Defined

Various geographers have defined human geography, emphasizing the human-environment relationship:

• Ratzel: "Human geography is the synthetic study of relationship between human societies and earth’s surface." (Emphasizes synthesis, integrating human and physical aspects).
• Ellen C. Semple: "Human geography is the study of the changing relationship between the unresting man and the unstable earth." (Highlights the dynamic nature of this relationship over time).
• Paul Vidal de la Blache: "Conception resulting from a more synthetic knowledge of the physical laws governing our earth and of the relations between the living beings which inhabit it." (Focuses on a new understanding arising from the interrelationships between Earth's laws and its inhabitants).

Fundamentally, human geography provides a perspective on the complex and evolving interrelationships between the natural environment and human societies.

Nature Of Human Geography

The nature of human geography lies in studying the complex connections between the physical environment and the socio-cultural environment created by humans. The physical environment provides the setting and resources, while human beings, through their activities, create elements like houses, villages, cities, industries, farms, and infrastructure, shaping a cultural landscape.

This interaction is a two-way process: humans significantly modify the physical environment, and in turn, the physical environment influences human lives and activities.

Human-Nature Interaction and Technology

The interaction between human beings and their physical environment is mediated by technology. The tools and techniques available to a society are crucial, reflecting its level of cultural development.

Technological development is closely tied to a better understanding of natural laws (e.g., understanding friction led to fire, understanding aerodynamics enabled flight). Knowledge about nature is essential for technological advancement. Technology empowers human beings, allowing them to overcome or modify the limitations imposed by the natural environment.

Environmental Determinism

In the early stages of human development, with low levels of technology and primitive social organisation, human beings were highly dependent on and directly influenced by their natural environment. They had to adapt strictly to nature's conditions and dictates.

This perspective, which views the physical environment as the primary force shaping human societies and their development, is known as Environmental Determinism. At this stage, one can imagine a "naturalised human" who closely listens to nature, is fearful of its power, and often worships it, regarding the physical environment as "Mother Nature".

The story of Benda and the Abujh Maad tribe illustrates this. Their primitive agriculture (shifting cultivation), direct dependence on forest resources (Mahua, Palash, Sal, herbs), reverence for nature spirits (Loi-Lugi), and adaptation to the wilds reflect a society greatly controlled by its physical environment.

Possibilism

As human societies developed culturally and technologically, their understanding and ability to interact with nature increased. Humans moved from a state of being dictated by nature (necessity) towards a state where they could make choices and create possibilities using environmental resources. This development of technology and increased human agency led to the creation of diverse cultural landscapes.

This perspective, which emphasizes that nature provides opportunities and humans have the ability to choose among these possibilities and transform the environment, is called Possibilism. Human activities leave their imprints on nature, effectively "humanising" the natural landscape.

The story of Kari in Trondheim exemplifies Possibilism. Advanced technology allows her to overcome harsh winter conditions (special tires, heated office, glass dome university), access resources from distant places (tropical fruits flown in), connect globally (networking, international flights), and maintain a lifestyle largely independent of immediate environmental constraints.

Neodeterminism

Introduced by geographer Griffith Taylor, Neodeterminism offers a middle ground between Environmental Determinism and Possibilism. It is also referred to as "stop and go determinism".

Using the analogy of traffic lights, Taylor suggested:

• Red Light: Represents limits set by nature that humans must stop and obey (like environmental determinism).
• Amber Light: Represents the period to prepare and develop technology or strategies to overcome challenges or utilize opportunities.
• Green Light: Represents permission from nature to proceed with development, but only within limits that are safe and sustainable.

This concept implies that there is neither absolute control by nature nor absolute freedom for humans. Humans can interact with and modify nature, but they must do so by understanding and respecting its laws and limits. Unrestricted development, as seen in past efforts by developed economies, can lead to severe environmental problems (e.g., climate change, resource depletion).

Neodeterminism advocates for sustainable development, creating possibilities without causing irreparable damage to the environment, thus balancing the viewpoints of determinism and possibilism.

Fields And Sub-fields Of Human Geography

Human geography is inherently inter-disciplinary. To understand the complex relationship between human life and the space it occupies, it draws upon and collaborates closely with various sister disciplines within the social sciences.

The expansion of knowledge has led to the development of numerous specialized fields and sub-fields within human geography.

Evolution of Human Geography (Table 1.1)

The approaches and focus of human geography have evolved over time:

Schools of Thought in Human Geography

Emerging in the 1970s as a response to the perceived dehumanization of the quantitative revolution, three main schools brought renewed focus to the human condition and socio-political relevance:

• Welfare or Humanistic School: Concerned with the social well-being of people, studying issues related to housing, health, and education from a geographical perspective.
• Radical School: Used Marxian theory to explain the underlying causes of poverty, social inequality, and deprivation, linking these problems to the structures and development of capitalism.
• Behavioural School: Focused on the lived experiences of individuals and groups and their perception of space. It examined how factors like ethnicity, race, and religion influence how people interact with and understand their environment.

Human Geography and Sister Disciplines (Table 1.2)

Human geography maintains close ties with various social science disciplines, with specific sub-fields often drawing heavily from related fields: