Geography :-
The literal meaning of Geography is to describe the earth and its changing form. Geography is called the mother of all branches of knowledge .
Two types of Geography :-
- Physical Geography
- Human Geography
Physical Geography
Physical Geography is a major branch of geography in which the physical features of the earth are studied. it explains and studies the distribution of physical phenomena found at different places on the surface of the earth, and is also related to geology , metrology, zoology and chemistry . it has many sub branches that discuss various physical phenomena.
Human Geography
- Human Geography studies the interrelationship between the physical environment and the socio cultural environment that is created by humans through their interactions each other
- Human Geography gives an understanding of the mutual relations between man and his environment
- This branch of Geography (Human Geography ) was studied at the end of the 19th century when Charles Darwin’s book ” Origin of Species” was published . peoples curiosity about this subject also increased.
Human Geography According to Ratzel
Ratzel who is also called the father of modern human geography wrote in his book Anthropogeography’s that, It is essential for humans to get support from the environment survive.
Human Geography According to Allen C. Sappel
- Villages, cities, road-rail networks etc. and all other elements of material culture are created by human using the resources provided by the physical environment.
- According to Alaine C. Sappel an American Disciple of Ratzel, Human Geography Provides insight into the changing relationship between the unstable earth and active human beings.
History of Human Geography
- The Emergence of Human Geography began with the interactions , adaptations, adjustments and modifications between humans and the Environment.
- Before the age of discovery there was little interactions between different societies but in the late 15th century information about unknown societies was now available. Exploration by travelers expanded the field of human geography and brought about interaction with different societies.
- with this, new approaches may emerge like the welfares or humanist ideology of thought, the radical ideology of thought and the behavioral ideology of thought.
Fields and sub-fields of Human Geography
- Human Geography is Inter-Disciplinary in nature and develops vast linkages with other sister disciplines in the social sciences
- The fields and sub-fields of human Geography explain every aspect of all elements of human life on the surface of the earth
Main Study areas of Human Geography
- Cultural Geography
- Social Geography
- Urban Geography
- Population Geography
- Political Geography
- Habitat Geography
- Economic Geography
Major Sub-fields of Human Geography
- Behavioral Geography
- Geography of Social welfare
- Cultural Geography
- Historical Geography
- Medical Geography
- Gender Geography
Ideology of Human Geography
Ideology -The perspective of different scientists regarding human geography is called the ideology of human geography
There are main ideology of thoughts in Human Geography
- Determinism
- Possibilism
- Neo-Determinism
Humanistic Ideology of Human Geography
- The Humanist ideology meant to link the study of human geography with various aspects of human welfare and social consciousness, it emerged in the 1970’s
- Under this, focus was laid on aspects like housing health and education
- It emphasizes the central and active role of Man
- It draws attention to the cause and solutions of issues like regional inequalities poverty and deprivation
Environmental Determinism
- In his Initial stage man lived his life according to the nature. the attempt to mold himself according to nature was called Environmental determinism
Neo-Determinism
- The concept of neo-determinism was introduced by Griffith Taylor. it reflects a middle path between the two ideas of environmental determinism and Possibilism
- This concept shows that it is neither a state of absolute necessity nor a state of absolute freedom
- According to this concept man can conquer nature only by following the laws of nature
Characteristics of Neo-Determinism
- This Ideology presents a middle path between environmental determinism and Possibilism
- It emphasizes on solving the problems without harming the environment
- According to environmental determinism man can neither live completely dependent on nature nor can be live independently of nature
- to conquer nature we must follow the rules of nature and save it from deforestation
- While using natural resources we should keep in mind the limits of nature. for example we should protect forests from destruction during industrialization we should protect them from overexploitation during mining
Determinism
- According to this ideology every human activity is considered to be controlled by the environment
- In this primitive stage of man almost all the activities of man were completely controlled by the forces of environment.
- Ratzel, Ritter, Humboldt , Huntington etc. were the main supporters of determinism
Determinism Generally
Considers man as a passive agent who is influenced by environmental factors example dependence of tribal on nature , dependence of farmers on climate , body structure according to climate
Possibilism
- According to this ideology man is capable of making changes in his environment and he can use the various possibilities provided by nature for his own benefit as per his wish
- It is possible for man to move from a state of dependence on nature to a state of independence
- Vidal-de-La Blache and Lucien Felice were the main followers of this ideology
- Possibilism gives more importance’s to man that nature and sees him as an active force Example bridge over river, farming , transportation
Naturalization of Man
- Human interact with their physical environment with the help of technology this indicates the level of cultural development
- The Interaction of Primitives’ societies with the physical environment is called environmental determinism which is the naturalization of humans
Humanization of Nature
- with the development of technology humans began to modify nature and create cultural landscapes this is called occultism or humanization of nature
- A middle way of neo determinism was offered by Griffith Taylor which means that there is neither a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism ) nor a situation of absolute freedom(possessiveness)