THE CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY
THE CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY
Definition of
Geography
Geography as the field of study can be defined in a different
ways. Some of the Geography definitions are: Geography is the scientific study
of man’s life in relation to the environment. Geography is the study of the
systems and processes involved in the world’s weather, mountains, seas, lakes
etc. and of the ways in which countries and people organize life within an
area. Geography is also defined as the study of spatial distribution of
physical and cultural features of landscape and biosphere in relation to the
races of mankind. Geography also can be defined as the scientific study of the
earth as a home to humankind.
The Origin or
Etymology of the Word Geography
The word “geography” was
first used by a Greek mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer and music
theorist called Eratosthenes. The word geography is the combination
of two Greek words, ‘Geo’ and ‘Graphein’ (or grapho). Geo
means “the Earth” and Graphein mean “to write”, “to draw”
or “to describe”. These two words together formed Geographia, which means to draw, to write about or describe the
Earth. These meanings led to the development of the early definition of
Geography which referred to description of the Earth by words, maps and
statistics including both the physical earth and everything found on it such as
plants, animals and people.
Therefore; Geography is the
study of the distribution and interrelationship of phenomena in relation to
earth’s surface or Geography is the study of the Earth and its environment.
Something to note is that; geography has relationship between environment and
humankind. The word environment can be defined as all things that surround
human being. Cultural environment is the link between man and surroundings. In
the study of geography, there are two categories of environment:
Physical environment: This refers to
all natural physical features on the earth, such as land, water, climate,
plant, animals and human being.
Human environment: This refers to
the environment in relation to human kind’s activities, like farming, mining,
settlement, tourism and other related human activities.
Branches of
Geography
There are three main branches of Geography, namely:
1. Physical Geography. This is the
branch of geography that deals with the study of natural physical environment;
which is mainly concerned with land formation processes, weather and climate,
solar systems, soil and rocks, animal and vegetation or plants.
2. Human and Economic Geography. This
branch of geography involves the study of human and their activities on the
Earth’s surface. The branch includes the study of human settlements, human
population, and all human activities undertaken by mankind.
3. Practical Geography. It is
the branch of geography that deals with practical skills of both
human and physical geography, which is concerned with field study of
photography, map interpretation, application of statistics, research and survey.
Importance of
Studying Geography
There are thousands importance of geography but some few
significances can be outlined. We study Geography in order to:
1.
Raise our standard of living by utilizing
properly the available resources.
2.
Understand the social and geographical
problems and how to solve them. For example soil erosion, climate problems etc.
3.
Gain skills of observation, measuring,
recording and interpreting of phenomena.
4.
Expand our knowledge of employment
opportunities through specialized field.
5.
Acquire skills for combating environmental
problems such as drought, global warming etc.
6.
Understand the interactions between our
country and other countries and share ideas of solving problems.
7.
Understand how landforms are formed.
8.
Enable people to appreciate nature.
9.
Be aware with our country and our heritage.
Relationship of Geography with
Other Field of Studies or Disciplines
Geography occupies the central
position in the sphere of all the physical and human environmental science.
Geography is a multidimensional subject applying well defined methods of
studying it. Geography is regarded or considered as a human science but also a
physical science.
By definition, field of
study refers to the knowledge of a particular area or subject. Field of
study means the subject. Geographical phenomena refer to the
geographical facts or events of scientific interest. Interrelated geographical
phenomena are:
a) Land provides soil in which plants
grow. Plants are food for herbivores that turns to be food for carnivores and
humankind.
b) Climate determines the types of plant
and animal those can survive in a given region. Climate determines the
activities of people and distribution of population.
Interrelationship between geography and other field of study
(subjects) involves the study of geography in relation to others subjects. Geography
is a very broad field of inquiry and “borrows” its object of study from the
entire following related field of studies:
Mathematics: Geography
tends to deploy and use mathematical calculation to calculate distance, area,
scale, bearing etc.
Physics: As in physics, also geography deals
with matter, energy, forces and gravitation.
History: Geography attempt to explain where
events, landforms, took place. Geography itself has an origin (history) in its
evolution and development. The study of history in geography is represented by Geological Time Scale.
Biology: Geography facts and focuses on plants
and animals as biology concerns. Biography
involves both botany and zoology.
Chemistry: In geography there is the study of
chemical reaction especially in chemical weathering process, in soil formation
process and formation of features in karst region (limestone areas) there
should be the chemical reaction. The study chemistry in geography called Geochemistry.
Civics: Political boundaries and political
interactions among the people of different country as in civics also can be
described in geography through human geography, statistical geography and
geographical maps.
Political Geography (from Political
Science) both concerned with the comparative study of different governments and
international relations.
Geomorphology (from
geology): The interpretative description of the landforms or relief features of
the Earth’s surface. Therefore, see the table that shows about interrelation of
Geography:
Geography
|
Field of study/subject
|
Interrelation
|
Biology
|
Biogeography
|
|
Physics
|
Geophysics
|
|
Mathematics
|
Practical
geography
|
|
Botany
|
Plant geography
|
|
Zoology
|
Zoogeography
|
|
Geology
|
Geomorphology
|
|
History
|
Geological
time scale
|
Other Fields
of Studies (Subjects) that Interrelate with Geography are:
Paleontology: It is
the study of fossils. In the study of rocks, most of sedimentary rocks comprise
fossil materials.
Ecology
(environment with organisms): The study of the interrelationship of
organisms and their environment.
Zoogeography
(from Zoology):
Concerned with the distribution of animals and with their adaptations, or their
restriction by environment.
Phytogeography
(from Botany):
the science that deals with plants’ life, structure and growth.
Pedageography
(from Pedology):
Concerned with the distribution of soils.
Evolution of Geography
Thoughts
Evolution
means changes that have taken place. Evolution of geography is the changes that
taken place in geography. At the beginning geography started as a simple
description and it is evolved up to complex discipline or phenomena. Changes in
geography are challenges faced geography as a discipline.
Geography
like any other discipline, faced with problems in organizing materials and
approaches. Geography undergone the following different (six) phases or
evolution so as to be described as a discipline:
1. Exploration
Phase
At
this period there was industrial countries were exploring new lands in the 15th
Century. Therefore, geography at this
time people concerned where the materials are found, hence by that time
geography was taught in order to know and collect information in different
phenomena and where materials (like minerals) are found and geography was based
to find the location of the materials where are found. Interests of the people
was taught through description, simply to describe the phenomena as existed as
well as students of geography were only required to know the inventory of
things and place naming e.g. who is discovered and where it found.
The weakness
of this phase (approach or theory) is that, failed to explain for the
occurrence of the phenomena (on how the phenomena was found) and there were no
chance to question about. This phase was abandoned following to another phase
so as to collect its weakness.
2. Environmental
Determinism Phase
This
phase was influenced by Charles Darwin.
Physical environment controlled this phase because it controlled what people
did in that particular period. Under this paradigm there was a belief that,
nature of human activity was controlled by the physical environment and that
man is a product of the earth’s surface. At time went on, geographers started
to question about this phase e.g. why mineral is found here and not in other
place in this region.
Geographical
teaching at this phase or period was mainly influenced with physical
environment on man or human activities and physical environment was a
determinant factor. Geography moved from description to explanation. Example,
why this phenomena is found here and not there? Weakness of this paradigm: in
reality not all physical environment can determine human activities even though
it is a determinant factor.
3. Regionalism
Phase
This
phase dominated geographical thinking before the 2nd world war. The
interest of geographers was to attack or oppose the environmentalism
approach. It concerned with identification
of uniqueness of the regions; as said that, in each region man and nature were
seemed to adopt each other. (Meaning that, you cannot distinguish nature and
man.
Geography
was taught through how to distinguish about how region differ from one to
another. The students of geography knew the different between one region and
location to another. Weakness of this paradigm: thinkers of this phase said
that geography lacked theory to guide different regions. This phase it also
rooted in environmental determinism i.e. physical environment is a determinant
factor.
4. Quantitative
Revolution Phase
This
phase came to fill the gap of regional approach that lacked theories. It came
with different ideas in order to shape the discipline. In this phase
geographers started to make laws or theories so as to criticize the previous. Advocators
of this phase, said geography were a spatial science and geometry was the
language for the analysis of spatial form. They thought that it is important to
formulate laws or theories on the cause and effect relationship, hence lead to
the introduction of geometry, practical geography in this discipline.
Geography
in this phase started to be accurate, specific, and strict because people
followed laws and theories. Even though somehow the phase was so much good, but
there were some challenges like: it placed too much emphasis on making and
testing theories and paid more explanation to the phenomena. It involved too
much mathematical calculation (geometry). Put behind behavior as a determinant
factor.
5. Behaviorism
Phase
For
behaviorism argument is that, laws or theories are insignificant (not enough)
for understanding how those pertaining come to being. In this phase, it
advocated that behavior plays an important role in understanding of the spatial
distribution and patterns of manmade phenomena on the earth’s surface. Weakness: behaviorists they didn’t give
critical view of the spatial inequalities.
6. Radicalism
Phase
The
radical approach to geography it rose in 1970 to add a new dimension in
geography discipline. Radicalism presented a critical view of spatial
inequalities which the previous phase failed to do this. Influenced by Marxist theory and in this phase, the main
emphasis is, the differences in physical environmental factors and the behavior
of the individual are not sufficient to the spatial variation of phenomena.
They said, there other factors which can determine the spatial phenomena like
organization of the society, political structure and alike.
TRIAL
QUESTIONS:
1. Define
and write short notes about the following terms:
a) Environment
b) Geography
2. What
does it mean of the following words:
a) Geo
b) Graphien
or grapho
3. List
down six importance of studying geography.
4. Identify
the branches of geography, and explain about what each deals with?
5. List
seven jobs one can do using the knowledge acquired from studying geography.
6. Discuss
the evolution of geography and challenges or weaknesses from each phase.
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