Geography Ch. 7

Human interaction

the communication and interdependencies between people

Spacial interaction

used to more specifically identify the locations that are termini of the interaction

Distance decay

the decline of an activity, a function, or an amount of interaction with increasing distance from the point of origin
• Frequency of trips tends to decrease rapidly beyond a critical distance.

Critical distance

the distance beyond which cost, effort, means, and perception play an overriding role in our willingness to interact

Contagious diffusion

process follows the rules of distance decay spatial interaction at each step

• Spread from one area to others through contact and/or exchange of information.
• Diffusion of innovations over time.
• Influence of mass media and advertising.

Relocation diffusion

when an infected person moves a distance away and starts spreading the disease somewhere else

Friction of distance

distance that reduces human interaction

Time-distance

the time required to complete the trip

Psychological distance

when significant differences between our cognition of distance and real distance are evident

Barriers

conditions that hinder either the flow of
information or the movement of people and thus
retard or prevent the acceptance of an innovation

Physical environment

Mountains, deserts, oceans, rivers

Cultural barriers

Religion, language, ideology, gender, political system

Psychological barriers

• Used in crowded areas.
• Provide sense of privacy.

Activity space

area within which we move freely on our rounds of regular activity, sharing that space with others who are also involved in their daily affairs

Spacial diffusion

process by which a concept, practice or substance spreads from its point of origin
to new territories

Hierarchical diffusion

• Spread up or down a hierarchy of places.
• May take place simultaneously with contagious diffusion.

Migration

Permanent relocation of both place of residence and activity space

Push factors

Negative characteristics of a location that impel migration

Pull factors

Positive characteristics of a location that attract migrants

Step migration

Eventual long-distance relocation undertaken in stages

Chain migration

Migration from a common home area to a specific destination sustained by links of friendship or kinship between first movers and later followers

Physical barriers

Have assumed less importance as a result of modern technological developments

Economic barriers

Cost factor.
• Costs of travel, of establishing residence elsewhere and maintaining contact with home.
• Costs normally increase with distance traveled.

Migration field

Area that sends major migration flows to or receives major migration flows from a given place

Channelized migration

Tendency for migration to flow between areas that are socially and economically tied to one another

Return migration (countermigration)

Return of migrants to the region of origin

Hierarchical migration

• Tendency to move from small places to larger ones (up the hierarchy).
• In times of economic decline, there is considerable movement down the hierarchy.

Economic integration

• Euro.
• Foreign investments.
• International banking.
• Transnational
corporations (TNCs).
• Global marketing (new
markets for goods and
services).

Political integration

• Supranationalism (military, political and cultural).
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
• News media and the Internet.

Cultural integration

• Popular culture is Western in origin, chiefly American.
• Spread of English language.
• Both dominance of English and globalization of popular culture are
resented by many people and rejected by some.
• Some decry homogenization of culture.