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Human geography is the study of the dynamic relationship amongst people and the environment. It is an expansive field that incorporates culture, human action, industry, ethics, the earth’s surface, weather, etc. To put it simply, human geography is the study of who lives where, how they live, and why they live there.
Different types of regions include formal, functional, and perceptual. The Arctic Circle is an example of a formal (aka uniform) region with a high level of consistency in a certain cultural or physical attribute. The Chicago metropolitan area is an example of a functional (aka nodal) region with a central node or hub surrounded by interconnecting links, based on trade or transportation usually. A region defined by feelings and prejudices which reflects a construct of an individual or society’s mental map is known as a perceptual (aka vernacular) region and can be exemplified by a city’s Chinatown or Little Italy.
Two differing approaches to geography are environmental determinism and possibilism. Environmental determinism is a formal pseudo-scientific theory which held that the environment is the deciding factor in determining human behavior and farming, selective botany, and spiritual practices which preserve the wider culture. Possibilism, on the other hand, suggests that while the environment is important, human agency and creativity are strong forces. For example, indigenous cultures’ ability to adapt their environment to their needs through terraced environment for sustainability, all speak to the relevance of Possibilism.
Humans interact with the earth’s surface in many ways. What humans have modified of the earth’s surface is known as the cultural landscape or built environment. This includes things like works of engineering from bridges and dams to social and economic structures like coffee shops, restaurants, and town squares.
Cartography is the study of maps and maps can help us understand complex geographical data as well as influence our interpretation of the world around us. All map projections of the globe have some degree of distortion because the earth is a curved sphere which cannot be represented on a flat surface accurately. Types of map projections we have studied include the Mercator projection which skews the size of the northern hemisphere and the Gall-Peters projection, which skews the size of the southern hemisphere. There are many other map projections and these continue to evolve with technology over time.
Thematic maps convey complex geographic data. These include choropleth maps, dot-density maps, graduated/proportional symbol maps, cartograms, and isoline/topographic maps. Be able to identify these types of thematic maps.
Spatial relationships can be described as being clustered together or else dispersed and distributed across a space.
Absolute location is different from relative location. Latitude and longitude can be used to communicate absolute location.
The current world population is over 8 billion people with population distribution densest in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe.
Geographers calculate population density in three ways: Arithmetic density (total population/land area), Physiological density (Total population/Arable land), and Agricultural density (# of Farmers/Arable land). Arithmetic density does not account for uneven distribution of population within a country and is not helpful for analyzing clustering or dispersal. Physiological density can be helpful for demonstrating where a population is spread out. Agricultural density can help categorize the economic and technological development of a country.
Many factors influence where a population is distributed, including social/cultural, political, economic, and natural/environmental factors. Be able to identify examples.
Population pyramids can help us visualize population data. The larger the base of a pyramid, the more young the population is and the higher the fertility rate is. The larger the top of the pyramid is, the older a population is. The Demographic Transition Model aligns with this topic and displays trends in populations across five stages in terms of total population, death rate, and birth rate. Stage 1 countries see a very high birth rate and very high death rate, with a low total population. Stage 5 countries see a very low birth rate and low death rate with a high total population. Refer to the graphic organizer from class.
The Epidemiological Transition Model helps us visualize trends in disease and life expectancy within the stages of the DTM. Whereas pestilence and famine are problems in Stage 1, degenerative and man-made diseases are problems in Stage 4 and 5. In Stage 5 and perhaps beyond, the reemergence of previously conquered infectious disease may become a problem.
Concept, Laws, and Rules of Geography: Distance Decay holds that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between the two places increases. This distance can be due to more space or difficulty in crossing that space due to physical barriers like mountains or the sea or cultural barriers like a different language or religion. Time-Space Compression (aka Time Space Convergence) holds that accessibility and connectivity vis a vis technology like social media and video calling, globalization, and increased transportation, seems to bring humans in distant places closer together, Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration: migration is typically short in distance, migration occurs in steps, young adult males are more likely to migrate far away than females, women will migrate more within shorter distances, most migration is due to economic factors. Tobler’s first law of geography states “everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.”
The story of human history is largely a story of migration. Movement is an integral part of the human condition. Different types of migration include voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary migration includes types like transhumance (nomadic herders) as well as chain migration. Intervening obstacles deter continued movement due to negative hardships like deportation or lack of funds while intervening opportunities provide a positive reason for someone to settle down like getting a job or finding a spouse. Push and pull factors influence migration. Consider political upheaval in Syria that pushed many Syrians to flee into Europe despite many dangers on their journey.
Culture is the shared beliefs, values, practice, behaviors, and technologies of a society. Cultural traits can include physical objects (artifacts) like technology, architecture, and clothing. Culture also includes things that are not tangible, like ideas and organization. The physical landscape can influence the culture of a country. For example, what crops are grown (food) and how buildings are designed (architecture) as well as land-use patterns like canals (transportation). Diffusion is the process by which culture spreads from one place to another.
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture is the best or better than other cultures. For example, assuming that English is the default language.
Toponyms are place names. Throughout history, the names of cities and places and structures have changed to reflect cultural, political, or economic shifts. What a people call a place or do NOT call a place can reveal meaningful beliefs, attitudes, and identity.