Geography/Place PDF

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A summary over unit 1 (Geography/Place)....

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Bennett 1 Part 1: What is Geography? Geography is the study of how and why phenomena vary from place to place on the earth’s surface which involves areal variation. These different places can experience an identity crisis that would include phenomena and possible internal issues. The purpose of geography is to study how and why physical and cultural items differ from place to place on the earth’s surface. There are two subdivisions of geography: physical and human. Physical geography is the study of physical processes and their patterns in the natural environment (nature). Human geography is the study of the spatial organizations of human activity and of people’s relationship with their environments which include natural and cultural relationships. When Hurricane Katrina took place in 2005 in Louisiana and Florida, humans had to adapt to the changes in physical geography that had transpired. Human, physical, and geographic techniques are considered the three subfields of geography. The geographic techniques refer to GIS (geographic information system) which is computer software that creates maps and stores, accesses, and manipulates spatial data. It can identify problems, monitor change, manage/respond to events, forecast, set priorities, and understand trends. Space and place hold significant roles in the concept of geography. A space is an area that has characteristics but no values, and it can measure and locate distances. The two types of space are absolute and relative. Absolute space is described in terms of points, lines, areas, and planes. Relative space is the position of space that is relative to another space. In terms of location, absolute space is identified by a precise system of coordinates and an address, and relative space is the position in relation to other places or activities. A location is a site (physical attributes of a place) and situation (function relative to other places). As for distance, the absolute space is a physical measure (using commonly accepted standard units), and the relative space is dependent

Bennett 2 upon the travel time, cost of travel, effort to travel, and the cognitive distance (a person’s experience or judgment). People are more likely to do what benefits them at the lowest cost, effort, and time; this statement is referred to as the “nearness principle.” A distance decay function graph would be able to show that the further the distance, the less likely something will happen. Direction involves absolute space based on the cardinal points (NSEW), and the relative space is culturally based and locationally dependent. Accessibility is the opportunity of contact or interaction from a given point or location in relation to other locations (the utility of a place); therefore, the absolute space is quantifying the ways to access a place and the number of connections, and the relative space is the perception of the contact or perceptions. The spatial interactions that happen involve the movements and flow of human activity. The complementarity interactions demand in one place and supply in another while the intervening opportunities are things that come between two places that offer attractive alternatives. Diffusion will cause the spreading of phenomena from one place to another which can involve relocation or expansion. Also, topographical space is defined by connections while socioeconomic space is defined by economic activity. A place is a location where something is happening. There is a specific geographic setting with distinctive physical, social, and cultural attributes. Place is important because it impacts a person’s well-being. This includes their health (environmental justice) and safety (crime or war). It also involves access to necessities like healthcare, food, lifestyle, and knowledge/experience or opportunities like jobs, transportation, and education. Places are dynamic and the “contents” of a place can change. These refer to the conditions or functions, natural events, or human activities. They can also hold meaning to a person; they are not inherent which means that people give places meaning and not vice versa. The experience for everyone at that place can be different,

Bennett 3 and because of that, there are collective and individual meanings for each place. When the child was eaten by the alligator at Disney World, the family of that child no longer had happy thoughts and feelings about the amusement park even though other people still do. A person’s identity and the significance of a certain place are reciprocal for everyone. Feelings are evoked because the sense of place brings a sense of self. You can have a direct experience with a place that involves intersubjectivity and shared meanings from everyday practice or you can have an indirect experience with a place that involves sources like books and a role of symbolism. A mental map is a map of a person’s perception of an activity area. The purpose of it is to think spatially about your world and to employ basic mapping skills while considering the spatial arrangement of the world (spatial analysis). Through the use of mental maps, people can share their ideas and perceptions for where places and spaces are located, the distances between them, and the sizes of them. This is essential because it allows people to get a sense of all that a community consists of based on the perspectives of others....