Subject matter, Evolution and term of Geography, Nature and Scope of Geography, Branches
Definition Nature and Scope of Geography
INTRODUCTION
Geography was first systematically studied by the ancient Greeks, who also developed a philosophy of geography. The term ‘geography’ was first used by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the 3rd century B.C. He wrote the book Geography. There is no unanimity among the geographer to call father of geography but more acceptable is, Greek scholar Haecetus has been regarded as “father of geography”. According to most scholars, Eratosthenes is known as the father of Geography because he is considered to have been the first person to use the word 'Geography'. Alexander Von Humboldt and Carl Ritter are known as “founders of modern geography”.
Evolution of the term Geography
Geography has been defined variously at different times
according to the needs of the time and aim of study. In simple words, the
subject is the study of the earth as a home for mankind. In a comprehensive
manner, geography can be defined as the study of man, his environment and the
interaction between the two. The term environment is used here in comprehensive
sense refer to both physical environment and human environment. The central
theme of geographical study is a spatial approach or spatial relations and
organizations of various processes, pattern and phenomena.
The term "geography" has undergone a remarkable evolution over the centuries, reflecting changing human perspectives, advancements in knowledge, and the development of the discipline itself. In its earliest roots, "geography" finds its origin in ancient Greece, where "geo" (earth) and "grapho" (to write or describe) came together to signify the description of the Earth. Early Greek scholars like Homer and Herodotus contributed to the rudimentary understanding of the Earth's features and regions.During the Hellenistic period, Eratosthenes made significant strides in geography by measuring the Earth's circumference and creating maps. However, it was not until the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration that geography experienced a resurgence. This era saw the development of cartography, with Gerardus Mercator's maps gaining prominence.
The 18th and 19th centuries marked the era of scientific geography, as scholars like Alexander von Humboldt and Immanuel Kant laid the foundations for physical and human geography. Exploration by individuals like James Cook and Charles Darwin further expanded geographical knowledge.In the 20th century, geography embraced modernity, diversifying into subfields like physical geography, human geography, and environmental geography. The advent of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing revolutionized how geographers collected and analyzed spatial data.
Today, geography is a multidisciplinary field that explores the Earth's physical and human dimensions. It encompasses the study of landscapes, cultures, societies, environmental issues, and global interconnections. Geographers use advanced technologies like GIS, satellites, and drones to investigate complex spatial relationships.The term "geography" has evolved from a simple description of the Earth's features to a dynamic and multidimensional discipline that continues to adapt to our evolving understanding of the world. It reflects humanity's quest to comprehend the planet, its environments, and the interconnectedness of our globalized world. Geography remains a vital tool for addressing contemporary challenges, from climate change to urbanization, making it an enduring and relevant field of study.
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What is Geography/
Definition of Geography
Geography is made up of two Latin words “Geo” and “Graphy”. Geo means “Earth” and Graphy means “to describe”. Thus the general meaning of geography is the branch of science which explains about the Earth. In other words “Geography is largely the study of the interaction of all physical and human phenomena and landscapes created by such interactions.” It is about how, why, and where human and natural activities occur and how these activities are interconnected.
·
According
to Kant, the famous
German scholar defined “geography as a study of the earth.”
·
The latest and
comprehensive definition of Geography was given by Richard Hearthstone in his book in title "Perspective on the Nature of
Geography" published in 1959. According to him
"Geography is the concerned to provide accurate, orderly and rational
description and interpretation of the variable characters of earth
surface".
· According to Edward Augustus Ackerman in 1965 "It is the study of spatial distribution and space relation on the earth surface".
NATURE OF GEOGRAPHY
Geography is one of the oldest earth science and its roots date back in the works of the early Greek scholars. The word ‘geography’ was first used by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the third century B.C. Geo “ Earth” and Graphy “ to describe” literal meaning of geography is to describe about the earth’s surfaces.
·
Geography
is the study of the natural world and how humans have changed it. It examines
the physical Earth and life on it, looking at the world’s diverse cultures and
economies and at the environmental problems they produce.
· In other words “Geography is largely the study of the interaction of all physical and human phenomena and landscapes created by such interactions.” It is about how,why,and where human and natural activities occur and how these activities are interconnected.
· Geography has undergone changes in its approach.
· The earlier geographers were descriptive geographers.
· Later, geography came to be developed as an analytical science.
· Today the discipline is not only concerned with descriptions but also with analysis as well as prediction. In this lesson you will learn how important geography is in everyday life.
·
Geography, science that deals with the distribution and arrangement
of all elements of the earth's surface. The word geography was adopted in the 200s BC by
the Greek scholar Eratosthenes and means
"earth description."
·
Geographic study
encompasses the environment of the earth's surface and the relationship of
humans to this environment, which includes both physical and cultural
geographic features.
·
Physical geographic
features include the climate, land and water, and plant and animal life.
·
Cultural geographic
features include artificial entities, such as nations, settlements, lines of
communication, transportation, buildings, and other modifications of the
physical geographic environment. Geographers use economics, history, biology,
geology, and mathematics in their studies.
·
The nature of
geography is not static but highly dynamic.
·
The nature of
geography is both physical environment and human environment.
·
However, the meaning
and scope of Geography has dramatically changed with the passage of time, thus,
is concerned with the study of Nature and Human interactions as an integrated whole.
·
‘Human’ is an integral part of ‘nature’
and ‘nature’ has the imprints of ‘human’. Nature has influenced different
aspects of human life. Its imprints can be noticed on food, clothing, shelter
and occupation. Human beings have come to terms with nature through adaptation
and modification.
A) Geography looks at the earth surface from two
perspectives:-
the Systematic and Regional.
Geographical phenomena and processes are generally
described by two approaches
viz. (i) regional and (ii) systematic. Regional approaches are charactrerized by understanding the
formation and characterstic of regions. They try to focus
on how and why areas are different from each other. Regions can be physical, social, economic,
political, demographic etc.
B) The subject geography is broadly divided into two
descriptive--- the Physical description of the Earth (Physical Geography) and
Human description of the Earth (Human Geography).
Characteristics & Nature of Geography
In ancient times, geography was concerned merely with the description of the earth. At present it is no longer confined to the description of the earth. It has now acquired the status of science that explains the arrangement of various natural and cultural features of the earth's surface. Geography studies the origin of changing phenomena; the processes that change them and have brought them to the present state and arranged them in space in the way they exist. It also studies the implications of the location and arrangement of these phenomena for human beings. Geography studies the surface features of the earth and their association with one another and derives meaningful spatial or regional patterns. It studies the factors and processes, that change these features; and their spatial arrangement and finally it studies the implications of the above changes for human being and their activities.
Scope/ Significance AND Objectives of Geography: |
The scope of geography is vast. As we have already discussed the subject matter of geography is dynamic in nature, the nature and scope of geography goes on changing with the passage of time. Today geography is the only discipline that brings all natural and human sciences to a common platform to understand the dynamics of the spatial configuration of the earth's surface. It is an inter-disciplinary and integrative science having numerous branches. The subject of geography offers a wide scope of knowledge and its utility in various spheres of study.
· It presents wide knowledge of physical aspects and social aspects of the world. The subject geography is in great demand as it analyses and studies the inter-relationship between men and nature.
· Increasingly the use of geography has become vital knowledge for study in both natural science and social science.
· It Presents valuable knowledge about the people and places, regional studies, cartography, and map makings.
· Planners and leaders of the countries use the knowledge of geography widely to govern and administer their regions.
· The knowledge of geography is widely used in Engineering, disaster management, and resource study. Military personnel used knowledge of geography for defense purposes. The use of G.P.S. (Global Positioning System) and GIS (Geographical Information System) has become so popular to travelers, researchers, and even laymen because of their beneficial and wide utility.
· Geography addresses many issues about the contemporary world. Some are local, such as documenting the development of ethnic neighborhoods within Los Angeles. Others are regional, such as determining the best locations for nature reserves in California. Many are global, such as the study of greenhouse gases and how they affect climates, culture and resource issues in developing countries, and the impact of information technologies on people in different places.
· The work of geographers often takes them out of the classroom into the field to collect information on topics that range from the settlement of new immigrants to the distribution of endangered species, the erosion of shorelines, and the location of high-tech businesses.
· On other occasions, geographers work in laboratories, using techniques such as the computer analysis of satellite photographs to look for changes in river courses and the computer modeling of shifts in global vegetation patterns and the distribution of human populations.
· Research is also conducted in libraries and archives, probing documentary sources on human interaction with the natural world and how that world is imagined.
· Geography graduates have various career opportunities because of their combination of geographical/environmental perspectives and technical skills.
· Geography students have gone on to become university scholars, school teachers, members of governmental and nongovernmental planning, development, and conservation agencies, business executives, lawyers, and specialists in geographical information analysis for government and private business
· Because of its sophisticated focus on the relationship of the global to the local, geography is particularly useful for those who wish to pursue careers with an international focus.
Main Division & BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY (describe the Branches of Geography with the
help of Chart)
Basically, the subject matter or scope of geography is too rigid.
But for study purposes, it has two main branches: Physical Geography, and Human
Geography.
A. Physical Geography
Physical geography is the study of the physical environment of the
world, which is specifically composed of land, air, water, plants, and animals.
This gives rise to a number of subfields of physical geography.
i. (i). Geomorphology: It
is concerned with the study of the landforms on the earth’s surface. It
includes origin and development of landforms through erosional, transportation
and depositional processes of water, wind and glaciers.
ii. (ii) Climatology: Climatology
is the study of atmospheric conditions and related climatic and weather
phenomena. It includes the study of atmospheric composition, climatic regions,
seasons, etc.
iii. (iii). Oceanography: Oceanography
is the study of various types of Oceanic format component and processes related
to ocean floor depths, currents, coral reefs continental drifts, etc.
iv. (iv). Soil Geography: Soil Geography is the study of soil in their environment. It is one of two main branches of soil science, the other being edaphology. Pedology deals with pedogenesis, soil morphology, and soil classification, while edaphology studies the way soils influence plants, fungi, and other living things.
G(v). Bio-Geography: It is concerned with the biological phenomena in space, especially in terms of the distribution of various kinds of floral and faunal species. Biogeography may be subdivided into plant or floral geography, animal or faunal geography and human ecology.
vi. (vi). Astronomical Geography: It studies the celestial phenomena which concerns the Earth’s surface particularly Sun, Moon and Planets of the Solar System.
B. Human Geography
Human geography studies the inter-relationship between the
physical environment and socio cultural environment created by human beings
through mutual interaction with each other. Geography is ‘the study of the
earth as home of humans’.
Human geography has a number of sub-branches.
i. (i). Anthropogeography: The
term "anthropogeography" was first coined by German
geographer Friedrich Ratzel. It largely deals with racial phenomena
in their spatial context.
ii. (ii). Cultural Geography:
Cultural Geography focuses on the origin, components and impact of human
cultures, both material and non-material.
iii.(iii). Social Geography: Social
Geography on social phenomena in space. Poverty, health, education, and livelihood
are some important fields of study in social geography.
iv. (iv). Population Geography: Population
Geography is the of various dimensions of the population like its population
distribution, density, composition, fertility, mortality, migration, etc.
v. (v). Economic Geography: Economic
Geography is the study of the location and distribution of economic activities
at the local, regional, national and world scale. Economic geography can be
studied under the following heads: Resource geography, Agricultural geography,
Industrial geography, and transport geography.
vi.(vi). Political Geography: Political
Geography is the study of political phenomena in their spatial context. The main focus remains on the creation and transformation of political and administrative
regions.
vii. (vii). Historical Geography: Historical Geography emphasizes Spatial and temporal
trends of geographical phenomena studied in Historical geography.
vi((viii) Settlement Geography: Settlement
Geography is the study of Rural/Urban settlements, their size, distribution,
functions, and hierarchies, and of various other parameters of settlement system.
ix. (ix). Urban Geography: Urban
geography is a branch of human geography concerned with various
aspects of cities. Urban geographers and urbanists examine
various aspects of urban life and the built environment.
x. (x), Rural Geography: The study of rural geography deals with phenomena that are typical of the rural space. It deals with rural settlements their characteristics and the socio-economic processes of change that occur in the rural space of the developed and less-developed countries.
What are the approaches and methods of Study in
Geography?
·
Geography is a synoptic science that uses the same elements as
the other sciences but in a different context. It integrates data spatially,
making elaborate use of maps as its special tool. Geography may be studied by way of
several interrelated approaches, i.e., systematically, regionally,
descriptively, and analytically.
·
The systematic approach organizes geographical knowledge into
individual categories that are studied on a worldwide basis; the regional
approach integrates the results of the systematic method and studies the
interrelationships of the different categories while focusing on a particular
area of the earth; the descriptive approach depicts where geographical features
and populations are located; the analytical approach seeks to find out why
those features are located where they are.
·
In the study of geography two main branches may be
distinguished, physical geography and human (or cultural) geography, originally
anthropogeography. The first, based on the physical sciences, studies the
world's surface, the distribution, delineation, and nature of its land and
water areas.
·
Climate, landforms (see geomorphology), and soil are examined as to origin and are classified as to
distribution.
·
Drawing on the biological sciences, fauna and flora
(biogeography) are brought into an areal pattern.
·
Through the mathematical sciences the motion of the earth and
its relationship to the sun (seasons), the moon (tides), and the planets are
studied, as well as mapmaking and navigation.
Human geography places
humans in their physical setting; it studies their relationship with that
environment as well as their conscious activities and continuous progress in
adapting themselves to it (and to other humans) and in transforming their
environment to their needs.
·
Human geography may in turn be subdivided into a number of
fields, such as economic geography, political geography (with its 20th-century
offshoot, geopolitics), social geography (including urban
geography, another 20th-century ramification), environmental perception and
management, geographical cartography, geographic information systems, and
military geography.
· Historical geography (which reconstructs geographies of the past and attempts to trace the evolution of physical and cultural features) and urban and regional planning are sometimes considered branches of geography.
Explain
how Geography is an integrating Science?
The scientific study of the earth's surface and its various climates, natural resources, and human activities. Geography is a discipline of synthesis. It is considered to be a liaison subject. It recognizes the fact that the world is a system of interdependency. Geography as an integrating discipline stands midway between Natural Science and Social Science, Modern Geography focuses attention on man’s physical, biological, and cultural environments and thereby points out the inter-relationship between human activities and the environment. Physical geography has an interface with Natural sciences. Traditional physical Geography is linked with Geology, Meteorology, Hydrology, and pedology which have very close links with Natural Sciences. Bio Geography is closely related to Botany and Zoology, Astronomical Geography is related to heavenly bodies such as Galaxy, solar system, stars, planets, and satellites, and mathematical Geography helps to represent the latitudes, Longitudes shape of the Earth, size, Cartographic and Quantitative Techniques. Geography also has an interface with Social Sciences like History, Sociology, Economics, Political Science, commerce, etc. These subjects have close links with other disciples as each one of them has spatial attributes.
Explain Geography
as highly interdisciplinary and Multi-disciplinary?
Geography is a multidisciplinary field that exhibits strong interrelations with both physical and social sciences. These connections facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the world, as geography serves as a bridge between the natural and human environments. Here are the key interrelations of geography with physical and social sciences:
Interrelations with Physical Sciences:
1. Geophysics and Earth Sciences: Geography shares a strong connection with geophysics, geology, and other Earth sciences. Physical geography, in particular, deals with the Earth's physical processes, including landforms, climate, weather, and natural disasters. It employs principles from physics, chemistry, and geophysics to understand these phenomena.
2. Meteorology and Climatology: The study of weather and climate is integral to both meteorology and physical geography. Geographers often collaborate with meteorologists and climatologists to analyze climate patterns, weather events, and their impacts on human societies.
3. Ecology: Ecology and physical geography intersect in the study of ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental processes. Geographers work closely with ecologists to understand how physical factors like terrain and climate influence ecosystems and species distribution.
4. Geomorphology: This subfield of geography explores landforms and their origins, which aligns with principles from geology and physical geography. It examines how geological processes shape the Earth's surface.
5. Oceanography: Coastal geography and oceanography share common interests in the study of coastlines, marine ecosystems, and the interactions between oceans and land. These fields collaborate on research related to coastal processes and marine environments.
Interrelations with Social Sciences:
1. Anthropology: Cultural geography explores the spatial distribution of human cultures and societies. Geographers work closely with anthropologists to understand how cultural practices and traditions are influenced by geography, and vice versa.
2. Sociology: Human geography, a major subfield of geography, overlaps significantly with sociology. It studies the spatial distribution of populations, urbanization, migration patterns, and social issues, offering insights into societal structures and behaviors.
3. Economics: Economic geography examines the spatial distribution of economic activities, trade, and resources. It analyzes how geography influences economic development, trade routes, and regional disparities.
4. Political Science: Geopolitics is an area of geography that explores the spatial aspects of political power, international relations, and conflicts. It examines how geography shapes political boundaries, alliances, and geopolitical strategies.
5. Urban Planning: Geography plays a vital role in urban planning by analyzing urban environments, land use, transportation systems, and the social dynamics of cities. Urban planners often collaborate with human geographers to design sustainable and functional urban spaces.
6. Demography: Demography studies population dynamics, including birth rates, death rates, and migration. Geographers use demographic data to analyze population distribution and its impact on regional development.
7. Environmental Studies: Geography intersects with environmental studies to investigate the interaction between human activities and the environment. This includes research on environmental degradation, conservation, and sustainable resource management.
These interrelations highlight the interdisciplinary nature of geography, making it a valuable field for addressing complex global challenges that require an understanding of both natural and human systems. Geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques further facilitate these connections by providing tools to integrate and analyze data from multiple disciplines.
Because space and place affect a variety
of topics, such as economics, health, climate, plants, and animals, geography is
highly interdisciplinary. The interdisciplinary nature of the geographical
approach depends on attentiveness to the relationship between physical and
human phenomena and their spatial patterns.
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Geography Is Dynamic. Why?
Geography is about
studying the Earth, and the Earth is constantly changing. Nothing on Earth
remains in a static position. The only constant on the Earth is change. Things
are always changing. The rate of which things change varies from place to
place.
Why is geography called mother of all
sciences?
Geography is often times called the “mother of all sciences” because geography is one of the earliest known scientific disciplines that date back to the original Homo-sapiens who migrated out of eastern Africa, into Europe, Asia, and beyond.Geography is sometimes considered as the mother of all sciences due to its links and influences on a range of other scientific fields including biology, mathematics, anthropology, geology, astronomy and chemistry. The exploration and discovery of new places, new ideas and new cultures is something that is fundamental to the human knowledge.
Describe the Major Geographic Traditions?
Ans: The field of geography encompasses several major geographic
traditions that provide different lenses through which geographers study and
understand the Earth's physical and human aspects. Four of these major
geographic traditions are Earth Science, Man-Environment Relationship, Area
Studies, and Spatial Analysis.
1.
Earth Science Tradition: The Earth Science tradition within
geography is primarily concerned with the physical aspects of the Earth. It
explores the natural processes, landforms, and phenomena that shape the Earth's
surface. This tradition includes sub-disciplines such as geology, meteorology,
climatology, geomorphology, and biogeography. Key aspects of the Earth Science
tradition include:
·
Physical Processes: Study of natural processes like plate tectonics, erosion,
weathering, and volcanic activity that shape the Earth's surface.
·
Landforms: Examination of various landforms such as mountains, valleys,
plains, and coastlines and the processes responsible for their formation.
·
Climate and Weather: Research on climate patterns, weather systems, and atmospheric
phenomena to understand climate change and weather forecasting.
·
Biogeography: Exploration of the distribution of ecosystems and species
based on environmental factors, such as climate and geography.
Geographers in the
Earth Science tradition often collaborate with scientists from other
disciplines to study natural phenomena, contributing to our understanding of the
physical world.
2.
Man-Environment Relationship Tradition: The Man-Environment
Relationship tradition focuses on the complex interactions between human
societies and their environments. It recognizes that humans both impact and are
impacted by their surroundings. This tradition encompasses several key areas:
·
Environmental Determinism: The study of how environmental factors
influence human culture and behavior, though this concept has been largely
criticized for oversimplification.
·
Cultural Ecology: Investigation of how cultures adapt to their environments and
modify them to meet their needs. It emphasizes the role of culture in shaping
human-environment interactions.
·
Human Impact: Examination of the ecological, social, and economic
consequences of human activities on the environment, including topics like
deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion.
·
Sustainability: Exploration of strategies and practices aimed at achieving a
harmonious and sustainable balance between human activities and the
environment.
Scholars in this
tradition often use qualitative research methods, case studies, and
interdisciplinary approaches to understand the dynamic relationship between
humans and their surroundings.
3.
Area Studies Tradition: Area Studies is a tradition in
geography that focuses on the in-depth examination of specific geographic
regions or areas. Geographers in this tradition seek to understand the unique
characteristics, culture, history, and challenges of particular regions around
the world. Key aspects of Area Studies include:
·
Regional Analysis: Detailed study of a specific geographic area, often with a
focus on its physical and cultural attributes.
·
Comparative Studies: Comparison of different regions to identify commonalities and
differences in terms of geography, culture, politics, and economics.
·
Regional Development: Examination of the socioeconomic development and challenges
within a specific region.
·
Geopolitics: Analysis of political relationships, conflicts, and power
dynamics in a particular geographic area.
Area Studies
geographers develop expertise in specific regions, contributing to a deeper
understanding of the world's diversity and complexity.
4.
Spatial Analysis Tradition: The Spatial Analysis tradition in
geography emphasizes the use of quantitative and analytical methods to examine
spatial patterns, relationships, and processes. Geographers in this tradition
utilize tools like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing,
statistics, and mathematical modeling to analyze spatial data. Key aspects of
Spatial Analysis include:
·
Spatial Modeling: Development of mathematical models to understand and predict
spatial phenomena, such as urban growth, transportation networks, and disease
spread.
·
Cartography: Creation of maps and visual representations to convey spatial
information effectively.
·
Geospatial Data Analysis: Use of spatial data to answer research
questions and solve practical problems in fields like urban planning,
transportation, and environmental management.
·
Spatial Statistics: Application of statistical techniques to analyze spatial data,
identify spatial patterns, and make informed decisions.
The Spatial Analysis tradition is essential in addressing contemporary challenges, as it provides tools for making data-driven decisions and understanding spatial trends in various contexts. In summary, these four major geographic traditions—Earth Science, Man-Environment Relationship, Area Studies, and Spatial Analysis—complement each other, providing a comprehensive understanding of the Earth's physical and human aspects. Together, they help geographers and researchers address complex questions related to the environment, society, and the dynamic interactions between them. The combination of these traditions contributes to the richness and diversity of the field of geography.
Subject Matter of Geography: Geography has been defined variously at different times according to the needs of the time and the aim of the study. In simple words, the subject is the study of the earth as a home for mankind. In a comprehensive manner, geography can be defined as the study of man, his environment, and the interaction between the two. The term environment is used here in a comprehensive sense to refer to both the physical environment and the human environment. The central theme of the geographical study is a spatial approach or spatial relations and organizations of various processes, patterns and phenomena. Thus geography is the science, or social science, as it is now considered that studies the spatial distribution and organization of phenomena and provides an explanation for the same. Everything occurring in space (area) thus constitutes the subject matter of geography.
The scope and nature of the subject are however limited generally to the immediate environment affecting and getting affected by man. The sphere of activity of a geographer extends from slightly below the surface of the earth to slightly above the surface of the atmosphere. This zone can be defined more precisely as the zone that can support life and it is called biosphere. It constitutes the physical environment of man. The subject matter of geography is thus varied and its scope is vast.
Describe Geography as a
discipline
Geography has contributed to
the science field by means of publications and the application of certain
methodologies in solving problems that are associated with spatial
phenomena. It is considered as a Science subject because it uses the scientific
method as the basis of the research projects within the discipline. Like any other
academic discipline, geography has the following aspects:
Institutionalization, meaning
that it is identified by the fact that it is taught in universities;
Professionalism, geography
is being practiced by people who are qualified in the field of geography as a
result they become experts in this field;
Original research and
publishing of the findings
Has bodies to promote the
discipline Conferences, seminars, journals, and publications
Conferences, seminars,
journals, and publications that contribute to the academic discipline. The
publications and journals provide insights as to what has been studied in the
past and how to advance the knowledge within this discipline. Conferences and
seminars are a platform to discuss the arising matters and find the solution
to them.
Having inspected geography
as a discipline it will be vital to establish the history of geography as a
discipline, how it started, and the future that it holds as new discoveries are
made. Therefore, resulting in a new focus for the disciplines such as Earth
System Science that geography is changing towards it. This is discussed in the
next section of the paper.
Assess the change
in the discipline of Geography toward Earth System Science
“The internal structure of
the academic discipline of Geography has been debated recently, with some
contending that it is fragmented while others counter that it is
not…(Johnston, 1998, p.139)”. Earth System science within the geography
discipline is regarded as a threat to the core of this discipline, however,
there is a relationship in Earth System Science and Geography through the
subdiscipline called physical geography. There have existing attempts in the
past to encourage Earth System Science of which today is causing controversy
within this discipline. Thus Pitman (2005, p.138) acknowledge the fact that
there has been attempts to integrate geography with Earth System Science; as a
result he states that “some of these attempts are fundamental to the entire
discipline of Physical Geography. Citing Davis (1901) who argued the need ”to
consider the form of the Earth as a whole”, and Strahler (1951) who argued that
while focussing on a chosen specialty, a Physical Geography should be able to
”assemble and integrate pertinent fragments of knowledge into a unified picture
. . .”. Chorley et al. (1984) used knowledge of geology, chemistry, biology,
hydrology, atmospheric and cryospheric processes, integrated in a systems
framework to advance geomorphic knowledge. These, and very many others, were
seminal works that made Physical Geography a sound discipline, while
integrative and outwards looking to Human Geography. However, it is simply
indisputable that the new thrust in Earth System Science is largely independent
of Geography”. As an academic discipline geography should contribute towards scientific knowledge and should be integrated with other fields if possible
to establish solutions that are threatening the society as geography is a
spatial science and is concerned about the environment without affecting the core
of physical geography.
“Instead, my focus is that
Geography could make a major contribution to Earth System Science by leading
the international agenda. Individuals within Geography with expertise across
key components of Physical and Human Geography have the skills to contribute
solutions to the problems inherent in this new science. It is my view that
Geography has, to date, missed these changes and that this questions the
relevance of the discipline in the eyes of the broader scientific community
(Pitman, 2005, p.138)”.
According to Castree et al.,
“The question that arises from integrating earth system science as a discipline
in Geography is as geographers, should we be involved in this dialogue, or have
we already missed the boat on which it is taking place?. Earth system sciences
are linked in the nexus of the physical and human worlds, which was the
traditional definition of the discipline, despite such subsequent drift. In
terms of studies of applied environmental change, few geographers would
disagree with Bretherton’s conclusion that ‘(d) daunting though these tasks may
be, they are matched by the significance of the goal. Human-kind is pressing on
its environment in unprecedented ways, and we do not understand the
implications. We must try, for we may not have a second opportunity’
(Bretherton, 1993; p. 1127). The development of earth system science
perspective would also speak an approach using concepts of globalisation as
discussed by Davies (2004)”.
Conclusion
Geography as a discipline
should be moving towards Earth System Science due to the fact that geography is
multidisciplinary and it studies nature quality in a form of physical
geography. Although Pitman (2005, p.146) argues that “earth system science has
invaded geographers academic territory, developing an understanding of the
biophysical system with little reference to Physical Geography”, Johnston
(2005, p.8) in turn agrees that geography should be changing towards Earth
System Science. He states that, “we are a natural discipline to embrace the
genuinely multidisciplinary science that is Earth System Science. We naturally
view the Earth as a combination of biophysical and social sciences. Yet other disciplines
that actively embraced the reductionist approach through the 20th Century have
now discovered the need for more holistic perspective…” Johnston (2005, p8)
continue by stating that “if Geography does not take leadership in this arena,
it will not be long before other disciplines fully take this opportunity from
us and Earth System Science will continue to develop in parallel with
geography-at our expense…”
“It is hard to imagine a
more important discipline than Earth System Science. We urgently need to
overhaul our thinking and rejig our institutions to allow this crucial new
science to flourish (Lawton, 2001)”. Physical geography is considered to be a
weak sub-discipline of geography as compared to human geography. As a result, changing toward Earth System science will assist in revitalizing this
discipline.
Whether Geography is Physical science or Social Science or other sciences and its anomalous status as disciplines? There was the source of much confusion in the formative phase of geography as modern disciplines in the nineteenth century where division of knowledge into distinct disciplines was concretized. There is much discussion whether geography should be considered as social science or pure science. The study of man was the realm of humanities and the social sciences whereas, the sciences focused on the study of aspects of nature. The study of geography comprises of both human aspects and physical phenomena. They are inseparable and are two sides of the same coin and therefore it is very hard to separate the subject geography between human and social aspects as well as physical sciences. The various branches of geography and scholars have laid emphasis on making geography as physical sciences whereas the other branch of human geography have laid emphasis on social phenomena and activities of man. The focus of geography and its special field of inquiry on ‘earth surface as the world of man’ had put somewhat in anomalous position as one of the basic premises of the principle of organization was the fundamental separation between man and environment
Conclusion: Geography is a dynamic subject, so its approaches, divisions, tools, nature and scopes is changing at different periods of time and with the development of technology. In the modern day, the quantitative technical tool of GIS is increasingly becoming importance
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