APHuG Global Concepts Chapter 1: Key Issue 3

REGION REVIEW – formal, functional, or vernacular? Type: 1.) Nebraska 2.) Radio Broadcast Area 3.) “Dixie” 4.) Brazil 5.) The “Sun Belt” 6.) Red Sox Nation 1.) Formal 2.) Functional 3.) Vernacular 4.) Formal 5.) Vernacular 6.) Vernacular

Geographers Study the World by Dividing it Into Regions: This approach is called “regionalization” Formal, functional & perceptual regions Regionalization causes generalizations, so geographers divide regions down smaller…

Regionalization helps geographers find and study similarities. Then geographers view data/maps at different scales to study human activities & phenomenon. Calcutta, India from 3 different scales

Scales of Analysis GLOBAL NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE LOCAL

BEWARE - SCALES CAN LIE! Something that seems true at ONE scale might not be from ANOTHER scale.

Cancer rates at 3 different scales

Today, geographers are most concerned with the GLOBAL scale. Technology has changed our world, bringing people ‘closer’ together and making cultures ever more SIMILAR.

Globalization is the ‘shrinking’ of the world- not literally, but in terms of interaction and diffusion.

Positive/Negative Effects of Globalization Popular ideas and preferences are worldwide making different cultures ever more similar. Economic issues in one country are more likely to cause ‘ripples’ throughout the rest of the world system

Positive/Negative Effects of Globalization Others feel that this force only serves to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer.

Causes of Globalization Widespread use of the internet Widespread use of cell phones Country economic & political alliances Travel technology (ie: trains & planes)

Historically, extreme distance between two places or things meant they were highly unlikely to INTERACT.

This is called DISTANCE DECAY- the farther you are from something, the less likely that it impacts you/you are o interact with it.

Today, extreme distance is no longer the barrier because of advances in travel and communication technologies. This has caused SPACE-TIME COMPRESSION

SPACE-TIME COMPRESSION: KEY element of Globalization! The reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place, whether it is a person or idea. KEY element of Globalization!

SPACE - TIME COMPRESSION

Who Spreads/Encourages Globalization? Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are huge companies that divide their activities between different countries in order to maximize profit. They choose the most profitable locations for their activities based on local conditions (like labor costs).

Many stores create a visual appearance that differs as little as possible from place to place.

Figure 1-23 GLOBALIZATION OF CULTURE McDonald’s has more than 32,000 restaurants in 117 countries. To promote global uniformity of its restaurants, the company erects signs around the world that include two golden arches.

Distribution Distribution is essential to studying TNC’s or other global phenomenon worldwide. Density- frequency with which something occurs in a specified area. Concentration- extent of a feature’s spread Close together = clustered. Spread apart = dispersed. Pattern- arrangements of objects

Distribution Each of these has the same DENSITY- the same amount of houses in the same area. Each, however, has a different CONCENTRATION. Each also has a different PATTERN. Figure 1-24 DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSES The top plan for a residential area has a lower density than the middle plan (24 houses compared to 32 houses on the same 82-acre piece of land), but both have dispersed concentrations. The middle and lower plans have the same density (32 houses on 82 acres), but the distribution of houses is more clustered in the lower plan. The lower plan has shared open space, whereas the middle plan provides a larger, private yard surrounding each house.

From clustered to dispersed Pattern From clustered to dispersed FIGURE 1-25 DISTRIBUTION OF BASEBALL TEAMS The changing distribution of North American baseball teams illustrates the difference between density and concentration.

DIFFUSION Process by which a something spreads across space from one place to another

Spread through movement of people from one place to another 4 TYPES OF DIFFUSION Relocation Diffusion Spread through movement of people from one place to another Connection refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. Diffusion is the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another overtime.

Hierarchical Diffusion 4 TYPES OF DIFFUSION Hierarchical Diffusion Spread from persons/nodes of authority down the ‘chain of power’ Connection refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. Diffusion is the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another overtime.

rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic 4 TYPES OF DIFFUSION Contagious Diffusion rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic Connection refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. Diffusion is the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another overtime.

Spread of a strong underlying principle, though not all might diffuse. 4 TYPES OF DIFFUSION Stimulus Diffusion Spread of a strong underlying principle, though not all might diffuse. Connection refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. Diffusion is the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another overtime.