The Geographic Perspective: Social Science Aspects Jill S. M. Coleman, Ph.D. Department of Geography Ball State University: Muncie, IN

Geography: Defining the Discipline What is geography? What topics do geographers study? What makes geography different from other disciplines?

Geography: Defining the Discipline Geographia (Greek origins) Geo (earth) + graphein (to describe or write) To write or describe the surface of the earth The study of the spatial arrangement and association among elements on and/or in contact with the earth’s surface Explaining the “big picture”

Geography: Defining the Discipline Three defining questions… What is located where? Why are things located where they are? What is the significance? What: Geographic reference base 2) Why: interaction between places near and far, understand the decision making or physical process, landscape modification, involves spatial analysis 3) Significance: population clusters and movement, disease transmission, environmental degradation, etc., disaster risk

Modern Geography: Traditions Spatial distributions of physical and cultural features Relationship between people and the environment Existence and evolution of regions Physical characteristics of the earth 4 traditional areas of study Examine the lands that support people (environment) Look at the existence of distinctive areas or regions, including analysis and explanation of how they came to be formed Physical geography—oldest of all geographic traditions, but often divided among other disciplines as well (geology)

Geography: Defining the Discipline Linkage with the physical sciences and social sciences Interdisciplinary Variation across space Degree of human impact assessment

Human Geography Study of the relationship of human beings and their activities (past or present) to the surrounding environment and the consequences of these interactions Focuses more on… The cultural characteristics of a place The processes that influence or shape that place The interconnectedness of those places

Tools of the Trade Visual Representation Qualitative Techniques Cartography Remote Sensing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Qualitative Techniques Surveys Personal Interviews Spatial Quantitative Methods Quantitative: PCA, gravity model (based on population and distance (in social aspects, more time consideration or travel cost) that the spatial interaction between two location tends to decrease with increasing distance, but at a given distance expands with increasing size).

Patterns and Distributions Example: Corpus Christi, TX Crime Social Geography Cartography Corpus Christi, Texas crime distribution GIS; Social Geography

Patterns and Distributions Example: Cocaine Export & Distribution Economic geography Colombia 70-80% world’s production Coca has been an important cultivated crop in the Andean region for over 4,000 years and has been an integral component in the trade between the highland areas and the coast for nearly as long The coca leaf contains less than 1% cocaine and has much the same effect as caffeine. Coca plants can thrive in poor soil, have few pests or predators—an ideal crop for the bleak growing conditions in the Andes. After planting, leaves can be harvested by 6-12 months. Coca plants can yield 4-5 crops per year for 30-40 years. Grown today in other regions of the world, such as India and Indonesia, where the climate is similar to the Andean tropics, In the southern coca-growing region, the temperature averages between 49.5 and 52 degrees Fahrenheit and there is light rainfall. Coca is normally grown between 3,300 and 6,600 feet above sea level. There are three primary environmental consequences of coca and poppy cultivation: deforestation and the destruction of the habitat, soil erosion, and pollution of both air and water. Due to the illegality of coca and poppy growth the farmers place their fields on hillsides, which are more difficult for the government agents to reach than fields located on the valley floors. Because the government does pursue an active eradication campaign, the farmers rarely expect to enjoy long-term cultivation of their fields and, consequently, rarely employ soil conservation techniques. The pesticides used by the growers travel through the soil into the ground water and eventually into the rivers and streams. Economic Geography

Patterns and Distributions Example: 2003 West Nile Virus Incidence Medical Geography Biogeography Climatology Medical Geography; Biogeography People who contract WNV may have such minimal symptoms they might not even know they are infected. Others develop a mild flu-like illness that lasts for a few days or weeks. Severe symptoms can include a high fever, stiff neck, muscle weakness and neurological symptoms including coma, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Illness can last for several weeks, and permanent central nervous system damage can result. Fortunately, just one person out of every 150 people infected will develop such serious illness. Humans are not the only species affected by West Nile Virus. Certain birds and mammals are also at risk for infection. Birds, crows in particular, play a significant role as they readily harbor the virus. The common link between birds and humans is the mosquito.

Patterns and Distributions Example: 2007 West Nile Virus Incidence Medical Geography Biogeography Climatology Medical Geography; Biogeography People who contract WNV may have such minimal symptoms they might not even know they are infected. Others develop a mild flu-like illness that lasts for a few days or weeks. Severe symptoms can include a high fever, stiff neck, muscle weakness and neurological symptoms including coma, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Illness can last for several weeks, and permanent central nervous system damage can result. Fortunately, just one person out of every 150 people infected will develop such serious illness. Humans are not the only species affected by West Nile Virus. Certain birds and mammals are also at risk for infection. Birds, crows in particular, play a significant role as they readily harbor the virus. The common link between birds and humans is the mosquito.

The Geographic Perspective The “Six Essential Elements”* 1. The World in Spatial Terms 2. Places and Regions 3. Physical Systems 4. Human Systems 5. Environment and Society 6. Uses of Geography Studies the relationships between people, places and environments by mapping information about them into a spatial context. This can involve mental maps, statistical analysis, cartography, GIS, data acquisition, etc. 2. Identify the physical and human characteristics of places. Creation of region to interpret the Earth’s complexity. Understanding of culture and experience and how they influence people’s perception of place Understanding of the physical processes that shape the earth, their physical distribution, patterns of the Earth’s surface. Understand the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations. Cultural mosaics. Patterns and networks of economic interdependence. Division of the earth’s surface. Human modification of the physical environment. Changes in resources. How to apply geography to interpret the past, present and plan for future. *Geography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994.

The Geographic Perspective Understanding the ways in which humankind perceives and interacts with the Earth’s surface, its resources, and its people Geography lies at the intersection of both social and physical sciences Explain the processes that give rise to spatial distributions---it’s not all about maps! Geographic landscapes are social creations Looking locally and globally as well as over time Landscapes are a social creation both locally and globally as people migrate, develop, reflect class, gender, ethnicity, politics, economics, etc.