1. Four traditions of geography
W.D. Pattison

2. W.D. Pattison
In 1964, W.D. Pattison, a professor at the University of Chicago, wanted to counter the idea that geography was an undisciplined science by saying that geographers had exhibited broad enough consistency such that there were four distinctive, but affiliated traditions.

3. Tradition One
An earth-science tradition - physical (natural) geography.
Physical geography, descriptions according to place, atmosphere, biosphere, geology.
“Study of the earth as a home to humans”
Intellectual legacy: Aristotle ( B.C.); Greek philosopher who looked at natural processes, Earth is spherical, matter falls together toward a common center.

4. Tradition Two
2)   A man-land tradition - relationships between human societies and natural environments.
Human impact on nature, impact of nature on humans, perception of environment, environmentalism
Population, Cultural and Political Geography (Units 2,3,4,5,6,7)
Intellectual legacy:         Hippocrates; a Greek Physician of 5th century B.C. who wrote that places affect the health and character of man.
Modern geographer(s):  Alexander von Humboldt ( ) and Carl Ritter ( )
1)   Move beyond describing earth’s surface to explaining why certain phenomena are present or absent.
2)   Origin of “where” and “why” approach
3)   Environmental determinism – how the physical environment causes social development

5. Tradition Three
3)  A spatial tradition - spatial unifying theme, similar patterns between physical & human geography.
 includes: boundaries, densities, movement, transportation, spatial patterns of development, uniqueness of place, central place theory (Units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Intellectual legacy: Claudius Ptolemy (A.D. 100?-170?); a Greek, who wrote 8-volume Geographia in the second century A.D. containing numerous maps (also father of geometry).
Modern geographer: Alfred Wegener; climatologist
1)   Studied spatial arrangement of landmasses, used geographical and geological evidence
2)   Continental drift – landmasses were once part of supercontinent (plate tectonics)

6. Tradition Four 4) An area-studies tradition - regional geography
Nature of places, character, regions, areas, international relationships, regional differentiation (Units, 3,4,5,6)
Intellectual legacy: Strabo (63? B.C.-A.D. 24?); Roman investigator, who wrote a report called Geography, a massive production for the statesmen intended to sum up and regularize knowledge of location and place, their character, and their differentiation.
Modern geographer: Carl Sauer ( ); American
1)  The work of human geography is to discern the relationships among social and physical phenomena
2)  Everything in the landscape is interrelated.

7. What is Human Geography
Human geography deals with the world as it is and with the world as it might be made to be. Its emphasis is on people: where they are, what they are like, how they interact over space, and what kinds of landscapes of human use they erect on the natural landscapes they occupy.

8. Four traditions into five themes of geography
Kevin Copeland AP Human Geography Unit 1

9. The Five Themes of Geography: Purpose
The five themes of geography help us in answering the “where”, “how” and “why” dealing with occurrences that take place in our world. By using these themes as a basis for understanding geographic information, we can gain a better appreciation of cultural and environmental changes around the world.

10. Location (Theme 1) 1) Location . position on the earth’s surface.
Ways to indicate location:
Maps
Absolute Location-Latitude and Longitude (Parallels and Meridians), determine exact location.
Ex. Atlanta, GA-33°N, 84°W
Observe Map
Relative Location-location of a place relative to other places (situational)
Why use relative location? Unfamiliar place, centrality

11. Absolute Location (Latitude and Longitude)

12. Human-Environment Interaction (Theme 2)
2. Human-Environment Interaction . relations between cultures and environment (cultural ecology).
A) Environmental Determinism-physical environment causes certain human behaviors (cultural development)
(SEC Football)
B) Possibilism-theory that physical environments may set limits on human actions. However, with increased access to technology, humans can alter the environment in any way; Stresses human modification of their environment; Ultimately dismissed as being too extreme
Cultural Landscape-human-induced changes that involve the surface and biosphere-Carl Sauer

13. Environmental Determinism-crazy SEC football fans

14. Regions (Theme 3)
3. Regions . areas of unique characteristics, ways of organizing people.
Types of Regions
Formal-distinctive characteristics that can be proven (uniform, homogeneous)
Ex. Wheat Belt, Republican state-GA
Functional-product of interactions, organized around a node or core
Ex. Newspapers, radio stations, “The Perimeter”
Perceptual-vernacular (exists only in the mind)
Ex. Dixie South

15. Place (Theme 4)
4. Place . associations of phenomena in an area. (What makes an area unique)
A) Physical Characteristics-landforms or bodies of water that make a place unique (climate, vegetation, soil, landforms)
B) Human or Cultural Characteristics-people’s lifestyles, values, beliefs and traits
What people care about: language, religion, ethnicity
What people take care of: daily necessities, leisure activities
Components of Culture:
Culture Region-the area in which a particular cultural system prevails
Ex. Building styles, farms
Culture Trait-a single attribute of culture
Ex. Food, clothing
Culture Complex-a discrete combination of traits
Ex. Nationalism/Patriotism
Culture System-a grouping of certain complexes, usually based on ethnicity, language, religion
Ex. Spanish-speaking, Catholic Mexicans
Culture Realm-an assemblage of culture (highly generalized)
Ex. Sub-Saharan Africa (assuming that all of Africa south of the Sahara is virtually the same)

16. Movement (Theme 5) 5. Movement . interconnection between areas.
Movement of…
1) Goods and Services-transportation
2) People and Animals-migration
3) Ideas and Information-communication
See below as to how ideas, information spread through communication…
Culture Hearths-source of idea, innovation or ideology
Cultural Diffusion-spread of idea, innovation or ideology from hearth to another culture
Types of Diffusion
Expansion Diffusion-idea, innovation or ideology develops in a source area and remains strong there while also spreading outward
Ex. computers, television, cell phones, religion
Relocation Diffusion (Transculturation)-spread of idea, innovation or ideology through physical movement of individuals
Ex. Italian immigrants to NYC taught Irish-Americans how to make pizza