Chapter 1

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: NATURE AND SCOPE

FACTS THAT MATTER

Geography as a Discipline

•Geography as a field of study is integrative, empirical and practical. The reach of geography is extensive and each and every event or phenomenon which varies over space and time can be studied geographically.

•The basic aim of geography as a discipline is to understand earth as home to human beings and to study all those elements which have sustained them.

•Earth comprises two major components: Natural or physical and human or cultural.

Physical geography studies, physical environment and human geography studies the relationship between the physical/natural and human world, the spatial distributions of human phenomenon and how they come about, the social and economic differences between the different parts of the world.

•Under physical geography, the physical environment of the earth is studied. Under human geography, the inter relationship between the physical environment and socio- cultural environment created by human beings through mutual interaction with each other is studied.

•In physical geography, we talk about landforms, temperature, climate, rainfall, soils, vegetation, flora and fauna, etc. But in human geography, we talk about occupational structure, density of population, houses types, roads and railways network, airlines and pipeline network, industries, farms and ports in different parts of the earth.

•It is simply not possible to segregate nature and human race because their identity is not possible without each other.

Nature of Human Geography

•it studies the interrelationship between physical environment and socio cultural created by human beings through mutual interaction with each other. Though physical environment has been modified by human beings, it has also been impacted by humans.

•With the help of technology, man interacts with his environment. Human being is directly dependent on nature for resources which sustain them. In such societies the physical environment becomes the mother nature.

•Technology indicates the cultural development of a society. All that we see today have been produced only after understanding laws of nature.

Naturalisation of Humans

•In the early stages, human were greatly influenced by natural environment. Even now in some societies, they are directly dependent on nature for resources which sustain them. In such societies the physical environment becomes "the mother nature.

•This type of interaction between man & the strong forces of nature is termed as environmental determination-where humans are naturalized and listen to the dictates of nature and are dependent it for survival.

Humanisation of Nature

•People begin to understand their environment and the forces of nature with the passage of time. With Social and cultural development, humans develop better and more efficient technology. They create new possibilities with the environment. Nature provides opportunities and humans avail of these opportunities. It is called Possibilism'

•Nature gives an opportunity and man sustains it. In this way, gradually humanisatfon of nature takes place and imprints of human activities become visible.

Neo Determination

•Griiith Tavlor introduced the concept of Neo Determinism or Stop & Go determinism. The concept says that there is neither a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor there is condition of absolute freedom (possibilism).

•It is a mid way path. The concept says that there is neither absolute necessity nor absolute freedom. It means that human beings can conquer nature by obeying it.

Evolution of Human Geography

•Earlier there was little interaction between different societies and the knowledge about each other was limited. Travelers and explorers used to disseminate information about the areas of their visit. They did not have navigational skills and journeys were full of dangers. In the late fifteenth century, attempts were made for explorations in Europe through which myths and mysteries about countries and people started to open up.

Fields and Sub-fields of Human Geography

•Human geography is highly inter-disciplinary in nature. It develops close interface with other sister disciplines in social sciences in order to understand and explain human elements on the surface of the earth.

We hope CBSE/MP Board class 12th "Geography" Chapter 1 "Human Geography: Nature and Scope" will help you.

Written By - HIMANSHU SHARMA