1. Core Concepts Flashcards
Why is it helpful or important to have a geographic education?
Having a geographic education is really important to help you understand what is happening in the world
Understanding geography can be applied to various careers
What does a geographical perspective look like?
- Understanding the nature of places and spaces
- Looking at how spaces and places compare to one another
- Searching for the consequences for those differences
- Understanding everything is either related, or it is not. Differentiating between relations.
- Analyzing different spaces to understand how they are different and what processes or pressures created the difference
- Essentially: critical thought and analyzing
- Understanding places and spaces have dynamic relationships
- Looking at how cultures are affected by their environments
What is Spatial Variation?
Geographical/spatial difference/variation means to analyze how spaces are different and determine what is going on or what the processes are that shaped that particular space or place.
What is the difference between space and place?
In common language we often use these terms interchangeably and we don’t think about the difference between space and place. However, in geography space and place have very distinct definitions.
Space
Often analyzed from perspective of:
* locational analysis
* Marxist or Materialist perspective with an emphasis on examining relations of domination and resistance
Place
Usually approached from a more humanistic tradition to investigate the “sense of place” as experienced in particular settings. The meaning of place.
What were the three ways we discussed using space?
Absolute Space - a mathematical tool to define the size of a location or distance between locations. Often used in/with maps and grids
Relative/Perceptual Space - Socio-economic space and processes. i.e. people’s experiences of spaces.
Scale - Space comes in different sizes and we can conceptualize space through its scale
What is absolute space?
Absolute Space - a mathematical tool to define the size of a location or distance between locations. Often used in/with maps and grids
What is Relative/Perceptual Space?
Relative/Perceptual Space - Socio-economic space and processes. i.e. people’s experiences of spaces.
Could be used in reference to experiencial or cultural space (residential areas, transportation routes), or cognitive space (mental memory maps of how people see or experience connections in everyday spaces.
How is space produced?
Human activity produces space.
Henri Lefebvre came up with this concept in his book “the production of space.”
Who is Henri Lefebvre?
Henri Lefebvre came up with the concept that human activity creates space in his book “the production of space.”
In what ways to humans attribute value to space? (types of values)
social value
economic value
environmental value
personal/sentimental value
What is place?
Place refers to a specific location or type of space with acquired meaning.
- This can be positive or negative meaning.
- Meaning is usually derived by experiences, thoughts, connections to spaces or the people who occupy them.
- Places also have collective meanings for societies.
What is Sense of Place?
Places evoking communal or personal attachment are said to have a “sense of place.”
What are Sacred Places?
highly valued places maybe sacred places which:
* Reflect religious symbolism or function
* Reflect strong political or communal value
* This can lead to conflict.
What are Homogenous or Standardized Places?
Homogeneous or standardized places may produce a feeling of “placelessness,” which means they fail to produce a sense of place or community.
How is placelessness manufactured?
Some of these locations are purposefully designed too create “placelessness” (i.e. soul-less office buildings).
Examples include:
- Emitting high pitched sounds that only young people can hear to dissuade young loiters7
- putting up “you’re on camera” signs to dissuade the homeless
- implementing other anti-human devices such as seating in public places or bus stops which are made purposefully in a way that they are not able to be slept on by homeless people nearby
What influences place?
- Social/psychological
- physical well-being and opportunities - bike lanes and walkable cities
- emotional and cultural symbols - living in a religious community like an orthodox community where there are people and processes in place to help you live more comfortably
- resistance and conflict - landsdown & building our trains
