Geography REVIEW 1 Flashcards
Human Geography
A branch of geography centered on the study of people, places, spatial variation in human activities, and human-environment interactions.
culture: what people care about
beliefs & practices (dietary customs, religious beliefs, styles of dress) held in common by a group of people
cultural groups
shares certain traits or elements of culture (language, religion, ethnicity)
Geography
Study of Earth as the home of humankind, Study of places & the relationships between people & their environments, or analysis of anything across earth’s space
Physical Geography
branch of geography centered on the study of Earth, environment, & human-environment interactions.
cultural landscape
the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape
sequent occupance
shows layers of history in the cultural landscape
Nature
physical environment; external to people & does not include them
Nature-Culture dualism = opposition
idea that people are superior to nature & those who are close to nature were viewed as inferior
environmental determinism
position that natural factors control the development of human physiological & mental qualities
environmental determinism rejected because:
Over-simplistic cause/effect relationship
* Similar natural settings do not produce the same cultural practices or human behavior
* Contributes to ethnocentricviews of sociocultural differences
Possibilism
view that people use their creativity to decide how to respond to the conditions or constraints of a particular natural environment
Reactions against Environmental Determinism
- Humans are modifiers of the earth
- humans mold their environments
- natural landscapes become cultural landscapes due to human activities
Earth as a dynamic, integrated system: people are intricately connected w/the natural world
- Earth functions as a system made up of diverse components that interact in complex ways
- Earth is constantly changing as a result of natural & human-induced events (Anthropocene)
Spatial Diffusion
movement of a phenomenon, such as an innovation, information, or an epidemic, across space and over time
relocation diffusion
Spread occurs through physical movement of people from one place to another
Contagious Diffusion
- When a phenomenon(ex. common cold),spreads randomly from one person to another
- From hearth (place of origin) to nearby places
Hierarchical Diffusion
-Spreads from most important places to the next most important places
-Occurs in a top-down or rank-order manner
Stimulus Diffusion
- When the spread of an idea, a practice, or other phenomenon prompts a new idea or innovation.
- the spread of an underlying concept even though the new group changes or”remixes” the idea
barriers to diffusion
-physical: (mountains, water)
-political: closed border
-culture: alcohol restrictions, food restrictions, birth control
-economics: developing countries; developed countries
Local Culture
practices, attitudes, & preferences held in common by the members of a community in a particular place
Local culture characteristics:
- Anonymous origins; develops over time
- Stable &small
- Homogenous in customs, ethnicity
- Often rural areas
- Clustered distribution: isolation/lack of interaction= Uniqueness
- Tradition is huge; resistant to change
- Closely connected to the physical environment
Diffusion of local culture
- diffuses slowly, primarily through migration,contagious & relocation diffusion, & at a small scale
- Passed down through generations, local festivals, storytelling
Pop Culture
practices, attitudes, & preferences held in common by large #s of people & considered to be mainstream
Pop Culture Characteristics:
- Heterogeneous groups
- Share common: habits, music, entertainment, fashion, values
- Despite differences in places, ethnicity, & level of wealth
Diffusion of pop culture
- diffuses rapidly, via hierarchical diffusion, & over a large scale
- TV, Internet, radio, etc.
Subculture
A distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society
Spatial Interaction
the connections & relations that develop among places & regions as a result of the movement or flow of people, goods, or information
Complementarity
exists when one place or region can supply the demand for resources or goods in another place or region
Transferability
The cost of moving a good & the ability of the good to withstand that cost
Friction of distance
way that distance can impede movement or interaction between places
Distance Decay: Tobler’s First Law of Geography
Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.
Shorter distance =
Longer distance =
More interaction
Less interaction
Time-space convergence
reduces friction of distance* perceived difference, not actual distance on land
Intervening opportunities
different location that can provide a good more economically
