LEC 2 + 3 - Human Geography Flashcards
Space definition
Areal extent of something
Absolute Space
Objective, physically real, measurable
Relative Space
Locations identified by their relative positioning and importance
- Prioritized clarity vs accuracy
Location Definition
Refers to a particular position in space
Absolute Location
Relatively stable, unchanging
- Using co-ordinates
Relative Location
Subject to change and interpretation
- “A short drive from downtown”
Nominal Location
A location of significance given a name
- can be contested
Place Definition
A location with a particular identity, meaning or significance
Sense of Place
The personally significant attachments we associate with certain places
Placemaking
Transformation of space or location into place
Placeless
Having little to no meaning
- Big Box stores
Distance Definiton
The amount of space between two or more location
Distribution Definition
The distance between geographic phenomena
Density Definition
The Frequency with which something exists in a measured area
Dispersion
How something is spread over an area
Concentrated/Clustered
Objects are close together
Dispersed
Objects are far apart
Region Definition
A part of the world that is different / distinct from the rest
Regionalization
We simplify our complex world and its human/physical geographic patterns and processes into regions
Regionalization Example at McMaster
The physical activity, the health sci, the eng, the residents
Scale
A way to think about society at different levels or layers
- Global, national, regional, provincial, etc.
Landscapes
Visible features of the land
Can be natural/physical or human/cultural
Cultural Landscape
The outcome of interactions between people and their environments (visible human imprint on land)
- Cultural groups modify their land to suit their needs
- Colonialism devastated many traditional indigenous landscapes
Relocation Diffusion
The spread of ideas, characteristics, etc. from one area to another via physical movement of people
- Immigrants
Expansion Diffusion
The spread of innovations and other phenomena
Expansion Diffusion Subtypes
Hierarchical - Ideas, diseases, leapfrogging from one place to another, temporarily bypassing
Contagious - rapid and widespread diffusion of a characteristic
Mental Maps
A unique personal representation of reality
- Based on perceptions
- Children drawing neighbourhood example
