Why Geography Matters Flashcards
What does Harm de Blij say are the two broad domains that Geography can be split into?
The natural and the human world and the ocmplex interactions that occur between these two domains
What does GIS stand for?
Geographic information systems
Why is it important for geographers to be able to effectively communicate their research and findings to the general public in terms they can relate to? Why?
The public does not have a distinct idea what geography is exactly, especially compared to another field such as engineering. This is worrisome because the findings many geographers make can affect the general public in a much larger way than even an engineer could. It’s important to come at the public on its own level and throw out the academia jargon and pretentiousness that always seems to follow research, so that the public can glean the information in a manner that is both positive and informative. Most geographic research is important for everyone to know because more often than not, it can affect a large population of people, so the best way to reach a large audience is to use terms that anyone can understand.
What kind of decay does the “Gravity Model” measure?
The gravity model measures distance decay. According to the article, “distance is a powerful deterrent to interaction.”
Why do you think many successful geographers are well versed in many different disciplines?
Geography is a very broad discipline. It contains so many different facets of study that it’s impossible to pigeon-hole a geographer into one set discipline. A physical geographer’s knowledge is completely different from a human geographer, so in order to be as well-rounded as possible, it’s important for a geographer hoping to be successful to be well versed in the many different social, political, environmental, physical and other disciplines of geography.
Why does Harm de Blij believe that much scientific research happens in the confines of an “Ivory Tower”?
Only a small percentage of geographic scientists enjoy being in the public arena or believe they can adequately explain what it is that they are researching to the public, so most of the research and findings stay within academia.
What negative effects can geographic illiteracy have on national security?
States that stay isolated from the rest of the world are more easily prone to whatever ideology the ruling power sets and this can have horrible ramifications, not only for the inhabitants of these countries, but to other countries as well. Being geographically illiterate is also harmful for countries that are connected and involved in the world. A country can have a better time of persuading the people of another country if they approach them on their level. The quote “When in Rome do as the Romans” is very applicable here because it’s important to go into a new country with the ability to look at the world from that countries’ perspective. Wars start when those perspectives are ignored and being geographically illiterate makes ignoring these perspectives and cultures all the more easy, and can have much worse results.
