Regional geography is a study of regions throughout the world in order to understand or define the unique characteristics of a particular region, which consist of natural as well as human elements. Attention is paid also to regionalization In politics, regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal . Regionalism centers on increasing the region's influence and political power, either through movements for limited form of autonomy (devolution, states' rights, decentralization) or through which covers the techniques of delineating space into regions Region is most commonly a geographical term that is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. In general, a region may be seen as a collection of smaller units or as one part of a larger whole (as in "the New England region of the United States"). Regions can be defined by physical characteristics, human.
Regional geography is also a certain approach to geographical study, comparable to quantitative geography or critical geography The development of critical geography can be seen as one of the four major turning points in the history of geography . Though post-positivist approaches remain important in geography the critical geography arose as a critique of positivism introduced by quantitative revolution. This approach prevailed during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, a period when then regional geography paradigm was central within the geographical sciences. It was later criticised for its descriptiveness and the lack of theory. Strong criticism was leveled against it in particular during the 1950s and the quantitative revolution. Main critics were G. H. T. Kimble[1] and Fred K. Schaefer[2].
The regional geography paradigm has had an impact on many other geographical paradigms, includingeconomic geography Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. The subject matter investigated is strongly influenced by the researcher's methodological approach. Neoclassical location theorists, following in the tradition of Alfred Weber, tend to focus on industrial location and use and geomorphology Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Geomorphologists seek to understand why landscapes look the way they do: to understand landform history and dynamics, and predict future changes through a combination of field observation, physical experiment, and numerical modeling. Geomorphology is practiced). Regional geography is still taught in some universities as a study of the major regions of the world, such as Northern and Latin America, Europe, and Asia and their countries. In addition, the notion of a city-regional approach to the study of geography gained some credence in the mid-1990s through the work of geographers such as Saskia Sassen Saskia Sassen is a Dutch sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration. She is currently, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and Centennial visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. Sassen coined the term global city. She is married to the sociologist Richard Sennett, although it was also criticized, for example by Peter Storper.
Notable figures in regional geography were Alfred Hettner in Germany, with his concept of chorology; Paul Vidal de la Blache in France, with the possibilism approach (possibilism being a softer notion than environmental determinism Environmental determinism, also known as climatic determinism or geographical determinism, is the view that the physical environment, rather than social conditions, determines culture. Those who believe this view say that humans are strictly defined by stimulus-response and cannot deviate); and, in the United States, Richard Hartshorne with his concept of areal differentiation.
Some geographers have also attempted to reintroduce a certain amount of regionalism since the 1980s. This involves a complex definition of regions Region is most commonly a geographical term that is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. In general, a region may be seen as a collection of smaller units or as one part of a larger whole (as in "the New England region of the United States"). Regions can be defined by physical characteristics, human and their interactions with other scales Spatial scale provides a "shorthand" form for discussing relative lengths, areas, distances and sizes. A microclimate, for instance, is one which might occur in a mountain valley or near a lakeshore, whereas a megatrend is one which involves the whole planet.[3]
See also
| Book:Geography | |
| Books are collections of articles which can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
References
- ^ Kimble, G.H.T. (1951): The Inadequacy of the Regional Concept, London Essays in Geography, edd. L.D. Stamp and S.W. Wooldridge, pp. 1951-174.
- ^ Schaefer, F.K. (1953): Exceptionalism in Geography: A Methodological Examination, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, vol. 43, pp. 226-245.
- ^ MacLeod, G. and Jones, M. (2001): Renewing The Geography of Regions, Environment and Planning D, 16(9), pp. 669-695.
Categories: Area studies | History of geography | Branches of geography | Geography Categories: Main topic classifications | Interdisciplinary fields | Social sciences | Earth sciences | Structure
Professor Price
Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:33:00 GM
Indian fishermen use cell phones to keep up with the location of fish, it's market price for that day, and weather forecasts. One example of the digital divide being crossed. See the Washington Post article here. Happy reading!
