THIS HUMAN WORLDTHIS HUMAN WORLD

An Introduction to Human Geography

AgendaAgenda

• Review course syllabus

• What is Human Geography?

• Why am I a geographer?

• What is Ethnocentrism?

“Arles at Easter. The cracked blare of small bands on cobblestone streets. Spain’s influence announces itself in small bars that serve Spanish tapas washed down with French pastis. In the Roman amphitheater, soaked in light the color of pale champagne, witness a dreadful beauty: the ballet of man and bull. Perhaps it is the swirl of scarlet cape, the suits of light that allow us to forget the gleam of steel until the end.”

“Letters from France” National Geographic July 1989, p.70.

Tourism promotionTourism promotion

• “San Antonio captures the spirit of Texas. Now the ninth largest city in the United States, the city has retained its sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress. The city has always been a crossroads and a meeting place. Sounds and flavors of Native Americans, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans and the Deep South mingle and merge. Close to eight million visitors a year delight in the discovery of San Antonio's charms.”

• Ninth largest city in the US? Not exactly a lie, but not really aimed at enlightening the reader, either.

• San Antonio Convention and Visitor’s Bureau http://www.sanantoniocvb.com/visitors/com_history.asp

Antiquated landscape geographyAntiquated landscape geographyElisee Reclus Elisee Reclus (1882)(1882)

““Constantinople is one of the most beautiful cities Constantinople is one of the most beautiful cities in the world … As we approach the entrance of in the world … As we approach the entrance of the Golden Horn, seated in a cathe Golden Horn, seated in a caïïque (rowboat) que (rowboat) more graceful than the gondolas of Venice, the more graceful than the gondolas of Venice, the vast and varied panorama around us changes vast and varied panorama around us changes with every stroke of the oars. Beyond the white with every stroke of the oars. Beyond the white walls of the Seraglio and its masses of verdure walls of the Seraglio and its masses of verdure rise here, amphitheatrically on the seven hills of rise here, amphitheatrically on the seven hills of the peninsula, the houses of Stamboul—its the peninsula, the houses of Stamboul—its towers, the vast domes of its mosques, with their towers, the vast domes of its mosques, with their circlets of smaller domes, and its elegant circlets of smaller domes, and its elegant minarets, with their balconies.”minarets, with their balconies.”

Antiquated landscape geographyAntiquated landscape geographyElisee Reclus Elisee Reclus (1882)(1882)

““On the other side of the haven, which is crossed On the other side of the haven, which is crossed by bridges of boats, there are more mosques and by bridges of boats, there are more mosques and towers, seen through a forest of masts and rigging, towers, seen through a forest of masts and rigging, … Farther in the distance we perceive Kadi-koei, … Farther in the distance we perceive Kadi-koei, the ancient Chalcedon, and the small town of the ancient Chalcedon, and the small town of Prinkipo, on one of the Princes’ Islands, whose Prinkipo, on one of the Princes’ Islands, whose yellow rocks and verdant groves are reflected in yellow rocks and verdant groves are reflected in the blue waters of the Sea of Marmara. The sheet the blue waters of the Sea of Marmara. The sheet of water connecting these various portions of the of water connecting these various portions of the huge city is alive with vessels and boats, whose huge city is alive with vessels and boats, whose movements impart animation to the magnificent movements impart animation to the magnificent picture. The prospect from the heights above the picture. The prospect from the heights above the town is still more magnificent. The coasts of town is still more magnificent. The coasts of Europe and Asia are beneath our feet, the eye can Europe and Asia are beneath our feet, the eye can trace the sinuosities of the Bosphorus, and far away trace the sinuosities of the Bosphorus, and far away in the distance looms the snow-capped pyramidal in the distance looms the snow-capped pyramidal summit of Mount Olympus, in Bithynia.”summit of Mount Olympus, in Bithynia.”

Antiquated geographyAntiquated geographyThe Family Cyclopedia of Useful KnowledgeThe Family Cyclopedia of Useful Knowledge

(New York, 1889)(New York, 1889)

““The moral condition of the lower classes [of The moral condition of the lower classes [of Mexico] is frightfully degraded. Insecurity of life Mexico] is frightfully degraded. Insecurity of life and property, a chronic state of revolution, and and property, a chronic state of revolution, and gambling and drunkenness have caused such a gambling and drunkenness have caused such a degeneration of the masses, that an American degeneration of the masses, that an American writer has recently declared, that the only hope of writer has recently declared, that the only hope of the regeneration and civilization of Mexico, is in the the regeneration and civilization of Mexico, is in the absolute extinction of fully seven of her eight absolute extinction of fully seven of her eight millions of inhabitants. Among the higher classes millions of inhabitants. Among the higher classes the prospect is hardly more pleasing. Empty the prospect is hardly more pleasing. Empty formalities, the haughtiness of the old Spanish formalities, the haughtiness of the old Spanish Grandees, and a show of nobility are joined to Grandees, and a show of nobility are joined to intellectual insignificance, callousness of feeling, intellectual insignificance, callousness of feeling, and a pride of race simply contemptible.”and a pride of race simply contemptible.”

““Real” geography todayReal” geography today““Even today the rural landscape across the Northern Agricultural Even today the rural landscape across the Northern Agricultural Zone [of Colorado] offers an unusual display of intensive Zone [of Colorado] offers an unusual display of intensive agriculture in the West. The density and productivity of farms agriculture in the West. The density and productivity of farms reveal an air of Midwestern abundance not often seen in more reveal an air of Midwestern abundance not often seen in more marginal agricultural districts west of the Mississippi. The origins marginal agricultural districts west of the Mississippi. The origins of that special rural landscape are found in the nineteenth century of that special rural landscape are found in the nineteenth century and in the intricate manipulation and management of the area’s and in the intricate manipulation and management of the area’s land and water resources. If we ascend to a point above the land and water resources. If we ascend to a point above the northern Piedmont in 1870 and peruse the unfolding of the rural northern Piedmont in 1870 and peruse the unfolding of the rural landscape for the next thirty years, the silvery threads of rivers, landscape for the next thirty years, the silvery threads of rivers, irrigation canals, ditches, and storage reservoirs guide the course irrigation canals, ditches, and storage reservoirs guide the course of change. Also evident is the imposition of a survey, property of change. Also evident is the imposition of a survey, property boundary, and road system grid reflecting the rectangular nature boundary, and road system grid reflecting the rectangular nature of the dominant federal township and range system. Lot lines, of the dominant federal township and range system. Lot lines, field boundaries, and section roads oriented the rural scene to the field boundaries, and section roads oriented the rural scene to the cardinal directions, while the region’s natural streamcourses and cardinal directions, while the region’s natural streamcourses and human waterworks varied with the topography and lay of the human waterworks varied with the topography and lay of the land.”land.”

William Wyckoff, William Wyckoff, Creating ColoradoCreating Colorado (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999): 130. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999): 130.

What distinguishes today’s What distinguishes today’s geographical description?geographical description?

• Complex

• Slow moving

• Unemotional

• Other observations?

Some things that are hard to notice Some things that are hard to notice at first glance:at first glance:

• Complex causality• Impersonal (this passage is unusual)• Tries to avoid ethnocentrism• Tries to blend description and analysis• Tries to blend the specific (situation or pattern)

with the general (geographical systems and processes)

• Pays attention to its potential impacts on various human groups

What is Human Geography?What is Human Geography?

1. Human geography is one half of the discipline of geography, if it is cut up on the basis of topics

2. Geography need not be cut up on the basis of topics (the topical approach), it can also be cut up on the basis of regions (the regional approach)– To some extent, this class will use both approaches, which is a

bit of a variation on my normal approach

3. Geographers also use a range of special techniques, skills, and tools, that form their own sub-specialization within the discipline (e.g. cartography, GIS, remote sensing, geodetics, etc.)– You will be acquainted with thematic mapping and cognitive

mapping in this course

Two Main Topical Divisions with Two Main Topical Divisions with many subdivisionsmany subdivisions

Phy

sica

l Geo

grap

hyH

uman G

eography

political geography

economic geography

urban geography

geography of religions

geography of language

demography

human-environment relations

fluvial geomorphology

climatology

biogeography

soil geography

study of landforms

glacial geomorphology

ecology

Subspecialties in GeographySubspecialties in Geography

Does it get more specialized than Does it get more specialized than this?this?

• Of course…

• Every geographer carves out his or her area of expertise

• At a University like UT professors must publish and publishing depends on making new discoveries (or at least new arguments)

– the boundaries of the discipline (and subdisciplines) are constantly being reconsidered

• There are bible geographers, wine geographers, dry-land geomorphologists and even paleopedologists (people who study ancient bits of soil trapped and preserved like fossils)

• Your professor is a specialist in communication geography

– a specialization that just obtained recognition in the AAG with its own Specialty Group

political science

economics

urban planning

theology

linguistics

politicalgeography

economicgeography

urban geography

geography ofreligions

geography oflanguage

Each specialization in geography has its own related cognate discipline (or disciplines)

These provide theories, data, funding sources, etc.

Geography injects concepts of space, place, region, flows, mobility, diffusion, and other peculiarly “geographical” ways of thinking about things

Cognate DisciplinesCognate Disciplines

So why am I a geographer?So why am I a geographer?

A Closer Look at Complex A Closer Look at Complex CausalityCausality

Geography of WineGeography of Wine

What do you think causes wines from different regions to taste different?

What environmental factors play a part?

Factors leading to regional Factors leading to regional differentiation in winesdifferentiation in wines

• Environmental factors– Soil– Terrain– Climate

• Days of sunshine• Frost-free days• Amount of precipitation• Etc.

• in France the concept of terroir is protected by law– A "terroir" is a group of vineyards from

the same region sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which combine to give a distinctive character to the wine.

“Controlled origin-name”

Old labels, note place names but not phrase “appellation d’origine contrôlée ”

So does environment So does environment determine determine a a cultural practice like wine-making?cultural practice like wine-making?

• Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980):“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”

• One generally agrees with Sartre when thinking of oneself• Yet when we think of others we know that where they are deeply

affects:– What they learn how to do (knowledge)– What they learn to do and not to do (behavior)– What they consider “normal” (mores)– What they notice in the world around them (perception)– What they consider good and bad (morals)– Who they know (social networks)– How they explain their actions to themselves (reflexive thought)– How they understand the condition of being-in-the-world (self-identity)

Complex CausalityComplex Causality

• Geography reflects the reciprocal influence of:– Environmental factors– Social/cultural factors– Individual initiative/free will

Environmental factors

Individual initiative/free willSocial/cultural factors

Complex CausalityComplex Causality

Environmental factors

Individual initiative/free willSocial/cultural factors

Factors leading to regional Factors leading to regional differentiation in winesdifferentiation in wines

• Economic factors shaping landuse:– The appellation controllée maximizes the profits for

producing a particular kind of wine if one happens to live in a region granted a particular appellation

– Why? Consider the difference in cost between a “sparkling white wine” and a real “Champagne”

– Prices of Champagne from Champagne (or Burgundy from Burgundy) will be elevated by the appellation

– This naturally causes regions to specialize in producing particular kinds of wines (and growing particular grapes) rather than experimenting

– Our understanding of the world reflects the world, but also shapes the world (by shaping our behavior)

GEOGRAPHY means…GEOGRAPHY means…

Both a way of understanding and a phenomenon susceptible

to being understood

What constitutes “bad” geography?What constitutes “bad” geography?

• Bad geographical writing is:– Inaccurate– Irrelevant – Ethnocentric– Simplistic– Biased– Socially harmful

• Geographical writing (by geographers or others) that pretends to be completely unbiased is generally guilty of all of the above.