Explore the Human Geography Chapter 2 Geographic Tools & Methods study material pdf and utilize it for learning all the covered concepts as it always helps in improving the conceptual knowledge.
. Geographic Tools Methods What is Geography anyway ?
Beware geography is NOT the same as geology . These are related disciplines for sure , but there is a very important distinction between the two and we don have to look far to learn what that is ( hint Greek roots ! Yep , locate them in your brain ) Geography geo to write the world Geology geo logy to study the world In one sense , geography can certainly be understood as the study of the world , however , first and foremost , the discipline is about writing the world . What does it mean to write the world ?
It means to chart the land , the sea , and the sky to describe the natural and processes and systems of which humans and animals are part to represent the world . How can we write the world ?
can write travel journals and observations about people and place measure distance between physical features map place at the local , regional , and international scales . Branches of Geography Geography as an academic discipline and practice can be divided into a few main branches , namely human geography , physical Geographic Tools Methods 11
geography , geography , and Science ( sometimes called Mapping Sciences . DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING Read more about a few core concepts in Geography and the main branches here Geographic Tools Methods Scientific research is oriented around gathering data and producing useful knowledge . Data and methods can be qualitative , quantitative , or a mix of the two . Qualitative data and methods rely on information derived from words quantitative data and methods rely on information derived from numbers . In terms of geography , data collection methods such as observation , surveys , and interviews tend to be more qualitative , whereas specimen sampling , mapping , and remote sensing tend to be more quantitative . However , there is a fair deal of overlap between the two genres of data and research methods , so don get too bogged down trying to differentiate the two . Lets take a closer look at some key geographic tools and methods . Remember , regardless of the method , rely on a spatial perspective to answer What is where , why there , and why cure ?
2000 ) in order to produce useful geographic knowledge . 12 Geographic Tools Methods Maps Mapping is a way to write the world and therefore is a kind of representation . The art and science of creating maps is known as cartography . With cartographic representation , especially with trying to represent a earth on a surface , comes distortion . This distortion actually shapes our geographical knowledge of the world and affects our perceptions of place . For instance , if ever played the Risk where looked huge compared to Africa , or grew up with a map of the United States that placed i just off the coast of California , you know what talking about . DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING Read more about the elements of a map here ( Learn more about map projections and distortions in the video . Geographic Tools Methods 13
A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it online here human ea ?
Labeling maps and adding ( names of places ) is also a representative practice , and reminds us of the power involved in the act of representing . Check out the image below for a map of from 1901 commissioned by the Hawaii Territory Survey , after the end of the Hawaiian Kingdom and soon after American occupation began . You see the labels no vegetation , waste land towards the center . The map shows Kea , an inactive volcano on the Big Island . 14 Geographic Tools Methods
These labels assign meaning to the area mapped here from the perspective , but do not necessarily reflect the meaning the land has for others . For instance , Kea is a sacred and culturally significant site quite the opposite of waste land for many Source ' Hawaiians , particularly Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners . This example underscores the power that comes in mapping and naming and how it can equally highlight and obscure features and meaning of places . Colonial era maps often used used label terra , a Latin term meaning nobody land or empty land . Maps with this label played a role in justifying colonialism , as used the reality , as marked on a reliable map , that land was unoccupied and therefore up for grabs . Labels like this ignore and silence the presence of indigenous people and meanings of land help by . Maps have power . Historically , maps were created for and by those with political power . Maps were used to demarcate and claim ownership of land a means of showing everyone that one has planted their proverbial flag to claim possession . As such , maps have an air of authority and being official and But all maps are made for specific purposes , and can have both accidental and purposeful lies included . The accidental , small white lies of a map have to do most often with the creation of a representation and generalization . Maps have scale , and will show a larger geographic area than the size of the paper they are printed upon . Because the map is not at a scale as the world , objects must be simplified or generalized in order to not be overly cluttered by the infinite complexity of the world . What is shown , and just as importantly not shown , are choices made by the cartographer . A map might show Geographic Tools Methods 15
the locations of important socioeconomic features , like schools and mines , but not show features like landfills or prisons . Two broad categories of maps exist . General reference ( or general purpose ) maps are those that show important physical or cultural features in an area . Thematic maps are those that shows information about a particular topic . Thematic maps use qualitative and quantitative data to show spatial patterns . Several types of thematic maps exist , differentiated in how thematic data is displayed . dot density , and proportional graduated symbols are all examples of thematic maps . of thematic maps The following maps show four types of thematic maps using the same data . 16 Geographic Tools Methods
! 25 . 2020 map shows The layer of . This example Geographic Tools Methods 17 size symbols symbols GIS ( Geographic Information Systems ) GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and is foundational to Science ( What is it ?
a technically 18 Geographic Tools Methods advanced way of making maps by layering together data . Imagine a peanut butter and jelly sandwich , but instead of the traditional ingredients , the layers are streams streets electrical lines infrastructure Now smash all those layers together like a good sandwich and you have replicated in a very rudimentary way how GIS creates a composite view of place . Remote Sensing When you can not be in a particular place and collect data on the ground , you can collect it from above ground by using remote sensing technologies . Remote sensing refers to collecting data from afar . This is typically achieved through cameras , videos , and sensors attached to aircraft including airplanes , satellites , and drones . Remote sensing provides a wonderful way to gather information about the Earth surface and allows us to track landscape change over time . Exercise identifying Landscape Change Peruse the before and after landscape changes profiled in these cards . Geographic Tools Methods 19
DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING Read more about GIS and remote sensing here chapter Learn more about what technologies can do in practice in the video below . A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it here human ea ?
20 Geographic Tools Methods Qualitative analysis of interviews , surveys , and This is human geography , after all , so we definitely don want to forget that people themselves have a lot to teach us about the world and their words , stories , and experiences certainly help answer What is where , why there , and why cure ?
2000 ) What might a geographer use ?
Interviews where a researcher asks either a set of closed ( no , etc ) or ( no answer choices given ) questions Surveys where a researcher sends a questionnaire to a set of people to learn about their experience or perception of the phenomenon being studied Texts where a researcher may review old maps and documents in an archive , environmental impact statements outlining the existing natural and cultural resources of an area , etc . The data collected is qualitative in nature , meaning it is based around words . Once the stories and experiences of research questions are gathered , the researcher will analyze them by categorizing the data across all sources into themes and even quantify the relative presence of the themes in comparison to each other . To build upon the example above of a map that coded indigenous land as terra , you can imagine how talking to indigenous people about their own perceptions of that place and the values and meanings that the land has for them , would significantly add to our overall geographical knowledge and understanding of the world . It would also have implications for policies on how to manage the land . Geographic Tools Methods 21