Analysing current practices in geography education (original) (raw)
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Geographical Research, 2017
The physical-human dichotomy in geography is long standing, revolving around the topics studied and outlooks adopted by the two groups of geographers. Three reasons are identified for its continuationāthe present structure of academic geography , constrained interactions between physical and human geographers, and their publication strategies. Critics suggest that physical and human geography have become divergent strains because the physical environment has been accorded little relevance in human geographic studies, also putting forward the failure of physical geographers to integrate the human influence on physical processes and neglecting space in their studies. Citing examples, this paper argues that physical and human geography influence each other. It also demonstrates that physical geographers have sufficiently considered both space and time, and even space-time, through the concepts of scale and ergodicity. Some measures have been proposed to resuscitate the links between these two branches. These are reconnecting university and school geography, merging departments, teaching courses on geographical philosophies and theory building, engaging in integrative discourses, innovative classroom strategies , joint fieldwork, using geoinformatics, and conducting collaborative research. The paper concludes that physical and human geographers must communicate with each other more and engage in cross-disciplinary studies. Otherwise, they might undermine their responsibilities as geographers and spatial thinkers/analysts.
Geography and Geographical (Global) Thinking
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto eBooks, 2022
Geography as a science and as a discipline has a huge cultural and creative potential. It can be expressed through the use of modern didactic methods and techniques to prepare for solving existing problems and contradictions in our dynamic age. The spatio-temporal dynamics of modernity imposes geographical culture as an important component of the general one. Successes in the development of a science are closely related to the importance it has for the development of a certain country, ie. It has national significance. It is especially important to use geographical knowledge in difficult situations-recovery from major natural disasters, military, political or economic crises. The geographical research plays an important role in national decision-making, concerning: the best use of the national resources; forecasting the consequences of construction of various technical facilities; improving transport, economic and communication links between regions and many others. Geography as a territorial-spatial science, studying the complex interactions in the system "nature-societyeconomy", has its own unique view of the problems caused by the increasingly aggressive anthropogenization. The geographical education presupposes the acquisition of knowledge, the formation of skills and the composition of patterns of behavior for the objective perception and assessment of the reality in global, regional and local aspects. The goal is the formation of geographical culture, personal development, social adaptation and realization. The selection and structuring of the curriculŠ° must follow the logic and achievements of geography as a science, be consistent with the psycho-physiological age characteristics of the students, and be in a system (traceable logical interconnections within one course and between all courses).
THE FOUR TRADITIONS OF GEOGRAPHY
In 1905, one year after professional geography in this country achieved full social identity through the founding of the Association of American Geographers, William Morris Davis responded to a familiar suspicion that geography is simply an undisciplined "omnium-gatherum" by describing an approach that as he saw it imparts a "geographical quality" to some knowledge and accounts for the absence of the quality elsewhere. 1 Davis spoke as president of the AAG. He set an example that was followed by more than one president of that organization. An enduring official concern led the AAG to publish, in 1939 and in 1959, monographs exclusively devoted to a critical review of definitions and their implications. Every one of the well-known definitions of geography advanced since the founding of the AAG has had its measure of success. Tending to displace one another by turns, each definition has said something true of geography. 3 But from the vantage point of 1964, one can see that each one has also failed. All of them adopted in one way or another a monistic view, a singleness of preference, certain to omit if not to alienate numerous professionals who were in good conscience continuing to participate creatively in the broad geographic enterprise.
Geographical Sciences Versus Geography: How and Why?
The Professional Geographer, 2011
The National Research Council report, Understanding the Changing Planet: Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences, is thought-provoking, particularly for professional geographers who must position their discipline and themselves with respect to a potentially new, transdisciplinary field, referred to in the report as geographical sciences. This commentary discusses in some detail (1) implied distinctions between geographical sciences and geography, (2) the implications of framing societal and scientific questions driving geographical sciences in "how to" terms, and (3) the need to draw on the experiences of other disciplines to confront current and potential obstacles for geographical sciences. Key Words: geographical sciences, geography, spatial sciences.
Special issue of Topoi, Vol. 20:2, 2001
Geography has been much neglected by philosophers. Yet geography presents an interesting and intricate trade-off between empirical issues, on the one hand, and deep philosophical issues (from ontology to political philosophy), on the other. What is a geographic entity? What is the relationship between a geographic entity and a physical territory? Can a geographic entity survive without a territory or without definite borders? Can it survive radical changes in its territory? Are there clear-cut identity criteria for geographic categories? Contributors: B. Bennett, R. Casati, J. Collins, A. Galton, B. Smith, A. L. Thomasson, A. C. Varzi, L. Zaibert.
Between saying and doing. Nature, human practices and geography
Although the model of unlimited economic growth was a matter of debate at least fifty years ago, human behavior on Earth continues to be based on the priority given to the ephemeral individual needs of a minority of the global population, exacerbating social and territorial imbalances, environment and landscape degradation and cultural homologation.