Nature & Scope of Human Geography| Class 12 Geography Notes

Class 12 Geography Notes: These notes are made by subject experts and are important for CBSE Class 12 students studying for their board exams. They cover topics like how humans interact with their environment, how technology affects culture, and how societies adapt to their surroundings.

These notes help students understand how humans change the world and how the environment affects human life.

Human Geography: Nature & Scope

Geography, as a discipline, is primarily concerned with understanding the Earth as the habitat of human beings and studying the elements that sustain human life. This has led to debates within the discipline regarding its focus and approach. Some argue for a law-making or theoretical approach (nomothetic) versus a descriptive approach (idiographic). There are also discussions about whether geography should be organized regionally or systematically, and whether geographical phenomena should be interpreted theoretically or through a historic-institutional approach.

However, it’s important to recognize that the dichotomy between physical and human geography is not entirely valid because nature and human activities are inseparable and should be studied holistically. This perspective is reflected in the use of metaphors and symbols from human anatomy to describe both physical and human phenomena. For example, terms like the “face” of the earth, “eye” of the storm, and “mouth” of the river are commonly used.

Regions, villages, and towns are often described as “organisms,” and some German geographers even liken the state or country to a “living organism.” Similarly, networks of roads, railways, and waterways are metaphorically referred to as “arteries of circulation.” These linguistic expressions highlight the interconnectedness of nature and human activities.

In defining human geography, scholars emphasize the synthetic study of the relationship between human societies and the Earth’s surface. This synthesis acknowledges the dynamic and evolving nature of this relationship, characterized by constant change and interaction between humans and the environment. Overall, human geography offers a holistic understanding of the interrelationships between the Earth and human beings, informed by both physical laws governing the planet and the activities of living beings inhabiting it.

Nature of Human Geography

Human geography delves into the intricate relationship between the physical environment and the socio-cultural environment shaped by human activities through their mutual interaction. While the elements of the physical environment are well-studied, including landforms, soils, climate, water bodies, natural vegetation, and diverse flora and fauna, it’s equally important to recognize the elements that humans have created through their interactions with the physical environment.

These human-created elements encompass various aspects of material culture, such as houses, villages, cities, road and rail networks, industries, farms, ports, and everyday items. Human activities have significantly modified the physical environment, and in turn, the environment has influenced human lives.

The process of human interaction with the environment is facilitated by technology, which reflects the level of cultural development in society. Technological advancements are driven by an understanding of natural laws, enabling humans to manipulate their environment for their benefit. For instance, knowledge about friction and heat led to the discovery of fire, while understanding DNA and genetics has helped in conquering diseases. Technology allows humans to overcome environmental constraints, marking a transition from adaptation to domination over nature.

In primitive societies with low technological development, humans were greatly influenced by the environment and adapted to its demands. This interaction was characterized by environmental determinism, where humans were subject to the forces of nature and worshipped it. The story of Benda, living in a primitive society in central India, illustrates this close relationship between humans and nature, where nature is revered and relied upon for sustenance.

As societies evolve socially and culturally, they develop better technology, enabling them to transcend the constraints of the environment. This shift from necessity to freedom allows humans to create possibilities using resources from the environment, resulting in the humanization of nature. The cultural landscape reflects human activities, with imprints visible everywhere, from urban sprawls to agricultural fields and oceanic routes to satellites in space.

Griffith Taylor introduced the concept of Neodeterminism, which suggests a middle path between environmental determinism and possibilism. This concept acknowledges that human activities must respond to the signals of nature, akin to traffic lights regulating movement at crossroads. It emphasizes the idea that possibilities can be created within limits that do not harm the environment, striving for a balance between human development and environmental sustainability.

Fields and Sub-fields of Human Geography

Human geography seeks to elucidate the intricate relationship between various facets of human existence and the spatial contexts in which they unfold. This interdisciplinary field establishes significant connections with other disciplines within the social sciences to comprehensively analyze and interpret human phenomena across the Earth’s surface.

As knowledge continues to expand, human geography has evolved, giving rise to new subfields. These subfields serve to delve deeper into specific aspects of human geography. Let’s explore these diverse areas within human geography.

Period	Approaches	Broad Features
Early Colonial	Exploration and description	Imperial and trade interests prompted the discovery and exploration of new areas. An encyclopedic description of the area formed an important aspect of the geographer’s account.
Later Colonial	Regional analysis	Elaborate description of all aspects of a region were undertaken. The idea was that all the regions were part of a whole, i.e. (the earth); so, understanding the parts in totality would lead to an understanding of the whole.
1930s through the Inter-War period	Areal differentiation	The focus was on identifying the uniqueness of any region and understanding how and why it was different from others.
Late 1950s to the late 1960s	Spatial organisation	Marked by the use of computers and sophisticated statistical tools. Laws of physics were often applied to map and analyze human phenomena. This phase was called the quantitative revolution. The main objective was to identify mappable patterns for different human activities.
1970s	Emergence of humanistic, radical and behavioural schools	Discontentment with the quantitative revolution and its dehumanized manner of doing geography led to the emergence of three new schools of thought of human geography in the 1970s. Human geography was made more relevant to the socio-political reality by the emergence of these schools of thought. Consult the box below to know a little bit more about these schools of thought.
1990s	Post-modernism in geography	The grand generalizations and the applicability of universal theories to explain the human conditions were questioned. The importance of understanding each local context in its own right was emphasized.

Geography Field	Sub-fields	Sister Disciplines in Social Sciences
Social Geography	Behavioral Geography	Sociology
		Psychology
		Social Welfare Economics
		Well-being
		Leisure Sociology
Cultural Geography	Anthropology	Anthropology
		Gender Studies
		Women’s Studies
Historical Geography	History	History
Medical Geography	Epidemiology	Medicine
Urban Geography	Urban Studies and Planning	Urban Studies
Political Geography	Electoral Geography	Political Science
	Psephology
	Military Geography	Military Science
Population Geography	Demography	Demography
Settlement Geography	Urban/Rural Planning	Urban/Rural Planning
Economic Geography	Geography of Resources	Economics
	Resource Economics
	Geography of Agriculture	Agricultural Sciences
	Industrial Economics	Business Studies, Economics, Commerce
	Geography of Marketing
	Geography of Tourism	Tourism and Travel Management
	Geography of International Trade	International Trade

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Nature & Scope of Human Geography- FAQs

What is human geography?

Human geography is a branch of geography that studies the interactions between humans and their environment, including how people live, work, and shape the world around them.

What does human geography focus on?

Human geography focuses on understanding the relationships between people and their environment, including topics such as population distribution, urbanization, cultural landscapes, and economic activities.

Why is human geography important?

Human geography is important because it helps us understand how human activities impact the environment and how environmental factors influence human behavior.

What are some key concepts in human geography?

Some key concepts in human geography include environmental determinism, possibilism, cultural landscapes, urbanization, globalization, and sustainable development.

How does human geography differ from physical geography?

While physical geography focuses on natural processes and phenomena such as landforms, climate, and ecosystems, human geography focuses on human activities and their impact on the environment.