Human Geography: Nature and Scope

About this unit

This unit introduces human geography as a branch of geography that studies how people and their physical environment shape each other. It explains what human geography is, how its focus has changed over time, and how it links with other social sciences. It is the foundation for every later unit on population, economic activities, transport and settlements.

Key ideas

• Human geography studies the interrelationship between the physical environment and the socio-cultural environment created by people.
• Physical and human phenomena are often described using metaphors drawn from each other, such as the "eye" of a storm or the "face" of the earth.
• Naturalisation of humans: early societies adapted closely to nature (environmental determinism).
• Humanisation of nature: with technology, people modify nature (possibilism).
• Neo-determinism ("stop and go determinism") is a middle path between the two.
• The approach of human geography has changed from description to regional analysis, spatial organisation, and humanistic, radical and behavioural schools.

How to prepare

Learn the standard definitions by Ratzel, Ellen C. Semple and Vidal de la Blache, and match each thinker with their idea. Memorise the broad sequence of approaches in human geography and the fields and sub-fields linked with sister disciplines. Expect matching-type and statement-based questions.