NCERT Class 12 Geography Human Geography Nature and Scope

Human Geography Nature and Scope

You have already studied ‘Geography as a Discipline’ in Chapter I of the book, Fundamentals of Physical Geography (NCERT, 2006). Do you recall the contents? This chapter has broadly covered and introduced you to the nature of geography. You are also acquainted with the important branches that sprout from the body of geography. If you re-read the chapter you will be able to recall the link of human geography with the mother discipline i.e. geography. As you know geography as a field of study is integrative, empirical, and practical.

Thus, the reach of geography is extensive and each and every event or phenomenon which varies over space and time can be studied geographically. How do you see the earth’s surface? Do you realise that the earth comprises two major components: nature (physical environment) and life forms including human beings? Make a list of physical and human components of your surroundings.

Physical geography studies physical environment and human geography studies  “the relationship between the physical/natural and the human worlds, the spatial distributions of human phenomena and how they come about, the social and economic differences between different parts of the world”.1 You are already aware of the fact that the core concern of geography as a discipline is to understand the earth as home of human beings and to study all those elements which have sustained them.

Thus, emphasis is on study of nature and human beings. You will realise that geography got subjected to dualism and the wide-ranging debates started whether geography as a discipline should be a law making/theorising (nomothetic) or descriptive (idiographic). Whether its subject matter should be organised and approach of the study should be regional or systematic?

Whether geographical phenomena beinterpreted theoretically or through historicinstitutional approach? These have been issues for intellectual exercise but finally you will appreciate that the dichotomy between physical and human is not a very valid one because nature and human are inseparable elements and should be seen holistically. It is interesting to note that both physical and human phenomena are described in metaphors using symbols from the human anatomy.

We often talk of the ‘face’ of the earth, ‘eye’ of the storm, ‘mouth’ of the river, ‘snout’ (nose) of the glacier, ‘neck’ of the isthmus and ‘profile’ of the soil. Similarly regions, villages, towns have been described as ‘organisms’. German geographers describe the ‘state/country’ as a ‘living organism’. Networks of road, railways and water ways have often been described as “arteries of circulation”. Can you collect such terms and expressions from your own language? The basic questions now arises, can we separate nature and human when they are so intricately intertwined?

NATURE OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Human geography studies the inter-relationship between the physical environment and sociocultural environment created by human beings through mutual interaction with each other. You have already studied the elements of physical environment in class XI in the book entitled Fundamentals of Physical Geography (NCERT 2006). You know that these elements are landforms, soils, climate, water, natural vegetation and diverse flora and fauna. Can you make a list of elements which human beings have created through their activities on the stage provided by the physical environment?

Houses, villages, cities, road-rail networks, industries, farms, ports, items of our daily use and all other elements of material culture have been created by human beings using the resources provided by the physical environment. While physical environment has been greatly modified by human beings, it has also, in turn, impacted human lives.

Naturalisation of Humans and

Humanisation of Nature

Human beings interact with their physical environment with the help of technology. It is not important what human beings produce and create but it is extremely important ‘with the help of what tools and techniques do they produce and create’.

Technology indicates the level of cultural development of society. Human beings were able to develop technology after they developed better understanding of natural laws. For example, the understanding of concepts of friction and heat helped us discover fire. Similarly, understanding of the secrets of DNA and genetics enabled us to conquer many diseases. We use the laws of aerodynamics to develop faster planes. You can see that knowledge about Nature is extremely important to develop technology and technology loosens the shackles of environment on human beings. In the early stages of their interaction with their natural environment humans were greatly influenced by it. They adapted to the dictates of Nature.

This is so because the level of technology was very low and the stage of human social development was also primitive. This type of interaction between primitive human society and strong forces of nature was termed as environmental determinism. At that stage of very low technological development we can imagine the presence of a naturalised human, who listened to Nature, was afraid of its fury and worshipped it.

EXERCISES

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

    (i) Which one of the following statements does not describe geography?

         (a) an integrative discipline

         (b) study of the inter-relationship between humans and environment

         (c) subjected to dualism

         (d) not relevant in the present time due to the development of technology.

    (ii) Which one of the following is not a source of geographical information?

         (a) traveller’s accounts

         (b) old maps

         (c) samples of rock materials from the moon

         (d) ancient epics

    (iii) Which one of the following is the most important factor in the interaction between people and environment?

         (a) human intelligence                              (c) technology

         (b) people’s perception                             (d) human brotherhood

    (iv) Which one of the following is not an approach in human geography? 

         (a) Areal differentiation                             (c) Quantitative revolution

         (b) Spatial organisation                             (d) Exploration and description

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

    (i) Define human geography.

    (ii) Name some sub-fields of human geography.

    (iii) How is human geography related to other social sciences?

3. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words.

    (i) Explain naturalisation of humans.

    (ii) Write a note on the scope of human geography.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 12 Geography Human Geography - Nature and Scope