BHU+1216+HUMAN+GEOGRAPHY

** NAIROBI CAMPUS ** = = = ** BHU 1216: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ** = = = = ** Facilitator Dr. Kennedy Obiero 0722551343 ** = =** COURSE OUTLINE **=
 * MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY **
 * APRIL 2017 - NAIROBI CAMPUS **

Purpose
This unit introduces students to the philosophy and methodologies of Human Geography ** Expected Learning Outcomes ** By the end of the course, the student should be able to: (a) Discuss the nature and scope of Human Geography (b) Examine the development of the subject matter. (c) Determine the components of Human Geography (d) Examine the factors that hinder or promote spatial interaction (e) Discuss different types of spatial processes ** Course Content ** (a) Von Thunen Model of Agricultural Land use (b) Central Place Theory (c) Theories of Industrial Location ** Teaching/Leaning Methods ** Lectures, Q and A sessions, Tutorials, Group and class discussions and **E-Learning** ** Instructional Materials and Equipment ** Chalkboard/whiteboard, hand outs, maps, diagrams, websites
 * 1) Introduction to Human Geography; Philosophy and Methodology of Human Geography
 * 2) Nature and scope of Human Geography
 * 3) Dichotomies in Human Geography; Nomothetic and idiographic approaches, determinism and possibilism
 * 4) Paradigms and theories in Human Geography
 * 5) Spatial Relationships and Interaction
 * 6) Spatial processes and spatial patterns
 * 7) Spatial Distribution; the dimension of space
 * 8) The concept of a region
 * 9) Population dynamics and migration patterns
 * 10) Classical Location Theories

Teaching /learning approaches
- Lecture - Q & A session - Group & individual assignments and presentation

Course Assessment
Group/individual assignments 15 % Sit-in CAT 15 % Final exam 70% ** References ** **// “There is no better baggage on a journey than much knowledge”. A Norwegian Saying. //**
 * 1) Alber, R., Adams, J. S. & Gould, P. (1971). Spatial Organization: The Geographer’s View of the World. Engelwood Cliffs, N. J. Prentice Hall Editions.
 * 2) Chapman, K. (1979). Peoples, Patterns and Process. An Introduction to Human Geography. Edward Arnold.
 * 3) Chisholm, M. (1975) Human Geography: Evolution or Revolution? Penguin Books, Harondworth.
 * 4) Cox, K. R. (1972). Man, Location and Behaviour: An Introduction to Human Geography. John Wiley & Sons. London.
 * 5) Jerome D. F. (2003). Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities. McGraw-Hill.
 * 6) Jerome, D. F., Judith, G. and Jon C. M. (2005). Human Geography. McGraw-Hill.
 * 7) Kelly, S. (2009). Human Geography. Kaplan Publishing.
 * 8) Money D. C. (2009) Introduction to Human Geography. Tutorial Press: London
 * 9) Rubenstein, J. M. (2008). The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. Pearson Prentice Hall.
 * 10) Tidswell, V. (1976). Patterns and Process in Human Geography. London University Press.
 * 11) Verma, J. K. (2008) Human Geography; Gnois
 * 12) Williamsley and Lewis, G. J. (1984). Human Geography: Longman Group Ltd., London.


 * BHU 1216 Human Geography**
 * __Introduction__**
 * Philosophy of Human Geography**
 * What is Philosophy?**
 * The art  of thinking seriously about something for example the universe and human life.
 * In our case, thinking seriously about Human Geography and what it entails?
 * Search for knowledge in Human Geography.
 * How do we obtain knowledge in Human Geography?
 * **Guides behavior in Human Geography**
 * **Guides search for knowledge in Human Geography**
 * **Examining spatial human behavior seriously.**
 * **Determinism?**
 * **Possibilism?**
 * **Others**
 * **Research in in Human Geography guided different philosophies**
 * **Research not only in terms of subject substance but also philosophy.**
 * **Categories of Philosophy in Human Geography include:**
 * Categories of Philosophy in Human Geography **
 * 1) **Empiricism **
 * 2) **Positivism **
 * 3) **Humanism **
 * 4) **Structuralism **


 * 1) **__Empiricism __**

- **Derived from the word empirical.** - **Knowledge in Human Geography is a result of experience.** - **What is EXPERIENCE?** - **Things we experience are things that exist.** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">- **Its methodology involve presentation of experienced facts.** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">- **Facts observed from the field.** - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Conclusion based on observed empirical data - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Leads to generalization - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">See white birds on some mountain - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Conclusion based on observation – all birds on the mountain are white. - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Read more - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Start from a general statement - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Starts from general to specific - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">For example use of hypothesis - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Test hypothesis - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Conclude - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Read more
 * 1) **Present data from observation.**
 * __Positivism__**
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Based on the believe that we live in a ****<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">possible ****<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> world. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Branch of philosophy ****<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Knowledge is acquired through ****<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">EXPERIENCE. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The experience must be based on verifiable evidence/facts. **
 * **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Like Empiricism, facts MUST be observable ****<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">. **
 * **<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Methodology ****<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> – hinged on verification of factual statements. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Opposed to ****<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">metaphysics ****<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">– nature of existence, truth and knowledge. **
 * **Limits knowledge to facts that can be observed.**
 * **Emphasizes on relationships between the facts.**
 * **Deals with how things are in reality.**
 * **According to positivism, facts speak for themselves.**
 * **Knowledge is not sensed. Must be observed.**
 * **Opposed to idealism (philosophy that reality is mental/mind dependent).**
 * **Keep away from normative questions – values, beliefs, attitudes**
 * **Prejudices, customs, traditions, tastes, aesthetic values among others).**
 * ** Readmore **
 * Humanism**
 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Knowledge is obtained subjectively.
 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Knowledge is based on meanings created by individuals.
 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">What exists is what people perceive to exist.
 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Methodology – relies on objective investigation of individual worlds.
 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">People see what they want to see.
 * **Humanists do not treat people as machines .**
 * **It is a subjective approach.**
 * **Tries to understand man and environment.**
 * **Men and women can best improve their lives by thinking and acting for themselves**
 * **People must exercise their capacity for reason.**
 * **Opposed to positivism.**
 * **Observations cannot adequately explain human behaviour .**
 * **Human world is also explained by social institutions, attitudes, morals, customs, traditions and aesthetics.**
 * **These are opposed by positivists.**
 * **Emphasize on human creativity**
 * __Structuralism__**
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Philosophy that look for ****<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">structures ****<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> that underlie human behaviour. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Very much associated with radical revolution. **
 * **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Concerned with how we deal with human welfare. **
 * **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">What structures underlie human behaviour. **
 * **<span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Examines how human Geography deals with real problems of the world such as injustice/inequality. **
 * **<span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Aims to solve societal problems for relevance ****<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">. **
 * **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Structuralists are radicals – people who always want change (revolutionists). **
 * **Opposes capitalism .**
 * Bent towards Marxist philosophy - refuse status quo.
 * **Advocate for change/revolution.**
 * **Also known as Dialectical approach.**
 * **Examines class formation and class conflicts**
 * __(i) Liberal structuralists.__**
 * **Pragmatists**.
 * **Advocate for gradual change within existing socio-political frame work.**
 * **Want change but not fundamental change.**
 * **Also called reformists**
 * __(ii) Radical structuralists.__**
 * **Revolutionaries**
 * **Committed to revolutionary socialism**
 * **And creation of social justice for all.**
 * **Do not belief in peace-meal changes**
 * **Advocate for complete overall/overthrw of current mode of social organization which is elitist – for the privileged few.**
 * **Talk about spatial inequalities**
 * __Inductive Methodology__**
 * __Deductive Methodology__**

(i) **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Idiographic **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> – Areas are unique. - <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Phenomena are unique - <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">No general laws governing phenomena (i) **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Nomothetic **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">– There are general laws that govern phenomena - <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Law giving. Phenomena governed by general law - <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Laws established to govern phenomena
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Is Human Geography Idiographic or Nomothetic? **
 * Determinism and Possibilism in Human Geography**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Represents an example of **Dichotomies** in Geography
 * 2) <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Envirnmental Determinism argues that environment is superior to human beings. It dictates what human beings can do.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Possibilism is a counterthesis of environmental determinism that argues that human beings are superior than environment
 * 4) <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Explained by German Geographers - Von Humboldt and Carl Ritter among others.

Environmental Determinism <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- According to this school of thought, the environment is superior than human beings <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Environment>Human beings <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Environment shapes human cultures <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Human behavior is influenced by physical environment <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- It is assumed that similar physical environments may produce similar cultures <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- The environment sets the limit to human development. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- The earth has mothered human beings and directed their thoughts. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- It persisted even up to during the second world war. The European was thought to be superior even in war. Africans were surprised that even the European was dying in war. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Slope, relief and climate govern the lifestyle of people. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People in cold climates are stronger physically, more courageous, frank, less suspicious and less cunning than those in warm climate. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People of warm climates are timorous, weak in body and passive. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Even Charles Darwin supported determinism in his thesis of struggle and survival for the fittest.. Struggle in the environment and adaptation. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Each organism including man had to adjust themselves to the physical environment. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People’s mode of life and state of development largely due to environment. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Climate for example strong factor in HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Determinism is like traffic control influencing rate of movement <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People in mountainous areas conservative. Little in their environment to stimulate them. Are suspicious of strangers. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- The bitter struggle for existence for the hill-man makes him industrious. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- HOW HAVE YOU BEEN SHAPED BY PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT? <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Ant-thesis to determinism/counter thesis <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Human beings superior to environment <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People>Environment <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People can modify environment for their benefit <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People can think and manipulate environment for their welbeing. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Environment has options and not dead-ends. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Within any environment, there are possibilities. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- In any environment, human beings are active and not passive. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Natural environment provides options that increase with knowledge and technology. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- The only problem people have is utilization of the possibilities. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- People’s culture very much influence development. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Religion is also seen has a factor influencing human development. Think of Muslims and Christians among others. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Example – Think about the German and French in opposite sides of river Rhine. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Think of food consumption – governed by taboos, religion etc. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- It is impossible to explain the differences in society and history just on physical environment. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Human beings bring their influence to bear on environment and changes it. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">- Nature is only an adviser.
 * Possibilism **

TOBE CONTINUED

Message for Class: WE WILL MEET ON THURSDAY 1.00 – 3.00 ROOM MK23 – WEDNESDAY SITAMANAGE MAKE UP ON FRIDAY 12-1 AS WE DID LAST TIME.

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