Rubenstein Chapter 1

Cultural ecology, posibilism, and environmental determinism

Cultural ecology: A geographic approach that emphasises human-environment relationships - culture influences landscape/farming techniques Possibilism: Idea that humans cans still have the ability to make change in the world - Global warming - recycling Environmental determinism: Environmental context that determines and instance - Environmentally determined that people on the equator cannot live in igloos

Azimuthal Map

Geometric plane cutting through sphere, not connected to centre point - preserves direction with azimuths are portrayed correctly in all directions - used for air travel and a small area - not a cylindrical projection

Making a Map: Simplification

Process of simplification is for clarification

Friction or Distance

More distance, the more friction - Friction will eventually stop an object in motion Ex: - The farther people are from a particular service, the less likely they are to use it. People who live 1km from a store are more likely to patronise it than people who live 10km away.

Making a Map: Symbolisation

Representation

Remote Sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or from other long-distance methods

Orthoapsidal Projection

- Uses equidistant parallels and meridians - Area and shape are distorted but distance is true - resembles a rubber ring

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that stores, organises, analyses, and displays geographic data

Cultural Ecology

A geographic approach that emphasises human-environment relationships

Environmental Determinism

A nineteenth-and early twentieth century approach to the study of geography which argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical science. Geography was therefore the study of how the physical environment caused human activities - Environmental context that determines an instance Ex: - It is environmentally determined that people on the equator cannot have igloos built

Time Zones

A range of longitudes where a common standard time is used

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations and receivers.

Projection

A system used to transfer locations from Earth's surface to a flat map

Projections: Mercator Projection Map

Advantages: Direction & Shape are accurate, good for marine charting Disadvantages: Size is distorted increasingly to the North or South of the Equator

Projections: Robinson Map

Advantages: Minor distortion, east & west edges of the map are accurate, outlines of continents are very similar to that on a globe Disadvantages: Polar areas are flattened

International Date Line

An arc that for the most part follows 180 (degrees) longitude, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross the International Date Line heading east (towards America), the clock moves back 24 hrs, or one entire day. When you go west (towards Asia), the calendar moves ahead 24hr, or one entire day.

Formal Region (or uniform or homogeneous region)

An area in which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics (EX: common language, production of a particular crop, and/or climate)

Functional Region (or nodal region)

An area organised around a node or focal point (EX: transportations or communication systems)

Vernacular Region (or perceptual region)

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity (EX: Mental map)

Equator

An imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0 (degrees)

Robinson Projection

Based on table of coordinates rather than mathematical equations Between eqquidistance and conformal

Culture Density

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Model

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Mercator Projection

Map maintains distance accurately. Direction and Distance maintain constant. There is a consistency of direction and distance. All parallels of latitude have the same length as the equator (EX: Marine charts)

Dot Map

Definition: A spatial analysis/representation where each dot or mark represents one instant of a particular phenomenon Characteristics: Dots, symbols of a particular size, key & map Advantages: Can see different concentrations, and know the frequency of instance Disadvantages: Cluster of dots

Isoline Map

Definition: A spatial representation wherein lines distinguish between concentrations of particular characteristics Characteristics: Lines, shading, maps Advantages: Regions defined, good sense of compartive concentration of values. Disadvantages: Subjective; lack of precision

Making a Map: Categorisation

Group information, allows for patterns to emerge, repeating information & form an index or key.

Making a Map: Induction

Taking samples and then generalising them to form a conclusion

Distribution

The arrangement of something across Earth's surface Ex: Distribution of Koalas in eastern and southern Australia

Distance Decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

Scale

Generally, the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole

Great Circle

Geometric plane through centre point - airline routes

Site

The physical character of a place

Diffusion

The process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

Equivalent - Equal Area (size)

- Moderately distorts distance, shape, direction and area but focus is to regularise the countries sizes (in opposition to mercator) - politically correct - Gall-Peters map (stretched north and south)

Chloropleth Map

Definition: Spatial analysis where formal regions are shaded or coloured so as to represent the thematic focus Characteristics: Shades of colour, gradation or identification key, map, formal regions Advantages: Easy to identify, clarity of communication because the information is simplified/categorised to a certain extent Disadvantages: Generalisation

Proportional Symbol Map

Definition: Spatial representation where a symbol is chosen and size depends on the collected data Characteristics: Key, Map & Symbols Advantages: Clear amount of comparative data Disadvantages: Over simplification based on the categorisation, cluster issue

Distribution, Locations, Regions

Distribution: The arrangement of something across Earth's surface - Distribution of Koalas in eastern & southern AUS Location: The position of anything on Earth's surface - Lima's in Madagascar Regions: An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features - sandstone glades soil in the Ozarks

Tobler's First Law

Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related to one another than distant things Ex: The US as an environment for economic development can do better if we scientifically analyse the relationships between people and their consumer markets - Who is buying and where are people buying - Computer analysis

Spatial Analysis

Examining geographic patterns to identify relationships; Thinking necessary to answer questions like: Why is what where? What are the patterns?

Geography vs Human Geography

Human geography is the study of human activity. For example, tourism and the benefits and negative effects that this can have on an area, development / urbanisation and how this can be managed, pollution and global warming etc. Basically, human activities that directly relate to geographical subjects and issues. Physical geography is the study of the natural world. For example, mountains, weather / climate, volcanoes, natural disasters, animals, seas and oceans etc. Basically anything that is about nature and how the world works.

Spatial Association

The concept that the distribution of one phenomena is scientifically related to the location of other phenomena -The location of observable phenomena is related to the location of others. Most phenomena are situated where they are because of phenomena that already exist Ex: - there are very few (if any) professional cricket stadiums in the United States because there is not a large enough fan base to warrant building them - hundreds of Roman Catholic churches in rome because of the large number of religious followers

Distance Decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin

Gravity Model

The greater the number of people living in a particular place, the greater the number of potential customers for service Ex: - Understanding the geographic extent and characteristics of store patronage * Who will be your customers - Spatially assessing retail performance * May not be in profitable area but they need their name in community - Evaluating market penetration & market gap analysis - Identifying/quantifying effects of cannibalisation

Situation

The location of a place relative to another place

Prime Meridian

The meridian, designated as 0 (degrees) longitude, that passes through the Royal Observatory as Greenwich, England

Toponym

The name given to a portion of Earth's surface

Longitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime-meridian (0 degrees).

Latitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator (0 degrees)

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature/characteristic/idea throughout a population Ex: - Disease: Ebola - Tweets --> Retweets *The hearth is the centre point, then info gets passed on from there

Space-time Compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

Hearth

The region from which innovative ideas originate

Cartography

The science of making maps

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in an additive process - 3 types * Hierarchal * Contagious * Stimulus Ex: - Object/Thing stays in one place and opens in another area: expands * McDonalds opens a new store

Hierarchal Diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places - Some person of authority distributes or diffuses and idea to someone else with less power who distributes it some else with even lesser power - Intentional Control Ex: - President --> cabinet -> media -> people

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another Ex: - An Italian who makes pizzas in Italy moves to America and makes pizza in New York

Stimulus Diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle even though the characteristic itself apparently fails to spread - A particular thing effect and outcome which triggers another instance Ex: - Apple is diffused by the idea of a bigger screen and therefore creates the iPhone 6 product *Samsung provides the stimulus

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and chose a course of action from many alternatives. - Humans cans still have the ability to make change in the world