Key Themes in Human Geography
You probably already know this,
but…
http://geog.tamu.edu/sarah/humangeog.html
Key Themes
• Disclaimer…
• Review of key themes
• Resources
• Questions
The Disclaimer…
• I am a professor…
• I do not know anything about
the test…
• If you already know the key
concepts and themes,
please feel free to leave
Key Themes in Human Geography
Nature of …
Two Perspectives
Population
Malthus / DTM
Cultural Patterns…
Diffusion
Agriculture
Von Thunen
Industrialization
Weber/Economic
Sector Theory
Central Place Theory
Cities…
Nature and Perspectives…
• The key to success…
Environmental Perspective
Spatial Perspective
Population
• Malthus Model of Population Change
– Population at geometric rate
– Production at arithmetic rate
• Result?
• Malthusian Checks?
• Criticisms…
Cultural Patterns/Processes
• Diffusion
– Types
• Expansion diffusion
• Relocation diffusion
Cultural Processes and Patterns
• Diffusion
– Processes
• Dissemination of information about the
innovation
• Adoption of innovation
1953
1959
Agriculture and Rural Land Use
• Von Thunen’s Model of Land Use
$$$
Market
Land
1/2
Transportation
.50
Costs
How about
in the $/2
real world?
$
$$
1
$5
5
10
$20
$35
Intensity of production and type of land use
varies with distance from the market.
Industrialization & Development
• Weber’s Model
– Transport costs
– Labor costs
– Economies of scale
Least cost location
• Economic Sector Theory
– Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary
– Rise and fall of sectors with development
Percent of Workforce
Sectors of the Economy
Tertiary
Secondary
Quaternary
Primary
Time
Cities and Urban Land Use
• Central Place Theory
– Central Place: a town or city that provides a
common location for obtaining goods and services
– Market Area: the hinterland (surrounding area)
served by a central place
– Range: the distance a customer will travel for a
specific good or service
– Threshold: purchasing power of
customers/consumers that supports provision of
good or service