Key Geographic Concepts and Models
"Models are not real, but help us understand reality"
Notable Geographers and
Models
1
John Borchert
Urban
Page #
Brief Explaination of theory
Importance of Model
Stages of Evolution of American Metropolis based on
transportation. 1. Sall-Wagon, 2. Iron Horse, 3. Steel Rall,
4. Auto-Air, 5. High Tech
Uses trasportation advances as key to development
of Urban areas
Formalized the trasition form extensive subsistence
forms of agriculture to more intensive cultivationicrease productivity counters loss of fertility
2
Boserup
Rural Land Use
Boserup Hypothesis- Stage 1 forest-fallow, Stage 2 bushfallow, Stage 3 fallow shortens, Stage 4 annual cropping,
Stage 5 multi-cropping- from extensive to intensive.
3
Lester Brown
Agriculture/Population
Ecological effects of increasing population on agriculture
(rural land use)
Soil Degradation-pressure to produce more leads to
soil depletion
4
Ernest Burgess
Rural Land Use
Concentric Zone-grows of from CBD (5 zones) CBD,
trasition-insdustry/poor housing, stable working class,
middle class, commuter zone, suburbs
Helps to determine use and value of land surroundin
cities. Transportation has impacted model. 1923
Sociologist
5
Judith Carney
Land Use
6
Manuel Castells/Peter Hall
Industry/Development
Technopoles-high tech industry locates near sites of
higher education and agglomerate to utilize highly skilled
workers
EG, Boston-MIT and Harvard have attracted a lot of
technology
7
Walter Christaller
18961969
Rural/Urban Land
Use
Central Place Theory-Urban hierarchy, Range, Threshold,
Low order good, High order good. Hexagon shape-trade
areas
Spacial distribution of hamlets, villages, town, and
cities
Nostratic Language Family is a proto (meaning
ancient/extinct) 'Indo-European' language
Nostratic is where modern day Russian comes from.
Use common Russian world like eyes, legs, feet, head
to discover Nostratic
8
Aharon Dogopolsky
Culture/Language
1920
Rural
Studied changing Agriculture practices in Gambia-as
agriculture changed/progressed so did the cultureespecially women's roles
9
Clifford Geetz
Culture/Religion
Culture is Learned-atreed with Hoebel. How culture
creates different patterns and landscapes
10
Peter Hall/Manuel Castells
Technopoles-see Castells above
11
Chauncey Harris/E.L. Ullman
1945
Urban
Land Use
Multiple Nuclei Model-Modern cities develop with many
nodes. Cities within cities
Richard Hartshorne
Rhte Evolution of Boundaries- Types of boundaries-1.
Antecedent, 2. Superimposed, 3. Subsequent, 4. Relict
Homer Hoyt
Urban
Sector Model-sectors, not rings, certain areas more
attractive-as city grows, expands outward-best housing
corridor from CBD out, Indstury and retail develop in
sectors along trasportation routes
12
13
1939
"The Interpretation of Culture"
Illustration is important!
Illustration is important! Refinement of concentric
zone theory. Claimed represented social patterns of
Chicago. 1939-Land Economist
14
E. Adamson Hoebel
Culture
Culture is learned behavior. "Culture is whooly the result
of social invention and is trasmitted and maintained soley
through communications and learning"
15
Ellsworth Huntington
Political/Development
Environmental Determinism-climate and terrain were a
major determinant of civilization
Temperate climate of Europe lead to greater human
efficiency and better standards of living.
Mark Jefferson
Every country has a "Primate City" (a city that dominates
in economics, social factors, and poltics) Rank Size Rule2nd largest city is 1/2 the size of the Primate city, 3rd
largest city is 1/3 the size of the Primate city and so on.
"The law of the Primate city"
The Heartland Theory-Geo-Political thought-explains why
NATO and the WARSAW pact existed-control of Eastern
Europe
1. Who rules Eastern Europe commands the
Heartland, 2. Who rules the Heart land commands
the World Island, 3. Who rules the world island
commands the world
16
17
Urban
Halford Mackinder
18611947
Poltical
Thomas Malthus
1766-1834
Population
Malthusian theory-Population growth relating to Food
Supply. 1. food grows Arithmetically (1,2,3,4..), 2.
Population grows Exponentially (1,2,4,8,16…), 3. Population
peaks
Neo-Malthusians-R. Kaplan, T.F. Homer-Dixon-look at
Africa. Critics-E. Boserup, S. Kuznets, J.Simon, F.
Engels-More people more growth, science will find a
way, distribution of wealth, etc.
19
T.G. McGee
Urban/Development
Land Use in Southeast Asian cities. Old colonial port
cities surrounded by a new commercial district with no
formal CBD
EG, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur
20
Friedrich Ratzel
1844-1904
18
21
E.G. Ravenstein
22
W.W. Rostow
Development
23
Carl Sauer
1975
24
25
26
1967
Political
Organic Theory of Nations-nations act like living
organisms-must grow and will eventually decline
Migration
Laws of Migration (11) 1. Most people migrate for economic
reasons, 2. most long distance migrants are male, 3. long
distance migrants head for major cities in other countries
1960
Cultural Landscape-Human activity superimposes itself on
the physical landscape-each cultural group leaves imprints
"The Morphology of Landscape"
Ruth Leger Sivard
Women/Men Gap widens with economic progress. Men are
first to try unhealthy habits of progress-smoke, drink,
etc.
Women will catch up and lower their Life Expectancy
Gideon Sjoberg
Cities are products of their societies (4), 1. Folkpreliterate, 2. Feudal, 3. Pre-industrial, 4.
Urban/industrial
"The Pre-industrial city: Past and Present"
Epidemiologist (medical geog.) control of epidemics. Link
between water dupply and cholera-mapped cholera deaths
and location of water wells/pumps
Outbreak-a spread of disease in a short time in a
limited area-school, hospital.
Epidemic-spread of disease over a lareer region like
a city, province or country
Pandemicspread rapidly around the entire world
John Snow
Development
1889-
Mondernization Model-5 stages of Economic Development1. Traditional society, 2. Pre-conditions to Take-off, 3.
Take off, 4. Maturity, 5. Mass Consumption, etc.
Culture
Urban
27
Nicholas Spykman Political
Rimland Theory-Eurasian Rim not the Heartland is/was the
key to Global Power. Who Controls the Rimland rules
Eurasia. Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the
world
28
E.L. Ullman/Chaucey Harris
Urban
Multiple Nuclei Model-Modern cities develop with many
nodes. Cities within cities
29
Vidal De La Blache
1845-1918
Culture
Possibillism-Human/Environmental Interaction-Humans
have a wide range of potential actions within an
environment-they respond ased on their value systems,
attitudes, and culture attributes
"Principles of Human Geography"
Culture
determines a people respons to the Environment
30
Johann Hinrich vonThunen
1783-1850
Rural
Agricultural Theory (concentric circles) 1. city center, 2.
market gardening, 3. forest, 4. grains, 5. ranching,
livestock. Pre-central place
Distribution of Agricultureal activites around a city
depends on Bulk and Perishablity of products.
31
Immanuel Wallerstein
1970
Development
Core-Periphery Model. Core-MDC's-high soci-economic
level. Periphery-LDC's-dependent on the core, suppplier
of raw materials and labor
EG. Auto Industry-clustered near Detroit-auto
makers, labor, suppliers or car parts, transportation.
Location depends on raw materials, markets and labor
32
Alfred Weber
1868-1956
Indsutry/Development
Location of Industy-Least Cost Theory
Agglomeration-People and activites concentrate in a
location where they can share facilities and services.
"Geography of the Place"
Western Europe and Russia
Europe, Middle East and Asia
HeartlandRimland-Western