Place: Site/Situation Why places and people are where they are: Environment/Ecumene! Where… How...

Place: Site/Situation Why places and

people are where they are: Environment/Ecumene!

Where… How their location affects other places: Diffusion!

Contemplate don’t write but what exactly is it?

A way of thinking spatially about what our world is = Take any social, environmental, or physical question

or problem and ask yourself whether there is a spatial aspect to it. Chances are that space and place play a

role in the explanation and distribution of that question.

☼ Why do there always seem to be been so many wars in Africa?

☼ Why is corn such an important part of a traditional Mexican diet?

☼ Why are some beers known as India Pale Ales?

Absolute is a measure of latitude/longitude; a specific mathematical locationRelative is a description using the nearby surroundings or unique features of the location; it’s situation in relations to others

displays a degree of uniformity / differentiates areas

basic unit of study for the geographer

Thing we identify is called a phenomenon

…are areas that have some degree of homogeneity in one or more phenomena.

activity or cultural trait like corn production, bible belt

…are legally bound or defined by something they share.

Formal Education systems in Switzerland

A country, state, city or region

…are defined by a set of activities or interactions that occur within it.

Newspaper, baseball team, or an airportA city and its suburbs

Vernacular regions (common term)A perception of an area using

environment, culture, ideology…like a stereotype

Regions exist within a vertical order, and one place can be part of several regions simultaneously.

Austin

Texas

The United States

World Realms

Landscape is the material character of a place / natural habitat.

Aspects introduced by humans is “built environment” or “cultural landscape”

Every place is unique. Imagine where you lived as a child. What made that special? Sensory Architecture Symbolic

Cultural and Built Landscape show us the human impact and provides evidence of 2 theories of human and environment interaction

What kinds of cultural values are reflected in each of these American houses?

Gated community?

Where are we? What values are reflected in each? What relation to physical environment?

Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

Timber House, Switzerland

Yurt on Mongolian Steppe Suburban Home, Chicago

The result of the natural environment and all of the changes to it as a result of a particular culture. (Carl Sauer) Environmental Determinism: environment is

primary determinant of culture. Possibilism: humans are primary determinant of

culture.

Is it we who impact the environment or is it Is it we who impact the environment or is it the environment that impacts us????the environment that impacts us????

N.Y.C.

Environmentally Determinism or Possibilism?

What about Bali,

Indonesia?

As you view each of the slides, ask yourself these questions:

Who wins the fight woman/man or nature?

Why? Can woman/man conquer all

environments? Does the environment determine

our destiny?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://photomas.net/images/antarctica

http://www.trekamerica.co.uk/images/big_H1773C361.jpg