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

Cities… Central Place Theory

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

$$$$$ $ $/2

1/2 1 5 10Land

.50 $5 $20 $35Transportation Costs

Intensity of production and type of land use varies with distance from the market.

How about in the real world?

Industrialization & Development

• Weber’s Model– Transport costs– Labor costs– Economies of scale

• Economic Sector Theory– Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary– Rise and fall of sectors with development

Least cost location

Sectors of the Economy

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

Quaternary

Time

Per

cent

of

Wor

kfor

ce

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