Principles of Organization of a College Course in the use of Mathematical Methods in Physical-Geographic Research

The fundamentals underlying a proposed course on the use of mathematical techniques in physical geography are discussed. Four basic sections are: (1) a grouping of geographical problems from the point of view of systems theory, the various forms of cause-and-effect relationships in complex geographical systems, and the choice of appropriate mathematical apparatus for solving related problems; (2) the theory of models and the modeling of geographical research; (3) methods of mathematical formulation of geographical problems, and the potentialities and limitations of particular mathematical techniques; (4) problems relating to the data base required for the use of mathematical methods. Illustrative examples should be taken both from mathematics, to familiarize students with the applicability of particular techniques to geographical problems, and from geography, to analyze the prospects of solving a particular problem with different methods.     

Present Problems in Theoretical Geography

The need for a distinctive discipline of theoretical geography is enhanced by three current research trends in geography related to the scientific and technical revolution. They are remote sensing, resource use and economic location. Theoretical geography is concerned with the automated processing of the growing body of geographical data, the study of complex geosystems and their multidimensional geospaces and the development of a set of geographical axioms. The development of theoretical geography is closely related to the growing use of mathematical methods in geography by formulating geographical problems in a form amenable to mathematical analysis. Theoretical geography helps to formalize geographical concepts and facilitates the building of models in geography. Models, in turn, provide a better understanding of a system than can be expressed in words.     

What is worth teaching in geography?

Abstract

To be efficient, geographers must teach not facts, but how to learn. This means teaching theories, methods and models, and also the languages of investigation, which include mathematical languages. These are important because some human knowledge and discourse, including growing conceptual areas in geography, cannot be translated from mathematics. Mathematical languages are tools of inquiry, the teaching of which can quickly open up new lines of thinking. Mathematical geographers can make a unique contribution to applied areas through their ability to model and clarify complex problems. An example of teaching mathematical languages is given using a simple directed connectivity matrix, which in turn can be manipulated to introduce advanced ideas. During this process, students are learning naturally about mathematical languages.     

The Role and Significance of Objective (Mathematical) Methods in Geographic Research

A staff member of Leningrad University's Cartography Department reviews the introduction of quantitative methods into geography and offers a classification of physical and mathematical models used in geography. The increasing use of objective methods, including physical and chemical techniques, is expected inevitably to affect the nature of geography as a scientific discipline, just as the use of aerial photography changed the theory and practice of topographic mapping.     

On the Significance of Lenin's Ideas for Soviet Geography

The president of the Geographical Society USSR reviews the present state of Soviet geographic theory in the light of Leninist philosophy. The objective existence of natural regions with definite boundaries is affirmed. The approach of “social physics,” applying natural laws to social phenomena, is rejected. The use of mathematical techniques is welcomed, but not to the extent of giving rise to a separate discipline of “theoretical geography” that would deal with whatever is common to both physical and economic geography. The geographical environment is defined as that part of the earth's natural environment in which nature and society are in direct interaction. Both geographical determinism and social determinism (geographical nihilism) are rejected. The definition of geography as a system of scientific disciplines is affirmed, and a proposed redefinition of geography as dealing with the evolution and control of dynamic spatial systems is rejected.     

Quantitative Methods in Physical-Geography Research

The use of quantitative techniques in physical geography is discussed with reference to three particular disciplines—climatology, glaciology and geomorphology. Although significant advances have been made in these and other particular disciplines, there is increasing need for applying quantitative methods to the composite of geographical processes, related to various forms of the exchange of matter and energy. A quantitative approach to integrated physical-geography research is needed for a resolution of the general problem of a quantitative explanation of the physical-geographic process and the formulation of a quantitative theory of physical geography. Aside from inherent difficulties in applying quantitative techniques to physical geography, particularly the biogeographic disciplines, there are additional problems of an organizational nature in the Soviet Union, where specialists in various disciplines tend to be associated with different institutes.     

Principles and Methods of Regional Geographical Prediction

A research methodology for purposes of geographical prediction is proposed. A region is considered the most likely object of geographical prediction, which is designed to forecast the most likely modifications of the natural environment under the impact of human activity, and the expected working and living conditions for man in the altered environment. The predictive process should focus on phenomena and processes that change through time and can be tested on the basis of known regularities and relationships. Predictive techniques may include both general scientific methods used for prediction and cause-and-effect relationships peculiar to geography. Among the most useful general techniques are extrapolation, expert evaluations, model building and comparative methods.     

Study of the History of Geographical Ideas

Two recent books on the history of geographical ideas, by A. G. Isachenko of Leningrad University, and by Preston James of Syracuse University, are reviewed in the general context of the need for a textbook for courses now being taught at Soviet universities. The Isachenko book is criticized on the ground that it reduces the history of geographical ideas to a history of physical geography, ignoring the impact of human activity. James, who deals with the history of geographical ideas as a whole, is praised for having included a chapter on the new geography in the Soviet Union and on the innovative aspects of theoretical geography, such as systems theory, spatial systems, diffusion on studies, etc. In the reviewer's opinion, the two books need to be examined critically in connection with preparation of a text for a Soviet university course on the history and methodology of geography.     

空间理论的图景拓展——基于哈格斯特朗与布迪厄的理论互构研究

哈格斯特朗与布迪厄作为同一时代的学术巨擘，他们的时间地理学与实践理论皆在各自学科领域占据着重要的研究阵地，然而由于学科体系的分化，两种学术理论至今仍“各自为战”。本研究希望以时间地理学与实践理论的互构为契机，拓展空间理论图景。首先，本文分析了时间地理学与实践理论在认识论层面上的亲和性；其次，阐述了时间地理学与实践理论在方法论层面上的地理空间与社会空间以及它们的应用场景；第三，在认识论与方法论的基础上，通过贯通时间地理学与实践理论的概念，提出了一套“地理空间-群体-社会空间”研究框架；最终，在实践层面上提出了研究展望。值此，希望为探索社会空间综合体的本质与深化关于空间议题的思考增加新的体悟。     

Mathematical education for geographers

Abstract

The mathematical topics which are of use to geography students are outlined, as are the methods used for teaching mathematical techniques in geography courses at Leeds over the last few years. The concluding section relates practice to goals, and the problems of providing the student with a framework into which he can fit all the pieces of knowledge he has acquired. Possible future developments are reviewed briefly in the light of the development of new mathematical techniques on the one hand, and criticisms of the existing state of the art on the other. The subject matter of the paper is limited to mathematical education, and there is only indirect and brief concern with statistics.     

Prologue to a contextual archaeology

The thesis of this essay is that a gap presently exists between the research interests of modern scientific archaeology and the research methodology which structures archaeological investigation. It is argued that this is a function of the traditional objectives of archaeology, and that a methodology justified by a distinctive set of goals is necessary to produce studies more closely related to present archaeological concerns. The traditional goals of archaeology are here characterized as the historical result of prior interests, reinforced by the character of formal programmes of graduate study. The set of distinctive goals identified in the essay derives from assessment of the significance of methodologies appropriate to the investigation of palaeoenvironments in modelling prehistoric cultural systems and subsystems.The proposed methodology is substantively, as well as substantially, different from methodologies in present use. I have called it Contextual Archaeology in recognition of its debt to the statement of an archaeologically-significant method Butzer (1978) has advanced under the name Contextual Approach. It is argued here that contextual archaeology, despite practical problems, is both a productive and an implementable alternative.     

本体论、后现代主义与地理学的发展

本文主要从哲学层面上,本体论和后现代主义的视角上探讨了地理学发展的几个问题:①地理学发展和哲学之间的关系,地理学研究要自觉接受哲学的指导作用,吸收哲学研究中积极成果,打破传统观念、思维框架的禁锢;②地理学研究的本体论承诺,地理学研究对象在本体论前提上具有异质性和多元性的特征以及所具备的其他特征,所以地理学研究应该从多个视角分析和观察问题,采用多元化的方法论;③后现代主义对地理学的影响和启示,后现代主义是对现代主义的解构、反思、批判和超越,后现代主义哲学对地理学发展具有理论借鉴和启示意义。     

The Archaeology of Regions: From Discrete Analytical Toolkit to Ubiquitous Spatial Perspective

In the 1970s and 1980s, regional analysis was an influential part of archaeological research, providing a discrete set of geographical tools inspired by a processual epistemological and interpretive perspective. With the advent of new technologies, new methods, and new paradigms, archaeological research on regional space has undergone significant changes. This article reviews the state of regional archaeology, beginning with a consideration of its history and a discussion of the fundamental issues facing regional investigations before focusing on developments over the last several years. On one hand, the diversification of archaeological theory has created new paradigms for thinking about human relationships with one another and with the physical environment across regional space; in this regard, historical ecology, landscape archaeology, and evolutionary theory have been particularly influential in recent years. This has led to a corresponding diversification of the traditional methods of regional analysis. Most notably, the advent of powerful digital technologies has introduced new tools, especially those from the geographic information sciences, that build on the quantitative methods of past approaches. The investigation of regional data is no longer based on a discrete toolkit of simple mathematical and graphical procedures for representing spatial relationships. Instead, regional archaeology has matured into a diversity of multiscalar spatial and geostatistical techniques that inform many areas of archaeological inquiry.     

Mathematical Training of Students in the Economic-Geography Department of Moscow University's Geography Faculty

Courses offered in the mathematics training of economic geographers at Moscow University are reviewed. A total of 350 hours, stretching over the first four years of the five-year course of study, includes two courses in mathematical principles (higher mathematics and statistics) followed by two courses that deal with particular applications in economic geography (including one on location models). A need is seen for revising the present program with a view to expanding the total number of hours to 500–600, providing more rigorous training in mathematical techniques and computer programing at an earlier stage, and leaving the actual applications to courses in economic geography proper.     

1990年以来西方城市社会地理学研究进展

本文对1990年以来西方城市社会地理的研究特点进行概括,表现为研究成果不断增多、主题多样化和研究方法上从量化到质化的转变,然后从内容上进行归纳,包含社会公平、疾病与健康地理、犯罪地理、感应地理等研究重点,其中社会公平又细分为对弱势群体地理研究、福利地理以及女性地理学。这些研究在侧重点上有较大转变,从一般性社会要素空间区位探讨过渡到要素背后的社会、文化、政治等情境的结构式剖析,注重研究社会空间的隐喻和文化意义、社会问题对空间的塑造机制以及特定空间对人的再造等。在此基础上对西方城市社会地理研究进行简要评价,归结为问题导向、主题多样化、地方性研究和质化与本位研究主导,最后提出对中国社会地理研究的初步建议:壮大中国社会地理研究队伍、积极借鉴其它学科、以居民日常行为地理研究为突破口。     

人文地理学野外考察的指南,方法论与方法结合研究的探索——评周尚意主编的《人文地理学野外方法》

野外考察是地理学的优良传统。人文地理学关注方法论与野外方法的关系。周尚意教授主编的《人文地理学野外方法》一书,系统、详细地介绍了野外方法及其案例,而且在方法论与野外方法结合研究上进行了积极探索。由此延伸思考可得:方法与方法论研究是辩证互动的关系,由于方法论涉及学科实践,所以野外考察需要方法论的指导。作为艺术和技术的结合,人文地理学(野外)著作应该达到"四有":有趣、有用、有力、有美。     

(Re)Inhabiting awareness: geography and mindfulness

This paper opens up a dialogue between mindfulness and the discipline of geography. As a meditative practice that cultivates ‘present-centred non-judgmental awareness’, we claim that the practices and insights of mindfulness have important implications for various forms of geographical enquiry. This paper argues that mindfulness can inform geographical practices in relation to epistemology and methodology, and contribute towards geographically informed critical psychological theory and action. More specifically, we claim that mindfulness could offer a practice-based context to support the study of affects, extend the application of psychoanalytical geographical methods beyond the therapeutic, and contribute to emerging geographical studies of behavioural power and empowerment. This analysis explores these sites of interaction through a series of reflections on the Mindfulness, Behaviour Change and Engagement in Public Policy programme that was developed and delivered by the authors. This more-than-therapeutic mindfulness programme has been delivered to approximately 47 civil servants working in the UK Government.     

On the Unity of Geography

A Leningrad University physical geographer criticizes attempts to affirm the unity of geography through the creation of new disciplines like “general geography,” which would focus on study of the man-nature relationship. He contends that such a general geography, which would seek to identify general geographic laws, is advocated primarily by economic geographers who would emphasize the role of man at the expense of physical geography. Isachenko takes issue with the view that what makes any research “geographical” is its relationship to man. He contends that the criterion of whether any investigation is “geographical” is its relationship to the geosystem, defined as any natural complex, ranging from the global to the local scale. In his opinion, the unity of geography should be furthered not through the establishment of new supradisciplines, such as general geography, but through closer ties, both in methodology and in organizational terms, between the two main groups of geographical disciplines—physical geography and economic geography.