Cultural Geography
Introduction
Cultural geography is a subfield of human geography that studies cultural products and norms, and their variations across and relations to spaces and places. It focuses on describing and analyzing the ways language, religion, economy, government, and other cultural phenomena vary or remain constant from one place to another.
History
Cultural geography, as a discipline, has a long and complex history. It originated in the works of early geographers like Carl O. Sauer who were interested in the human imprint on the landscape and how cultural activities were spatially distributed. This early work was grounded in the field of cultural anthropology and was influenced by the landscape painting and nature writing of the time.
In the mid-20th century, cultural geography began to take more of a social science approach, moving away from the descriptive nature of its origins. This shift was influenced by the quantitative revolution in geography as a whole and the advent of positivist science.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, cultural geography has become more interested in broader issues of representation, identity, and the body. This has been influenced by postmodern and poststructuralist theories.
Key Concepts
Culture
Culture is a central concept in cultural geography. It refers to the shared practices, norms, and artifacts that characterize a group of people. In cultural geography, culture is thought of as being both constitutive of and constituted by space and place.
Space and Place
Space and place are also key concepts in cultural geography. Space refers to the physical environment, while place refers to space that has been given meaning by people. Cultural geographers study the ways in which space and place are constructed by cultures and how these constructions influence cultural practices.
Landscape
Landscape is another important concept in cultural geography. It refers to the visible features of an area, both natural and human-made. Cultural geographers are interested in how landscapes are shaped by culture and, in turn, how they shape culture.
Representation
Representation is a concept that has become more important in cultural geography in recent years. It refers to the ways in which culture is represented and understood. Cultural geographers study the ways in which culture is represented in things like maps, literature, and media.
Methods
Cultural geographers use a variety of methods to study cultural phenomena. These include fieldwork, interviews, and archival research. They also use methods drawn from other disciplines, such as literary analysis and discourse analysis.
Subfields
There are several subfields within cultural geography, each with its own focus. These include:
- Historical geography: This subfield focuses on the geographical patterns of the past and how they have influenced the present.
- Political geography: This subfield studies the spatial consequences of political processes.
- Economic geography: This subfield looks at the spatial distribution of economic activities.
- Social geography: This subfield focuses on the spatial distribution of social phenomena.