Foundations of Social and Behavioral Sciences Theory

Foundations of Contemporary Cultural Geography

Lecture 2

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

What is Geography?

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Geo = Earth

Human

EnvironmentCulture

Politics Biodiversity

Climate

Physical

Natural Disasters

Environment and Society

Economics

Religion

Natural ResourcesLandscape

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Graphos = writing

Landscape Study

Social Statistics

Spatial Statistics

GIS

MappingEthnography

Discourse/ Textual Analysis

Remote Sensing

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Geo = What we study Graphos = Method

Mapping, GIS, Spatial Statistics, Social Statistics, Landscape

Study, Ethnography, Discourse/ Textual Analysis

Culture, Environment, Politics, Biodiversity, Economics, Climate,

Religion, Natural Disasters, Natural Resources

Geography

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Geo = What we study Graphos = Method

Verstehen: Ethnography, Landscape Study, Discourse/ Textual Analysis, Positivism:

Social Statistics, GIS

Cultural Geography

Meaning, Symbols, Texts, Ideas, Discourse,

Rituals, Cultural Practice, Performance

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Cultural geography, the early years

• At the start of academic geography, there was no specifically “cultural” geography

• Physical and cultural world were seen holistically

• Alexander von Humboldt’s “Kosmos”

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

• Physical geography affected/determined human geography

• Economics, politics, technology, religion were all dependent on the immediate physical geography

• Environmental determinism

Cultural geography, the early years

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

• ‘Culture’ meant anything human (as opposed to physical/ natural world)

• A “degenerate” environment caused a “degenerate” culture: tropics and deserts were particularly harmful

Cultural geography, the early years

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

• Cultural geography was closely connected to imperialism and colonialism

• Modernity and “being modern” was seen as the ability for humans to rise above geography through technology and high culture

Cultural geography, the early years

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Cultural geography, the early years

Academic Geography in the 1800s: Thousands of different environments in the world,

but only one essential culture

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Cultural geography, the early years

Bad Environment = Low Culture

Good Environment = High Culture

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

The Beginning of Modern Geography

• Anthropologists began to argue that different societies have fundamentally different cultures

• We should no longer speak of culture but of cultures

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

20th C. Geography: Superorganic Culture

• Different societies were viewed as being distinct social organisms

• Culture was the product of a societal organism evolving

• Thus, culture was seen as superorganic (an emergent property of individuals coming together in a society)

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

20th C. Geography: Superorganic Culture

• Superorganic Culture is seen as standing above individuals and causing them to act

• Superorganic Culture is seen as a homogenous, relatively unchanging force

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

20th C. Geography: Superorganic Culture

• Doesn’t consider agency of individuals to act against and change their “culture”

• Can’t account for how “cultures” change

• Can’t account for the emergence of sub- cultures

Criticisms (1970s-1980s)

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Against Superorganic Culture Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Against Superorganic Culture Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

Against Superorganic Culture Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

“New” Cultural Geography

• Against superorganic culture, “new” cultural geographers argued:

1. culture needs to be explained (it is not the explanation)

2. there is no single societal culture

3. different cultural elements are constantly in conflict

(1980s - 1990s)

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

“New” Cultural Geography

4. Cultural conflict is key to understanding human geography/society

5. Cultural conflict is largely between powerful and powerless, insiders and outsiders

6. Culture is not a fundamental structure of society but is rather an arena for economic and political conflict

(1980s - 1990s)

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

“New” Cultural Geography (1980s - 1990s)

Did “old” cultural geography completely get it wrong?

Did “new” cultural geography suddenly discover the what culture really is?

Or were “old” and “new” culture explaining different phenomena?

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

“Old” Cultural Geography (1920s - 1970s)

“Old” Cultural Geography =

Pre-modern societies

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310

“New” Cultural Geography (1980s - 1990s)

“New” Cultural Geography =

Modern societies

Eastern Washington University

CSBS 310