Regional Geography: Summaries

Regional Geography: Summaries
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Regional Geography: Summaries
The Rise of Possibilism by George Tatham
The article focuses on how the modern-day scientists have been hesitant to change the well-established ideas and concepts in natural sciences despite an overwhelming body of evidence. This type of geographers, according to Tatham, are more concerned with the frames of operation that man sets for himself rather than focusing on what nature provides for man to fulfill his ambitions. This diversionary approach from focusing on environmental provisions to emphasizing on man’s action is what is termed as Possibilism. Tatham proceeds to give evidence of the works that have entirely focused on the man’s activities instead of the natural prominence in determining such activities. Human beings are made in such a way that they react to the changes in their surrounding and that is what shapes their existence in the earth. Hence, their portrayal as passive beings is not only biased, but also less conducive for research on human actions. It should be understood that man as a creation of nature, is a geographical agent, who by all means contributes to the physiognomy of the earth. The interplay between human activity and terrestrial occurrences is by itself a major evidence of man’s connection to geography. For the possibilists, it is important for them to note that Nature is not cruel to man, but rather leads him on a course that is full of opportunities from which he can select or utilize. The activities of men are confined in the limits set by Nature. However, these limits vary from one location to the other depending on weather, climate, terrain, or seasons. In some instances, man’s activities are highly restricted implying the possibilities to man’s techniques are extremely constrained.
Thinking about Regions
For the longest period of human existence, one question that has bothered different generations is how the human beings and the physical world are connected. This has led to a continued search for the convincing evidence of spatial differences that exist between humans and the world. This is where the subject of human geography comes in. One con...