Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1.1
A protocol for
applied geographical analysis.
(Figure 1.1). The 'DEEP' procedure represents a
useful analytical algorithm. However, the clarity
and organisation of the scheme does not imply
that simple answers are expected to contemporary
social, economic or environmental problems.
Normally, in order to understand the nature and
causes of real-world problems it is necessary to
untangle a Gordian knot of causal linkages that
underlie the observed difficulty. In some cases,
such as the link between ground slippage and
building collapse, cause and effect are relatively
straightforward, but in most instances the cause of
a problem may be more apparent than real. Thus
while the immediate cause of the problems faced
by a poor family on a deprived council estate in
Liverpool may be a lack of employment
opportunities following the closure of a local
factory, the root cause of the social and financial
difficulties confronting the family may lie in the
decisions of investment managers based in
London, NewYork or Tokyo.
As Figure 1.1 indicates, as well as describing
the nature and explaining the causes of
problems, the applied geographer also has a role
to play in evaluating possible responses and in
prescribing
appropriate
policies
and
