Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Geography as a whole:
the common ground
The picture that emerges from our discussions so far is of a diverse
fi eld of study. The description 'a broad church' is often applied
and is very apt for the range of topics and approaches currently
investigated by physical and human geographers. It is the purpose
of this chapter to search for and demonstrate the common ground,
the bonds that hold geography together as a single discipline and
provide it with a unifi ed identity. We fi rst briefl y set out the most
important shared concepts and practices, and then focus on fi ve
areas of research, scholarship, and study that we term 'integrated
geography'. This demonstrates by example the distinctive and
important role played by geography as a whole.
Shared concepts and practices
The unifying aspects that hold geography together can be set
out as follows. First, there are the core concepts that we have
identifi ed as space, place, and environment. Allied to these is a
set of generic concepts that serve as common currency within
geography, including time, process, and scale. It is important to
recognize that geography has no monopoly over these concepts
(even those described as core). They are used across wide fi elds of
knowledge, but it is the manner of their use by geographers that
gives distinctiveness.
