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Thursday, January 24, 2008
WON'T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU



hmmamm.10:35 pm



we actually find lecture quite fun, its jsut like listening to jinghan's parrot talk.
... :)
wonders of technology, makes it easy to copy fast. good!
okay, maybe wenshu doesnt think so.
there are people who love taking pictures in lts too.
hardcore camwhore slogan: anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
... hmm.
pinrui deep in thought.
and i leave you with a quote.
"with selfless faith.


hmmamm.10:13 pm

Tuesday, January 01, 2008
THIS IS THE GEOG ESSAY.

Physical and Human Geography: A Marriage on the Rocks. Discuss.

“Till Death Do Us Part”

The very last line in the marriage vow is by far the most important, yet hardest to comprehend, and it was many years ago that the Human and Physical components of our surroundings had uttered this vow and forgone their single statuses to come under the large umbrella of Geography.

Currently, debate is rife about separating its long lasting union, speculation that they were never meant to be. They are worlds apart, with Human Geography likened to Art and Physical Geography likened to Science. Michael Naish outlines the developing views of the scope of school Geography in the United Kingdom during the late 1960s, where the whole syllabus underwent a ‘conceptual revolution’ to include more systematic and scientific teaching methods. The dominating element of this revolution was the attempt to explain phenomena through a more scientific approach, which involved posing and testing of hypotheses or construction of conceptual models to fit reality. This heavily undermined the Art aspect of Geography as the Science component wielded its mighty influence over both the Human and Physical parties, thereby unearthing the first signs of tension between the couple.

To further exasperate the situation, ‘it is often argued that Geography has not a distinct subject matter … but a distinctive point of view from which study is conducted’, hence nullifying the ‘marriage’ as there is no platform at all. As described by Joan Nunes, the superfluous nature of geographic content has made it difficult to define what is regarded within its scope, causing much discrepancy. The broad category of Geography is most effectively captured by William Hughes:

“Geography … seeks to classify phenomena (alike of the natural and of the political world, in so far as it treats of the latter), to compare, to generalize, to ascend from effects to causes, and, in doing so, to trace out the great laws of nature and to mark their influences upon man... In a word Geography is a Science—a thing not of mere names but of argument and reason, of cause and effect.”
-William Hughes, 1863

It is an ambition to describe the world.

Yet, Duncan Hawley argues that “one of the key justifications for the place of Geography in the curriculum is its position as a bridge between the sciences and the arts”. Relations that at first seem divided to the naked eye may well be everlasting should more effort be taken to delve deeper, with it bringing revelations and understanding.

More often than not are Physical forces of nature at odds with Human communities, in a confrontation where only one party can emerge victorious. However, it is through such incidences can we see the bridging role Geography plays. Antony Milne speaks about the Vikings who sailed the North Atlantic during the warm periods of 1,000 AD, only to be inhibited shortly after due to dramatic variations in the climate, hence disrupting their exploration. Already we see the broad coverage of Geography shaping the explanation, bringing in the Human factor of the Vikings, being maritime nomads, and the Physical factor of climate change.

In Man versus Weather episodes like the recent Hurricane Katrina as an example, extensive implications arise. Primarily, the formation of a hurricane and its effect on the land it travels over constitutes the Physical component. This includes the study of how to prevent extensive damage by building barriers and implementing warning systems and codes to inform residents of any impending bad weather. Conversely, the Human component it made up of more relational effects such as how the residents respond to the warnings given, and with prior information on their vulnerability to such events, how to structure their settlements in a way that can best withstand this onslaught.

Through the years, natural disasters have wrecked havoc on Humans, and in each and every newspaper report, a Geographic stance is always adopted. The articles not only involve the explanation of how the disaster came about, but also what happened to the people affected by it, hence showing the duel approach that is essentially Geography.

Thus, to quote from the marriage vows, ‘for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health’, I believe the unity of Geography remains, ‘till death do us part’.


hmmamm.5:45 pm

SHEEPIE
Joanne Gay
Victoria Junior College

play around with the sheep on top :)

BAA!


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