Exploring the proper relation between physical and human geography

Abstract

Whether (and how) physical and human geography should be integrated is a longstanding debate in our field. I return here to two entries in this debate from the early years of Progress in Physical Geography. While John Thornes’ 1981 progress report on atmospheric science reads like an early call for critical physical geography, the focus of this special issue, Ron Johnston’s 1983 article emphatically asserts that no such synthesis is intellectually or practically necessary. I argue, however, that Johnston’s article, perhaps inadvertently, lays the groundwork for integrated research.

Impacts of Glacier Recession and Declining Meltwater on Mountain Societies

“…In transdisciplinary research on glacier runoff, the natural sciences and social sciences should work in "conversation" with each other-on equal footing-to detect glacier runoff variability and attribute human impacts to social-ecological drivers. Bridge building across disciplines and between researchers and nonacademic stakeholders-without one subsuming or appropriating the other-is crucial (Lave 2015).…”