Humanistic Geography

Abstract

The focus of humanistic geography is on people and their condition. Humanistic geography is thus not primarily an earth science, yet it is a branch of geography because it reflects upon kinds of evidence that interest other branches of the discipline. The following topics are briefly noted from the humanistic perspective: geographical knowledge, territory and place, crowding and privacy, livelihood and economics, and religion. The basic approach to these topics is by way of human experience, awareness, and knowledge. Humanistic geography contributes to science by drawing attention to facts hitherto beyond the scientific purview. It differs from historical geography in emphasizing that people create their own historical myths. A humanist geographer should have training in systematic thought, or philosophy. His work serves society essentially by raising its level of consciousness.UMANISTIC geography reflects upon geo-

Lugarização vivida e a localidade do ser: um retorno à geografia humanística?

“…Apesar de terem sido publicados vários volumes importantes em geografia humanística entre os anos 1980 e 2000 (por exemplo, Adams et al, 2000;Buttimer, 1993;Buttimer & Seamon, 1980;Entrikin, 1991;Relph, 1981;Sack, 1997;Seamon, 1993;Seamon & Mugerauer, 1985;Tuan, 1982Tuan, , 2012, geógrafos marxistas e feministas começaram a questionar os princípios humanísticos nos anos 1980 (Cloke et al, 1991;Creswell, 2013;Peet, 1998;Rose, 1995;Seamon & Sowers, 2008, p. 670-671 No período, estas e outras críticas foram respondidas apenas de modo fragmentado (ex. Duncan & Ley, 1984;Seamon, 1982), e nenhum geógrafo humanístico produziu ou sustentou contra argumentos para refutar as preocupações marxistas ou feministas.…”

Réintroduire le soi dans la subjectivité

“…En la matière, la source d'inspiration qui a le plus directement compté a été la géogra-phie humaniste et son accent mis sur le rôle des humains en tant que producteurs de sens (par exemple, Tuan, 1976). La critique actuelle ferait volontiers remarquer qu'on a quelque peu exagéré la part accordée à la volonté individuelle dans la création de sens face aux forces sociales puissantes sous-tendant l'action individuelle, et peu de géographes en ce début de XXI e siècle inscrivent leurs travaux dans le courant d'une géographie humaniste.…”

Practice matters! Geographical inquiry and theories of practice

“…For instance, Nigel THRIFT and others have attended to the ways capitalism and neoliberal orders are sustained through the engineering of affect, such as through the purposeful design of cityscapes that elicit playful consumerism and oust (unwanted) political activism (THRIFT 2004;. Another line of inquiry stems from humanistic geography, a central aim of which was to analyse the sense of place, the various attachments, wants, desires and fears that characterise the experience of rooms, buildings, cities or landscapes (BUTTIMER 1976, TUAN 1976. This endeavour has been taken up anew by geographers who are interested in the emotions implicated in human encounters with 'nature' (such as phobias or death), things and artefacts (e.g.…”