Mutual misunderstanding and avoidance, misrepresentations and disciplinary politics: spatial science and quantitative analysis in (United Kingdom) geographical curricula

Abstract

One consequence of the fragmentation of their discipline and the consequent lack of awareness amongst human geographers of what is being done by many of their colleagues is misrepresentation of certain types of work -in textbooks, for example. Amongst the areas often misrepresented in recent years are those commonly categorised by such terms as 'spatial science' and 'quantitative analysis'. Critics of these areas often write as if the type of work undertaken in the 1960s-1970s still characterises them today, with little appreciation of contemporary activities. This article responds to such claims by presenting the current nature of work in those areas -very different from that of several decades ago -and makes the case for their inclusion in curricula so that students (most of whom will not proceed to research in the areas) can

Do Physicists Have Geography Envy? And What Can Geographers Learn from It?

“…Overall, while the state of quantitative methods in geography remains the subject of debate (see Johnston et al 2014), it is clear that many geographers have moved away from conducting quantitative research precisely when other fields are using quantitative approaches to move toward geographical topics. As Poon argues, "…paradoxically, just as quantitative geography is coming under increased fire, other disciplines have begun quantifying geographic phenomena, and stepping up their production and use of quantitative methods in areas where some geographers have abdicated in favor of more qualitative approaches."…”

Spatial science – Looking outward

“…In this response to the paper by Johnston et al (2014), a number of such developments are considered. In particular, the issues of big data, data journalism, reproducibility and statistical inference are discussed.…”

“…In particular, the issues of big data, data journalism, reproducibility and statistical inference are discussed. In conclusion, it is argued that all of these would make some kind of positive contribution to the geography curriculum, providing in the words of Johnston et al (2014) 'an important role in the formation of an informed citizenry in data-driven, evidence-based-policy societies'. …”

“…Like Johnston et al (2014), I believe that the focus on the thinking underlying the quantitative revolution of the 1960s in modern texts on geographical thought and practice does, at least implicitly, lead to a misrepresentation of current quantitative geography -exemplified in Cresswell's (2013) statement that, 'The world of the spatial scientist is inhabited by a particular kind of imaginary person called a "rational being" . .…”

“…A realistic understanding of the role that 'spatial scientists' could play in current geographical debates can only be gained by acknowledging that this viewpoint does not typify much of their current thinking. Johnston et al (2014) encapsulate current practice well by noting that 'much spatial science deploys place rather than space as its key geographical concept and there is rarely any mention of positivism and its basic tenets ' (p. 6). This is true both of exploratory data analysiswhere emphasis is often placed on identifying places associated with unusual data patterns -and also with local statistics such as geographically weighted regression (Brunsdon et al, 1996) or local Moran's I (Anselin, 1995).…”