What is it about?
This is a review of a book about geographic theory and philosophy that tries to combine physical and human geography.
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Why is it important?
There is a strong distinction between human and physical geography in terms of theory and subsequent research design and methodology: the author attempts to bridge this gap but does not succeed in my view.
Perspectives
I am very sympathetic to the idea that Geography as a discipline is integrated and is therefore quite different from other social or human sciences, but there are some very difficult issues to overcome in order to create this idea of an integrated science. The primary obstacle is one of ontology (asmuchas its implications for epistemology and methodology). The author of this book attempts to make such a bridging between the two aspects of the discipline but does not succeed in my opinion -- she betrays her physical geography training in the later chapters of the book, which will be of little value for human geographers.. But even so -- bravo for trying!!!
Bryn Greer-Wootten
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Student's Introduction to Geographical Thought: Theories, Philosophies, Methodologies by PaulineCouper,
SAGE Publications,
Los Angeles,
2015, 280 pp., paper US $47.00 (ISBN 978-1446282960), Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes, April 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/cag.12368.
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