The Discipline Of Human Geography

The Discipline Of Human Geography Geographical knowledge has a long history in human development. Throughout the history of geography, it mostly involved developing knowledge of the physical features of the world but this history is itself a kind of presentation of human history. In the 19th Century, geography became formally regarded as a discipline, and human geography became established as an essential branch of the natural science; it refers to both geographical information and human activities, i.e. it includes both human geography and physical geography (Johnston, 2000). This essay firstly discusses the meaning of the discipline human geography. Following this, it describes how human geography relates to development. Subsequently, it assesses the key themes/issues relevant to development as explored by scholars, and studies the research techniques used by researchers in this discipline. Finally, it gives an example of a published piece of work stating how it is relevant to our understanding of contemporary deve lopment. 1 The discipline of human geography Geography can be divided into two major parts: physical and human. Both are branches of natural science, which encompass the study of the living world. Physical geography mainly deals with the processes of the atmosphere, biosphere and ecosphere, whereas human geography studies people, culture, population distributions, the urban environment, etc. It studies many cultural aspects and how they relate to their environment as well as why people migrate and how this impacts on their culture. Human geography is special in that the findings of the study of human geography may vary over time. 2 Human geography and development Marston et al. (2005) referred to human geography as incorporating several sub-disciplines, such as globalization, urbanization, the environment and migration. These are interrelated as the condition of one of these can be reflected in the development of another. Human geography discusses the profound interaction of cultural, environmental and social evolution, and considers the views that societies adopt in addressing these issues (Robinson, 2006). Thus, the core of human geography engages directly with change and development, but can be extended to deal with the economic, social, institutional and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Development can present diverse patterns, each with its own characteristics, as the different aspects of development, i.e. culture, economy and politics vary all the time. We can consider all these changing patterns as the results of development. The factors in development interact with each other, and change in one field can affect another or lead to changes elsewhere. Development transforms peoples lives, and as a result, development gradually alters human geography, particularly the aspects of human lifestyle, the political environment, the economic situation and even nature. Thus, the human geography of a place is its phylogeny, and that is how human geography relates to development. 3 Key themes/issues relevant to development Human geography is an incomplete discipline without considering development, to which there are various branches, such as culture, economics, politics, health and history. However, we will discuss these aspects under the headings generally adopted by researchers, as below. 3.1 Culture Culture is the norms and practices of people in particular places, and it encompasses language. It also reflects the region of settlement and other phenomena that may change or remain consistent. The first traces of the study of various cultures in different regions appeared in early 20th Century. At that time, the study of culture study was considered as an alternative to environmental determinism, which argued that human beings and societies are determined by their environment. It focuses on describing and analyzing the ways language, religion, economy, government, and other cultural phenomena vary or remain constant from one place to another and on explaining how humans function spatially (Jordan-Bychkov, et al 1994). Culture is a profound condition and is related to a region, and it has a significant impact on regional development. On the other hand, development can greatly affect cultural norms. The interaction of culture and development is just one aspect of human geography. 3.2 History History is the study of a wide variety of topics, including physical, theoretical, human, fictional and real geographies as well as the past. Historical geography mainly discusses how a place or region changes through time, how people interact with their environment and how the cultural landscape is created. In essence, human history is the phylogeny of people, while human geography is the study development. 3.3 Globalization Globalization is the process of worldwide integration derived from the interplay of world views, products, ideas and aspects of culture. It reveals the interchange of social and cultural forces, including economics, politics and religion. The Economics, politics and religion play an important role in the development of a region. (Al-Rodhan, R.F. Nayef and GÃ ©rard Stoudmann. 2006) Furthermore, the regional conditions of these factors are products of development. Advances in telecommunications, transportation and Internet business are key factors of globalization, and so development involves, in particular, industrial progress and national or international trade, and studying the close relationship between the environment, the economy and real estate. Trade is the exchange goods and services, and the ensuing economic development can improve the standard or quality of life; real estate is a reflection of the extent of urbanization. Therefore, only with all these developmental aspects can globalization become realized. 3.4 Migration Migration is the movement of people from one region or country to another, where they are not locals but settle there. Economic migrants generally seek better education, job opportunities, life conditions and so on; the status of development in the home nation/region is the most crucial factor in immigration. Political migrants generally seek freedom from oppression. Some migration is based on other, more personal reasons, and may be the product of culture and tradition. Immigrants can bring new changes and such interplay or intercommunication partly contributes to the evolution of human geography. 3.5 Urbanization Urbanization is the development of cities, and many rural migrants concentrate in cities, resulting in the physical growth of the urban environment. The structure and experiences of the urban landscape are crucial to human geography. Urbanization is closely linked to modernisation, industrialisation and the sociological process of rationalisation. During the process of development, cities and towns grow, and urban population around the world have been soaring. Urbanization is not just a social phenomenon; rather, it is a historic reform of human behaviour on a worldwide scale. The rapid growth of some big cities, such as Chicago in the 19th Century and Tokyo in the 20th Century, is largely the result of rural-urban migration; it is commonplace in developing countries. People living in cities can take advantage of diversity, proximity and competition in the marketplace. With all these factors, the urban environment can develop rapidly. 3.6 Environment Environment is a subfield of human geography and a reflection of development. Specifically, transformation of the environment is a result of physical and biological factors caused by the interactions of culture, customs, politics, industry and other aspects, i.e. development. Being part of human geography, the environment changes during the development process, and these changes also affect human geography. 4 Research techniques used in human geography 4.1 Social surveys Social survey is a crucial method in obtaining human geography information. The object of the study of human geography is to comprehend the social environment, and in this, social investigation is key to understand the cultural landscape and social phenomena clearly, scholars use social investigation as a means of collecting information and opinions relating to particular social events or trends. To garner the views and thoughts of people, researchers can conduct surveys among the target population. Social surveys also entail consulting historical data or other materials to develop a picture of change, and thus, through social investigation, we can understand both the past and present ages better. 4.2 Document collection Documents represent a priceless treasure of human history and geography, and can reveal the experiences and the scientific and technological achievements of ourselves and our predecessors. Current documents can be classified as paper and non-paper materials. Paper materials often refer to books, journals, reports and other data sources, from which people can gain knowledge of human geography. Non-paper materials mean the Internet, where researchers can access knowledge mostly relating to the present era. Searching on-line libraries or particular website-based information resources can assist in gathering a great deal of information quickly. With the development of science and technology, the means of document collection will become more diversified. 4.3 Exploiting data sources Our predecessors left much precious information about human geography. We contemporary people can gather these materials together, assess them, compare them and draw conclusions from them. As a result, we can learn of the development of human geography. Examining historical data can help us understand the differing features of human geography in different regions. Through assessing the differences between historical and current data, researchers can determine how people, culture, economics, politics and other factors have varied over time, i.e. what changes have occurred in a location, what kinds of inhabitants have ever lived there and what traditions they had and have. All the information can be found through careful organization and collation of the data. These methods are different from but complementary to surveys and document collection, but involve a great deal of effort in handling the data. 4.4 Spatial analysis Spatial analysis can be used in complex cases, and involves defining the varying spatial locations of the entities being studied. Applied to human geography, spatial data analysis can reveal population distribution patterns, the densities of structures at the human scale and spatial population dynamics. The characteristics of these issues are constantly changing in line with human development. Scholars often establish models by using spatial data to analyse the factors that impact on population distribution, etc. Spatial analysis contributes to assisting a deeper comprehension of the features of human geography, taking a spatial overview of the dynamics of population structures resulting from development. 4.5 Interviews Interviewing stems from the desire to know more about the people around us and to better understand how the people around us view the world we live in.(Seidman,1998) Thus, interviewing is most effective when the goal of the given research is to gain insight into the subjective understanding of those around us. In the past, it was uncommon to use interview as a method to study human geography. Gradually, researchers realized the importance of peoples social background, education, cultural and traditional norms in decision-making. Only through interviewing special groups of people can researchers identify the factors that influence behaviour. In underdeveloped regions, people there may not be literate, and so interview is the best method for obtaining first-hand materials to study their history and culture. Not only can researchers learn about specific events in development, they can also gain insight into peoples interior experiences, specifically how people perceive their world and h ow they interpret their perceptions, and how events are affected by their thoughts and feelings. In this, researchers can understand the process of an event instead of what just happened and how the subjects reacted to it. 5 One example illustrating how human geography is relevant to development An article entitled Progress in Human Geography by (Radcliffe 2004) discusses the evolution of human geography, and argues that global networks and human rights are related to this discipline because it is now clear that these two factors have a great impact on national development. This is just one example of many, telling us that the development of one country is inextricably linked to human geography. Conclusion Human geography is a representation of economic, political and historical development, and it examines the interplay between people and the built, rather than the natural, environment (although environmental impacts are considered). The interaction of a wide variety of factors drives human history to move on, as people seek to improve their lives and raise their living standards. A multitude of changes have occurred and will continue to occur as human behaviour changes, resulting complex contemporary societies in which cultures and identities are transformed. Thus human geography is the study of the change, formation and transformation of people and nations over time, or the taking of snapshots of particular human events, behaviours or activities.

Compare and contrast the human condition as it relates to Muslims and Christians

The author of this paper will endeavor to compare and contrast the human condition as it relates to Muslims and Christians. The author will examine the teachings of these religions as it relates to the improvement of the human condition and will look at the public stance of both of these great religions. One of the five basic pillars of Islam is the Zakaat or spiritual tithing or almsgiving. In its simplest terms it is a command by Muslims to give 2.5% of their accumulated wealth on an annual basis to other Muslims. According to www.islam.tc there is much more to the Zakaat than the simple annual giving. According to this website the Zakaat is â€Å"the most important act of worship which has to be performed monetarily.† The website further lists the many benefits of giving Zakaat as follows: â€Å"It reminds Muslims of the fact that whatever wealth they may possess is due to the blessings of Allah and as such is to be spent according to His commands.† â€Å"Zakaat functions as a social security for all. Those who have enough money today pay for what they have. If they need money tomorrow they will get what is necessary to help them live decently.† â€Å"Zakaat payer pays his dues to Allah as an act of worship, a token of submission and an acknowledgement of gratitude. The receiver of Zakaat receives it as a grant from Allah out of His bounty, a favor for which he is thankful to Allah.† Thus the Muslim by accepting the 5 pillars agrees that he is to help support the less well off from him. As this is a command from Allah, the benefits of the Zakaat are then seen as blessings directly from Allah. Allah says in the Qur'an â€Å"The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn. It grows seven ears and each ear has hundred grains. Allah increases manifold to whom he pleases.† (Qur'an 2:261) Further research indicates that the Hadith indicates the following benefits are derived from the Zakaat as follows: 1. Gain the pleasure of Allah 2. Increase in wealth and protection from losses 3. Allah's forgiveness and blessings 4. Protection from the wrath of Allah and from a bad death 5. A shelter on the Day of Judgment 6. Security from seventy misfortunes Benefit is sometimes looked upon as the avoidance of pain, and the Hadith certainly points out not only some benefits such as forgiveness and blessings, but additionally the avoidance of pain such as shelter on Judgment day and the security from seventy misfortunes. Allah also indicates punishment for not giving Zakaat as follows: â€Å"And there are those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, announce to them a most grievous penalty (when) on the Day of Judgment heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of Hell. Then with it they will be branded on their forehead and their flanks and backs. (It will be said to them) This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves, taste then the treasure that you have been hoarding.† (Qur'an 9:34-35) Christians on the other hand are certainly not as public and seem to be by the author's experience somewhat bashful or ashamed to speak about money, tithing and almsgiving. From the author's own experience as a member of the Stewardship committee of his Church, we only speak of money three Sundays per year and only in the context that it is a member of the trilogy of time, talents, and treasures to be given for the glory of God. Further, Christians are of two minds as to the amount of money they should give. The old testament of the Bible in Leviticus 27:31 states the following: A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. The word â€Å"tithe† means one tenth. In the new testament of the Bible, Jesus teaches us in Luke 6:38 â€Å"Give, it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.† Also in Luke, Jesus says in Luke 11:41 â€Å"But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.† The passages from the old and new testaments seem to be mutually exclusive, but do indicate that giving must be done, but not how much. Muslims, it seems are definitely more clear on the amount of giving. Also different between the Christian and the Muslim is who are we giving to? The Zakaat clearly indicates that Muslims are giving to other Muslims as a command from Allah which then gives benefit to both the giver and the receiver. Christians on the other hand clearly give to the Church. The Christian Church according to their doctrines then gives to help support the Church and also humankind as a whole. Christians routinely support other belief systems through their outreach and missions. Look as an example of the enormous support for Muslims by Christians after the Tsunami. The author is a member of an ELCA Lutheran Church and as part of the mission of this Church; the congregation took a mission trip in part to support a Catholic Orphanage in Peru. Muslims routinely praise or do not disparage the terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Why is this so? The reason is that Osama routinely supports other Muslims through generous giving to Muslims. Since there has been no outward vocal opposition to this generosity by Muslims it must therefore be an accepted practice. The author cannot recall or through research find any Christian terrorist let alone one who is exalted because of his giving. Both great religions certainly promote giving. The Muslim Zakaat clearly supports other Muslims which may just be the single biggest reason for the explosive growth of the Islam faithful in the world. Muslims believe the Zakaat should support all things Muslim such as education and cite Muhammad's exhortations regarding education as follows: â€Å"If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.† Certainly the Zakaat helps support education amongst the Muslims which further adds to their burgeoning populations. Christianity on the other hand is more quiet and somewhat bashful in their attempts at Christian education amongst the world's non-Christian people which may account for the slower growth of Christianity. Certainly both religions are painfully aware of the decline in the overall human condition, but Muslims, because of their adherence to the Five Pillars are doing a better and more public job of showing humankind (not necessarily in the United States) the kind, peace-loving, nurturing side of their faith.

An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction

Like literary journalism, literary nonfiction is a type of prose that employs the literary techniques usually associated with fiction or poetry to report on persons, places, and events in the real world without altering facts. The genre of literary nonfiction, also known as creative nonfiction, is broad enough to include travel writing, nature writing, science writing, sports writing, biography, autobiography, memoir,interviews, and familiar and personal essays. Literary nonfiction is alive and well, but it is not without its critics. Examples Here are several examples of literary nonfiction from noted authors: The Cries of London, by Joseph AddisonDeath of a Soldier, by Louisa May AlcottA Glorious Resurrection, by Frederick DouglassThe San Francisco Earthquake, by Jack LondonThe Watercress Girl, by Henry Mayhew Observations The word literary masks all kinds of ideological concerns, all kinds of values, and is finally more a way of looking at a text, a way of reading...than an inherent property of a text.(Chris Anderson, Introduction: Literary Nonfiction and Composition in Literary Nonfiction: Theory, Criticism, Pedagogy)Fictional Devices in Literary NonfictionOne of the profound changes to have affected serious writing in recent years has been the spread of fiction and poetry techniques into literary nonfiction: the show, don’t tell requirement, the emphasis on concrete sensory detail and avoidance of abstraction, the use of recurrent imagery as symbolic motif, the taste for the present tense, even the employment of unreliable narrators. There has always been some crossover between the genres. I am no genre purist, and welcome the cross-pollination, and have dialogue scenes in my own personal essays (as did Addison and Steele). But it is one thing to accept using dialogue scenes or lyrical imager y in a personal narrative, and quite another to insist that every part of that narrative be rendered in scenes or concrete sensory descriptions. A previous workshop teacher had told one of my students, Creative non-fiction is the application of fictional devices to memory. With such narrow formulae, indifferent to nonfictions full range of options, is it any wonder that students have started to shy away from making analytical distinctions or writing reflective commentary?(Phillip Lopate, To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction)Practical Nonfiction vs. Literary NonfictionPractical nonfiction is designed to communicate information in circumstances where the quality of the writing is not considered as important as the content. Practical nonfiction appears mainly in popular magazines, newspaper Sunday supplements, feature articles, and in self-help and how-to books...Literary nonfiction puts emphasis on the precise and skilled use of words and tone, and the assumption that the reader is as intelligent as the writer. While information is included, insight about that information, presented with some originality, may predominate. Sometimes the subject of literary nonfiction may not at the onset be of great interest to the reader, but the character of the writing may lure the reader into that subject.Literary nonfiction appears in books, in some general magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers, the Atlantic, Commentary, the New York Review of Books, in many so-called little or small-circulation magazines, in a few newspapers regularly and in some other newspapers from time to time, occasionally in a Sunday supplement, and in book review media.(Sol Stein, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies)Literary Nonfiction in the English DepartmentIt might be the case that composition studies...needs the category of literary nonfiction to assert its place in the hierarchy o f discourse comprising the modern English department. As English departments became increasingly centered on the interpretation of texts, it became increasingly important for compositionists to identify texts of their own.(Douglas Hesse, The Recent Rise of Literary Nonfiction: A Cautionary Assay in Composition Theory for the Postmodern Classroom)Whether critics are arguing about contemporary American nonfiction for historical or theoretical purposes, one of the primary (overt and usually stated) aims is to persuade other critics to take literary nonfiction seriously—to grant it the status of poetry, drama, and fiction.(Mark Christopher Allister, Refiguring the Map of Sorrow: Nature Writing and Autobiography)

Food Court Business Plan - 2787 Words

INDEX S.No Topic Page 1 Introduction 2 2 Executive Summary 2-3 3 Organizational Hierarchy 4 4 Marketing Objective 5-6 5 Market Analysis 7 6 Market Strategy And marketing Mix 8-9 7 Sales strategy 10-12 8 Innovative Marketing Strategy 13 9 Break Even 14 10 Financial Analysis 15-19 11. Economic Feasibility 20 12 Summary 21 INTRODUCTION BUSINESS PLAN: (FOOD COURT) [pic] WE ARE PLANNING TO SET UP A FOODCOURT IN BANGALORE CITY WHICH OFFERS DEEP ASSORTMENT OF TRADITIONAL VARIETY OF CUISINES AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS PARTS OF COUNTRY UNDER ONE ROOF. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: âž ¢ We will be starting novel concept of food court in†¦show more content†¦Ã¢Å¾ ¢ To become Market leader in Bangalore. SWOT ANALYSIS: STRENGTH âž ¢ Location: - Our food court will be placed in such an area which can be easily accessible from all part of city. âž ¢ Experienced staff: - Our hired expertise staff helps us in providing quality food service to our customer. âž ¢ Ambience of place: - The feeling of being in their native place while dinning is itself a pleasure experience which gives us an advantage over others. WEAKNESS âž ¢ Lack of experience: Food court is a start up and the odds are laced against it. Will face stiff competition from local players. âž ¢ Financing: - Preliminary estimates of sales and expenditures suggest that it will remain financially stable. However unforeseen expenditure or poor sales will threaten cash position, which will be particularly vulnerable in one year. âž ¢ Limited personnel: - Since we need expertise staff and to find and retain it is very difficult because of the competition in the market. Opportunities:- âž ¢ Growing market: - restaurants market is growing at a fast speed and demand for quality food is never ending. âž ¢ Potential to become a premier food provider: - because of the experienced and expertise staff we can deliver quality food products. Also the use of technology like Surface technology on table makes it quite innovative and a new experience.Show MoreRelatedThe Mission Of The Child Protection Services Agency1612 Words   |  7 Pagescase plan is an arrangement or ground plan that a child protection services professionals’ uses with a family as a road map for a rewarding mediation. Case plans are used for the summary of the findings and consequences, it seeks out acknowledgment of individuals concerning discernment and feelings. Case plans also includes services that will be offered to clients that they usual don’t know that are available to them (Home - Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d.). 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