11/3/2011

FromRichardPeet,
ModernGeographicalThought(1998)

WarisGodswayof
teachingAmericansgeography.
AmbroseBierce

CausesofTheQuantitativeRevolution

PhilosophiesofGeography

Positivism
Technicalexpertiseandspatialperspectivesgainedduring
WorldWarII.
Advancesincomputationaltechnology.
Theriseinpositivismandspatialanalysisinthesocial
sciences.
Discontentofgeographers,especiallyyoungermembersof
thediscipline,concerningthenature(andTheNature...)
ofgeography.
ThedemiseofgeographyatHarvard.
TheresistanceofTheOldGuardtochange.

(a.k.a.LogicalPositivism,Modernism,Scientism...)
Philosophy:Thegoalofgeographyshouldbetogenerate
lawsthatexplainandpredicteventsandpatternsinthe
realworld.Trueunderstandingoftheworldisgained
throughverifiableexperienceintheformofdatathatare
,
y ,
p
j
collected,analyzed,andreportedinanobjectivemanner
(thatis,freeofinvestigatorbias).
Epistemology:Thescientificmethod.Thatis,amethodof
researchinwhichaproblemisidentified,statedintheform
ofahypothesis,relevantdataaregatheredandanalyzedin
anunbiasedway,leadingtoacceptanceorrejectionofthe
hypothesis.
Paradigm: Ascientificexperiment.

Augean:
resemblingtheAugeanstablesinfilthor
degradation;difficultandunpleasant.

Augean stables:
Augeanstables:
InGreekmythology,thestablesinwhichKing
Augeaskept3,000oxen,andwhichhadnot
beencleanedfor30years.Herculesdiverteda
riverthroughthemandcleanedtheminaday.

Howdoesanacademicdisciplineprogress
(asbyadoptingnewconcepts,
methodologiesandtechniques)ifits
gatekeepers
gatekeepers i.e.,thosewhocontrol
i e those who control
publication,promotionandtenure are
opposedtonewwaysofdoingthings?

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ZviGrilches
(19301999)

Holocaustsurvivorwhobecame
aleadinginternationalexperton
theeconomicimpactofthe
spatialdiffusionoftechnological
innovation.
EmigratedtotheU.S.after
WorldWarIIandstudied
sociology.
Hisdoctoraldissertation(U.of
Chicago,1957)onthediffusion
ofhybridcornintheU.S.is
consideredaclassicinmany
fields,includingcultural
geography.
Numerouspublications,
principallyinRuralSociologyand
otherjournalsinthefieldof
sociology.

TheCornBelt

AregionintheMidwestwhere
cornhasbeenthedominant
cropsincethe1850s,replacing
tallnaturalprairiegrasses
Since1950,almostentirely
hybridcorn.
Mostendsupasfeedfor
li t k
livestock,especiallyhogsand
i ll h
d
chickens.
Growinguseforethanol
U.S.producesabout40%
Ofworldcorncrop.
Increasinglycomplementedby
soybeans.

HybridCorn(center)vs.EarlierVarieties

CornHarvestingintheMidwest

TheSshapedadoptioncurve

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Diffusionofhybridcorn
inseveralstates

ThomasS.Kuhn
(19221996)

WilliamL.Garrison
(1924 )

Americanhistorian/philosopherof
science.
Wrotethehighlyinfluentialand
controversialbookTheStructureof
ScientificRevolutions(1962).
Arguedagainstthenormal
scienceviewpointthatdisciplinary
progressisaslow,incremental
accumulation of knowledge
accumulationofknowledge.
Arguedinsteadthatnormal
scienceleadstoacrisisphase
whentheexistingparadigm(mode
ofexplanation)provesunsatisfactory.
Theresultisaperiodofupheaval
followedbyaparadigmshiftthat
involvesadoptionofamore
satisfactorymodeofexplanation.

Hybridcornfield

Sequenceofeventsinascientificrevolution,
accordingtoKuhn
Preparadigm period:Variousschoolsofthought,often
associatedwithnoteworthyindividuals,viefordisciplinary
dominance.
Professionalization:Respondingtoaneedtodefinewhata
disciplineisallabout,oneparadigmcomestothefore.
(Happenedingeographywhenauniversitydegreebecame
necessarytobecomeahighschoolgeographyteacher.))
Aperiodofnormalscienceensues.
Acrisisphasedevelopswhentheexistingparadigmproves
increasinglyunabletosolveproblemsoroperatesatisfactorily.
Arevolutionaryphase,characterizedbyaparadigmshift
occurswhennewexemplarsprovesuperiortooldones.The
newwayofdoingthingsoftencapturestheallegianceofyoung
practitioners.Therevisedsciencemayadoptthenewparadigm
orexistasacontesteddiscipline.

Pivotalfigureinthequantitative
revolutionthattransformed
Americangeographyafter1950.
Trainedinadvancedstatistics
duringWWII.Focusedon
transportationandlogistics.
ReceivedPh.D.inGeographyfrom
Northwesternin1950.
Oneofthefirstgeographerstouse
One of the first geographers to use
computers,applyingadvanced
quantitativeanalysisto
transportationissues.
Taught(atU.ofWashington)the
firstgeographygraduateseminarin
quantitativemethods.
EnrolleesbecameaWhosWhoin
AmericanGeography.