Any geographers out there?

[Iria]

Am just writing a paper on the relationship of medieval / early modern literature with the development of national conscience and some other uninteresting stuff and was wondering... What tools do geographers use in their research? what is the aim of geography? literature, and above all travel literature... does it enter into the equation of the science of geography?

I know it is a bit of a weird one... but thanks for any comments on this

[ywouldi]

Have a look at the Critical Geography Forum, its where all the Human geographers hang out!

http://tinyurl.com/atjjb

Also look at the journals such as the Annals of American Geographers, or the Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers journal.

For information (albeit somewhat more modern) on nationalism look at Anderson, Imaginged Communities (1990) and Gellner, Nations and Nationalism (1983).

Also I think that the aim of Human Geograpy (As I assume you are talking about here) is to relate the Human experience to space and place. To explore how space and place shapes the Human and vice versa. It also draws from other areas of the academy such as Psychology and Social Science.

Ben


>> Edited by ywouldi on Saturday 28th May 17:47

[Iria]

Thanks Ben!

Have had a look at the theory (post-colonialism/Edward Said, which does not suit me very much since I am talking about Europe) and some books by Derek Gregory (Geographical Imaginations) and Gerard Delanty (Inventing Europe) and got some articles from the Annals, but will check out the forum! Interdisciplinary studies are a bit of a pain because one ends being a jack of all trades...

[chrishillcoat]

If you're looking at medieval studies then geography was very applied and practical: how much tax can the government get out of the populace? How many people live here? Where? And so on. Don't forget military applications, which is what maps were invented for AFAIK.

Chris (humble first year undergrad )

[Iria]

chrishillcoat said:

If you're looking at medieval studies then geography was very applied and practical: how much tax can the government get out of the populace? How many people live here? Where? And so on. Don't forget military applications, which is what maps were invented for AFAIK. Chris (humble first year undergrad )

Thanks Chris!
So how would you define that "geography" then? A survey of population, a division of the land in counties, etc...? It is really interesting that you bring the idea of the map for military applications; do you think maps were taken on military campaigns in say the Crusades? Is geography only maps for you? Have you seen or studied any medieval map?

Sorry for bombarding you with questions, I´m more than curious!

[mybrainhurts]

I went to Scunthorpe once.

[mawds]

If you have about a week, I'll send you my mate Dave's email address - he's a lecturer in something to do with computers & maps, although the finer points escape me. He's a geographer by training, but I warn you, he loves maps (hence week needed).

Didn't there used to be some geordie welders around here who knew a bit about geography?

[Wacky Racer]

mybrainhurts said:

I went to Scunthorpe once.

So did I.......It was shut.

[chrishillcoat]

Iria said:

chrishillcoat said: If you're looking at medieval studies then geography was very applied and practical: how much tax can the government get out of the populace? How many people live here? Where? And so on. Don't forget military applications, which is what maps were invented for AFAIK. Chris (humble first year undergrad ) Thanks Chris! So how would you define that "geography" then? A survey of population, a division of the land in counties, etc...? It is really interesting that you bring the idea of the map for military applications; do you think maps were taken on military campaigns in say the Crusades? Is geography only maps for you? Have you seen or studied any medieval map? Sorry for bombarding you with questions, I´m more than curious!

No problem - distractions from revision are always welcome!

It's worth pointing out that the medieval period was a low-point for European science generally, whereas the Arabs and Chinese were much more advanced.

I've never seen a map that old in the flesh, but you've probably seen examples showing that general knowledge was pretty thin on the ground ("Heere be dragones" etc.) The amount of knowledge has to be appropriate to the circumstances of course! A medieval map doesn't show geology, because they didn't know how to measure it and it would be no use anyway.

With regards to your first question, I would say that "geography" is simply knowledge about the world - for governments of the Middle Ages, that encompassed all sorts of things, military, diplomatic, tax and so on. Local knowledge came from the knights and regional assemblies didn't it?

[Iria]

Hi Mawds!
Thanks for the offer... I do not have a week I´m afraid, well, actually, I do, I have until september so if your friend loves chatting about maps that would be great!
I´ve actually worked on this paper/chapter for several months already and have been in touch with historians and "literarians" as I fancy calling people like me... but it suddenly dawned on me that I have had no geographer telling me his/her ideas of maps. Duh!

--

Chris... tell me about distractions! I was given a month to write this and here I am, three days before submitting the first draft and still wondering about things, staring at the ceiling with a blank look and posting on PH.

I´ve seen those old maps and they are fantastic things to behold. Yes, Chinese and Arabs were more advanced (they have always been during that period!) and the best maps as what we understand for "maps" today were the portolan charts, used for navigation. Other types of maps were rather irrelevant, they could not carry maps when they went abroad because not everyone could afford to have a proper piece of parchment prepared for a pocket map, so they read itineraries, which are lists of cities, in linear order. As you said... "they were of no use". That of course affected their view of the world and linked it to literature... and then we have the here be dragons mappaemundi.

Thanks for the comment on your idea of geography as "knowledge"... It is a fantastic term. a good deal of early modern texts on geography and the description of nations actually contain that word in their title, which is essential: to know is to possess, and by knowing they are colonising the lands surveyed.

Phew, will copy that now in my paper

[chrishillcoat]

Hillcoat, C. J. (2005) Wasting Time on PistonHeads.com, accessed 28th May 2005

[Iria]

need to sort out my quotations and referencing too!

[8Pack]

mybrainhurts said:

I went to Scunthorpe once.

Ah Scunthorpe! There's only one c**t in Scunthorpe, (when I find out who it is I'll let you know).

Er! sorry chaps, do carry on, it's MBH's fault, he started it)