Quantitative revolution in Geography

Definition

QR refers to gain in emphasis of the use of mathematical and statistical tools or physical sciences to search for models,laws and theories in geography.

Antecedents

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, many events and developments presented threat to geography as an academic subject.Some of them are:

• The closing of many geography departments and courses in universities took place, e.g., the abolition of the geography program at Harvard University
• There was continuing division between human and physical geography – general talk of human geography becoming an autonomous subject.
• Geography was regarded as overly descriptive and unscientific –it was claimed that there was no explanation of why processes or phenomena occurred.
• Geography was seen as exclusively educational –there were few if any applications of contemporary geography.
• Continuing debates regarding what geography is –science, art, humanity or social science–took place.
• After World War II, technology became increasingly important in society, and as a result, nomothetic-based sciences gained popularity and prominence.

Underlying Philosophy

1. Empiricism (direct observation, data collection,etc)
2. Positivism (quantification, processing of data to arrive at conclusion)
3. Functionalism (system analysis)
4. Nomothetic (law seeking approach)

Tools

1. Statistics i.e mean,median ,mode,standard deviation,etc
2. Mathematics like algebra,geometry,trigonometry,etc.
3. Economical theories(adam smith,Kant,etc)
4. Physics (universal law of gravitation,etc)
5. Cybernetics
6. Biological sciences (system analysis,etc)

Approaches

1. Locational Analysis
2. Spatial Analysis
3. System Analysis

Stages

Phase 1(1818-1915)

• Neo classical economics theories  used in model building
• Van Thunen agricultural model, Weber industrial location theory,Ravenstein’s laws omigration,etc

Phase 2(1915-1955)

• Model building related to settlement geography
• Central place theory,primate city,rank size rule,etc

Phase3(1955-76)

• Phase of quantitative revolution.
• Great use of quantitative tools in geography in order to develop theories,Laws and models.
• Almost every element of the discipline of geography was influenced by QR
• Neil Harvey in physical Sciences,T.Stamp in agricultural geography, Weaver's crop combination method, Chorley & Berry’s system analysis, P.Haggett and Bunge’s locational analysis,etc  were part of this phase.
• After 1976 it declined. It was also said that geography is cutting their fingers with their own tools.

Phase 4(1976 to present)

• It’s called phase of critical revolution.
• Human and welfare geography replaced QR.

Criticism

• Assumptions during model building considered humans as economic and rational being neglecting its humanistic aspects of emotions,sentiments,beliefs,etc.
• Geography became a space geometry and central theme of geography describing man-nature relationships lost.
• Geographical models  lacked universal applicability.