Nice one Dan - neatly illustrates my thesis re the unifying discipline -
what other subject lends itself to you being able to spout reams of stuff on
most (if not all) subjects under the sun at dinner parties, etc.?
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: dan knox [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 06 February 2003 15:58
To: "Robert Polson"
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Is Geography brainwashing?"
Robert, Hillary etc.
> What is the point of rote
> learning what is grown or manufactured in a line from say Hull to
> Manchester?
One good reason is that this will ensure you are never short of
conversation upon meeting
new people from different places at a dinner party. Thus, when
finding yourself sat next
to someone from Hull, you will be able to make polite and
at-least-vageuly knowledgable
conversation about the white fish trade. Similarly, it pays to be
aware of the soap opera and
dad-rock industries in Manchester so that uncomfortable silences
between courses can be
filled with historical coronoation street storylines etc.
Seriously, though, our first questions should always be about physical
environments, climate and
the general disposition of the people. The knowledge of humanity
(what used to be called "man")
logically follows on from our
knowledge of the physical environment. Thus, for example, the
knowledge that Hull is a coastal
town does not in any way contradict the possibility that it might be a
fishing port...in fact the
two facts are inextricably linked. Thus, physical location has
enabled Hull to grow up as a major
fishing port - as geographers we already know that Hull is on the
coast and are thus not unduly
surprised to later find that it is a fishing port. Nor, indeed, would
we be surprised to hear that the
inhabitants of Hull are generally short, hardy (from going to sea) and
primarily fish-eaters.
We might even devise a concentric ring model of the town, illustrating
the concentration of
fishing-related industry near the harbour. Then colour it in.
> 2) What was the point of learning the contents of the Times World
Atlas back
> index?
see dinner party point above!
dan
************************
Dan Knox
Research Postgraduate
Department of Geography
University of Durham
South Road
DURHAM
DH1 3LE
0191 515 3728 (Office)
07984 332496 (Mobile)
www.dur.ac.uk/d.l.knox
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