Introduction – Population Geography

Introduction

Chapter – 1

Human elements in geography

Geography traditionally focused on the relationship between humans and the environment, emphasizing physical aspects over human elements.
Friedrich Ratzel laid the foundation for human geography, coining the term ‘anthropogeographie’ in the late 19th century.
In 1882, Ratzel published the first volume of Anthropogeographie, exploring the effects of physical features on history, with the second volume following in 1891.
Ratzel’s work attracted attention to population and its attributes, influenced by his interest in the lives of different tribes, races, and nations during his visits to the United States and Mexico.
Ratzel’s research led to general concepts about geographical patterns from the interaction between expanding and retreating communities.
Ratzel’s Anthropogeographie gained followers in Europe and North America, though his views on man-environment relations were seen as deterministic.
Some German geographers, like Kirchhoff, focused on human-centered studies rather than physical influences on human affairs.
Alfred Hettner, a contemporary of Ratzel, integrated population studies into human geography, emphasizing regional birth and death rates, migration, and social qualities.
In France, Paul Vidal de la Blache developed the concept of possibilism, which suggests nature offers possibilities for human activities influenced by culture.
Vidal’s Principles of Human Geography emphasized population studies but neglected other geographical aspects and classification.
Jean Brunhes, Vidal’s disciple, highlighted population distribution and settlement morphology but ignored population qualities.
Despite some specific studies, population geography remained neglected within human geography through much of the first half of the 20th century.
Post-World War II, efforts to establish population geography as a separate discipline emerged, with significant contributions from Pierre George and Trewartha in the early 1950s.
Pierre George’s comprehensive treatment of population facts in geography in 1951 and Trewartha’s influential statement helped recognize population geography as a sub-branch of human geography.

Trewartha’s case for ‘population geography’

In his 1953 presidential address before the Association of American Geographers, Trewartha strongly advocated for the importance of population geography.
Trewartha criticized the neglect of population studies in geographical research.
He argued that geography is fundamentally anthropocentric, with population being central to all geographical studies.
According to Trewartha, population provides the essential background and focal point from which all other geographical elements derive significance.
He proposed a three-fold sub-division of geographical science: physical elements, cultural elements, and population.
Trewartha emphasized the importance of studying population in relation to both the physical and cultural earth.
He stated that the study of population is the most important approach to geography, with the broadest application of the regional concept.
Trewartha believed that neglecting population studies would harm the overall discipline of geography.
He argued for focusing on human aspects rather than just the cultural landscape.
Trewartha’s comprehensive framework for population geography significantly contributed to the acceptance of this sub-field within human geography.

The roots of population geography

The early works of George (1951) and Trewartha’s influential address in 1953 are pivotal in establishing population geography as a distinct field within geography.
The emergence of population geography was influenced by developments both within geography and outside.
Availability of population statistics played a crucial role, with governmental and international agencies becoming key sources of demographic data.
United Nations agencies began publishing demographic statistics regularly after World War II, standardizing census data collection across countries.
Political and societal conditions during and after wars emphasized the ethnic composition of populations, necessitating detailed demographic studies.
Shift from macro-level to micro-level studies facilitated population mapping, aided by advancements in data handling and computing.
Demographic transition in Europe from the 18th century led to unprecedented population growth globally by the 20th century.
Rapid population growth in less developed regions spurred research interest in urbanization and the challenges of large cities.
Parallel developments in demography and population studies complemented the rise of population geography as an independent sub-field.
The interdisciplinary nature of population geography drew from advancements in related disciplines, contributing to its recognition and growth within geographical studies.

Population geography: definition, nature and subject matter

Population geography is defined by its focus on the spatial perspective of human population distribution and characteristics.
The subject matter of population geography has been debated since Trewartha’s formal advocacy in 1953.
Trewartha emphasized regional differences in population distribution and comprehensive analysis of population dynamics and qualities.
Clarke (1972) sees population geography as unraveling the relationship between population phenomena and cultural environment.
Zelinsky (1966) emphasizes how population phenomena shape and are shaped by geographic characteristics over space and time.
Noin (1979) underscores distribution, growth components, and population characteristics as central concerns.
Proyer (1984) highlights the interrelationship analysis between population phenomena and geographic characteristics.
Scholars debate between broad definitions (inclusive of various population attributes) and narrow definitions (focused on fertility, mortality, migration).
Woods and Rees (1986) propose spatial demography emphasizing statistical demographic methods and multidisciplinary approaches.
Population geography includes core concerns: size, distribution, rural-urban dynamics, population dynamics (growth trends, fertility, mortality, migration), and population composition (demographic, social, economic).
Government policies, economic development, and environmental impacts are integral topics within population geography.

Subsequent developments in population geography

Population geography grew significantly from the 1960s onwards, with the publication of numerous textbooks and its establishment at academic levels globally.
Influenced by the quantitative revolution, population geography shifted from descriptive to scientific analysis of demographic facts in spatial contexts.
During the 1960s and 1970s, migration analysis became a prominent focus within population geography, spurred by rapid urbanization in less developed regions.
Criticism of positivism and behavioralism in the late 1970s influenced human geography but had a slower impact on population geography.
By the late 1970s, there was critique against traditional pattern orientation in population geography, advocating for a shift towards process orientation.
Woods and Jones emphasized a process-oriented approach in population geography, focusing on dynamics like mortality, fertility, and migration.
The shift towards spatial demography in the 1980s redefined population geography to include modeling, policy research, and long-term demographic change analysis.
Structuralism, humanism, and post-modernism influenced population geography diversification, although the impact was less pronounced compared to other human geography sub-disciplines.
Criticisms persisted regarding the methodological conservatism and dominance of migration studies in population geography discourse.

Other disciplines – demography and population studies

Demography originates from Greek roots meaning “study of people”; it focuses narrowly on statistical analysis of population components like births, deaths, and marriages.
Formal demography emphasizes quantitative analysis of population change.
Population studies expand beyond demography by examining demographic variables in relation to social, economic, political, and biological factors.
Over time, demography has increasingly incorporated social, economic, and political variables into its analyses.
Population geography differs by emphasizing spatial variations in population distribution, composition, migration, and growth.
Population geography uses a spatial perspective to analyze how these demographic phenomena vary across different geographic areas.
Both demography and population studies have adopted spatial approaches with the availability of micro-level data in recent decades.
The distinction between population geography and these disciplines has blurred due to overlapping research interests and methodologies.
Empirical and statistical analysis forms the core of both population geography and demography/population studies.
Population geographers often utilize demographic techniques for their spatial analyses and contribute to interdisciplinary research on population dynamics.

Population geography in India

Population geography in India emerged as a distinct field in the late 1950s, primarily through the efforts of geographers at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Gosal’s doctoral work in 1956, supervised by G.T. Trewartha, marked the first systematic analysis of India’s population from a geographical perspective.
Panjab University was the first to incorporate population geography into its post-graduate curriculum, later expanding to other universities across India.
The first textbook on population geography, “An Introduction to Population Geography,” was published by Chandna and Sidhu in 1980, further solidifying the sub-discipline’s presence in academia.
Research in Indian population geography has predominantly been empirical, focusing on ‘from facts-to-theory’ approaches rather than ‘theory to facts’.
There has been a notable absence of theoretical development in population geography, with limited use of demographic techniques and model building.
Census publications, notably the Census of India, have been central to research, providing extensive data that has both facilitated and constrained the discipline’s growth.
Key research topics include population distribution, growth, demographic composition, and migration, while vital events like birth and death rates have received less attention.
Challenges include the availability and accuracy of data, particularly for vital rates below the state/UT level.
There is a need for geographers to enhance their expertise in demographic techniques and statistical analysis to improve the quality of research in population geography.
Despite its empirical focus, population geography in India has not kept pace with developments in social theories like structuralism, humanism, and post-modernism.
Gosal and others argue that the discipline’s achievements remain incomplete in terms of spatial coverage and theoretical depth.
A more balanced approach combining empirical research with theoretical insights is recommended to advance population geography in India.