What is the Merits and demerits of quantative revolution in geography?
Answers
. The quantitative revolution was based on the philosophy of positivism (originally proposed by August Comte in 1820) which distinguishes science from religion and metaphysics. It followed the methodology of spatial science and thus reduced the subject to space geometry. The man and environment relationship cannot be properly established by the mechanistic models designed with the help of quantitative techniques.
2. The advocates of quantitative revolution pleaded for the language of geometry. Geometry is not an acceptable language to explain the man and environment relationship—the main theme of human geography.
3. The models and theories developed on the basis of empirical data exclude the normative questions like beliefs, taboos, emotions, attitudes, desires, hopes, fears, likes and dislikes, prejudices and aesthetic values. This is mainly being done to make the study objective and scientific. In the real world, in the interrelationships of man and environment, and decision making processes, the normative questions and social, moral, religious and ethical values have a close bearing. In fact, in any economic activity and in the decision making process about the utilization of resources, people are largely governed by their religious, moral, cultural and social values. It is because of these values that dairying is not developing among the Khasias (Meghalaya) and Lushais (Mizoram) of the north-east India. In fact, taking milk is a taboo in these tribes. The Muslims, all over the world hate piggery, and the Sikhs dislike the cultivation of tobacco. By excluding the normative questions the study may be objective, but it gives only a parochial picture of the man and environment relationship.
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4.The advocates of quantitative techniques in geography focused on ‘locational analysis’. The main weakness of the locational analysis is that it promotes capitalism. In a capitalistic society, there is exploitation of human and environmental resources (land, water, forest and minerals) which makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.
5. With the development of sophisticated machinery and automation, there is less scope of employment. Thus, it leads to unemployment and it is a system of wasteful production. The assumption that man is a ‘rational person’ who always tries to optimize his profit has also been criticized.