地理學에서의 패러다임 理解와 爭點

Abstract

This study has discussed about the geographic paradigms in relation to the development and methodological changes in the studies of geography, specially for the past century. The modern geography, as in many other subject disciplines, has undergone rapid changes in recent years, specially in the sub-disciplines of the academic geographic society. Geography today is regared as a social science. Hence, the central concern of geographic studies has shifted its interests from the broadly oriented concept of "regional

study" to more specifically formalized concepts such as "spatial analysis," "humanistic essence," and relevance of societal problem," during the last three decades and rapidly during the recent immediate

decade. The aim of this study is divided into three folds: 1) to review the developmental aspects

of geographic disciplines at a stance of paradigm notion, 2) to search for the progressive aspects of the New Geography as a matured science, and 3) to define whether the recent problematic arguments of the New Geography against the Traditional Geography is an evolution or a revolution. It is significant that philosophical thoughts have influenced the foundation and developmental changes of the disciplines in the geographic academism. This study has grouped the influences as the following: 1) the regional geography in a broad disciplinal sense. 2) geography as spatial analysis based on positivism. 3) the hermaneutic geography based on philosophical epistemology. 4) the societal geography based on criticism. However, the four different groups, defined as categorical paradigms, could be reclassified into two categories with respects to their essential goals and methodology, namely the traditionally oriented regi

onal geography and the New Geography to be distinguished as spatial science. The latter

has greatly contributed in developing theoretical explanations and solving practical

problems in geographic study. It is worthwhile to remark that the development

of ideas of New Geography, ideas of geography as spatial science, is a new

paradigm in the nature of revolution rather than an evolution. And also there is no reason

to replace the New Geography with the other paradigms currently developed within the geographic academic society.