Characteristics and criticism of humanism

Essential Theory, Humanism

What is humanism?

Before proceeding to examine humanistic approach or perhaps humanism, it is crucial to know the fact that discipline over was developed simply by geographers just like Yi-Fu Tuan (1974), Anne Buttimer (1976) and Edward Relph (1976, 1981, 1993) who because the 19th century arte referred to as ‘humanistic geographers’ studied and examined place as it performs an integral function in individual experiences. Earlier studies mostly defined humanism as a genre of geography that came to being since theories of criticizing the information system of logical positivism. Tuan explains humanism as the understanding of the world by studying people’s associations with characteristics, their physical behavior and also their feelings and suggestions with regards to space and place. This kind of definition is just like that present in Johnston, who have writes humanism is a conceptual perspective which will claims that comprehensive understanding of human-environmental interactions must be deemed individual and group encounters and meanings of space, place, scenery, regions, freedom and many other related geographic phenomena. Within the context of urban geography, the concept of humanism opinions human beings, independently as purposeful agent that bring about transform and advancement the metropolitan regions.

The aim and focus of humanism

Having described what is intended by humanism, tis documents continues by analyzing the focal point than it. Humanism is dependent on understanding the cultural behavior using methodologies that explore people’s subjective encounters in the term they reside in. In support of thinking about social behavior, Tuan conceptualize that humanistic approach on geography solemnly accounts around the thoughts and actions human being portray. In addition , humanism has been said to revolve around activities and products which can be distinctive to human beings. Towards a more complex way, this philosophical perspective details and reveals the complexity and halving that is offered by relationships occurring between people and the environment that they can reside in, persons and spots and their relationship with Nature as well as all their ideas and feelings thinking of to space and place.

Example

For the humanistic/ humanism point of view, the significance of man social regards with the world around them is the most suitable explained by a scenario in which one is jogging in a metropolis. Insinuating that you is walking or driving a car at 58 Steve Biko street in Potchefstroom for the Mooi Riv mall, the humanistic approach is interested would not be on numerical data or the generalized models of area uses yet would be focused on the surrounding scents and seems, long landscapes and sights, feelings and experiences attained while going for walks down the street.

Criticism in the humanism strategy

So far this paper offers focused on the content within the humanistic geographical strategy. The following section will talk about the competitors and reviews directed to that. Humanism have been criticized much more than one of the ways since the 18th century. Critics question the excessive focus on the power whereby individuals determine their own behavior in the metropolis. A just lately published article by Sapkota casts doubt on the humanistic approach in a number of ways, qualitative analytic geographers, Marxist, Feminists and post-structural geographers.

a) Qualitative geographer’s critique

The critics of qualitative geographers were largely central along the argument of the research method that was used by simply humanism geographers. Deviating in the deductive theory, pre-defined ideas and measurable validation, problem concerning the conviction and accuracy and reliability of their results with regards to understanding and trusted.

b) Feminist criticism

In addition to the previously mentioned critic, humanism geography was also belittled in a Feministic perspective. Major was within the conceptual, ideological and moral concerns of humanism. This kind of critic was rooted on the grounds that it was essentialist to presuming an unchanging, universal human being condition that ignored individual and group diversity which usually encapsulated gender, social lifestyle and economic differences. Furthermore, they critique that this way and all the works interlace to that were authoritative. This was so because it seemed to privilege the interpretive capabilities of educational experts.

c) Marxist criticism

Humanism in a Marxist perspective was viewed as voluntarist on because it uncritically construed social life as a function of deliberate, willed strategies and activities of individuals. Their particular critiques claimed that humanism place to very much weight for the autonomous individual agency in the expense of entrenched, translucent social structure and electricity. Additionally , Marxist gave essential account to how humanism gives minimum attention to the underlying economical and political dynamics shaping places and the everyday lives of people.