This has been puzzling me for some time. Re the Danny Dorling question really: just what is a social geographer? Intensive pondering has allowed me to come to a conclusion.
A social geographer is a geographer too stupid or politically biased to be able to teach sports.
16 responses so far ↓
1 Recusant // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Well, since Geography as currently taught is merely ‘sociology with maps’, maybe a social geographer is just a geographer.
2 Chris Snowdon // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:43 pm
It’s basically sociology. Sociology doesn’t have a great reputation – being considered (wrongly) as a Mickey Mouse subject and (rightly) as being dominated by left-wingers. Hence sociologists prefer other terms. See also Richard Wilkinson – the ‘social epidemiologist’.
3 dearieme // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:57 pm
A geographer who can’t understand geology?
4 dearieme // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Nor, come to that, climate, ocean currents nor (low spot of my geographical education) oceanic oozes.
5 dearieme // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Probably a bit thin on the old zoology and botany too.
6 dearieme // Mar 30, 2012 at 12:59 pm
In summary: geography with all the science left out.
7 David Thompson // Mar 30, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I’m assuming it’s along similar lines to “cultural geography,” and attracts similar people.
8 Matthew L // Mar 30, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Chris Snowdon: How is sociology not a Mickey Mouse subject? Even anthropologists look down on it.
9 Andrew Duffin // Mar 30, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Just remember that the prefix “social” negates the meaning of whatever it qualifies.
So whatever a social geographer is, he certainly isn’t a geographer.
10 Surreptitious Evil // Mar 30, 2012 at 3:54 pm
And he’s not even the “Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography”. With the extra bucket of coal that entitles him too!
11 flat tax // Mar 30, 2012 at 6:53 pm
How does a social geographer differ from a sociologist or a demographer? I can see that sociology CAN be a rigorous discipline, and demography likewise. But social geography? Bizarre.
David Thompson’s link is definitely worth a read. Beautifully crafted and nuanced prose that makes me laugh out loud. Enjoy.
12 Nick Luke // Mar 30, 2012 at 8:10 pm
A geographer that can’t read a map; knows nothing of where and why, only how, people live; thinks the Earth may be flat, because that’s how it looks; thinks climate is weather; knows the sun goes around the Earth.
13 diogenes // Mar 30, 2012 at 11:24 pm
a social geographer…..one who draws maps at parties rather than for classes
14 bloke in spain // Mar 31, 2012 at 4:32 pm
GSCE’s in sociology AND! geography?
15 sackcloth and ashes // Mar 31, 2012 at 8:09 pm
IIRC from my A Level days, physical geography involved plate tectonics, glaciers, river systems, weather/climate etc.
Human geography involved population, theories on development, agricultural patterns, urbanisation etc.
Don’t know what the fuck ‘social geography’ is. Maybe it belongs to the same field of pseudo-disciplines as post-colonial studies, gender studies, ‘critical theory’ etc.
16 Ted S. // Mar 31, 2012 at 9:25 pm
The opposite of an antisocal geographer, of course.
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