The Transformation of Geographic Thought: Cultural Landscapes and Structuralism in the 20th Century

Geographic philosophy has evolved significantly during the last century, reflecting broader epistemological and methodological advances. This paper investigates the evolution of geographic traditions, starting with the early forms of environmental determinism and possibilism, which established the groundwork for the cultural landscape and traditional regional geography methods. These traditions were later challenged by the rise of spatial science, which aimed to build a more scientific and quantitative foundation for geography. The primary goal of this research is to critically evaluate and contrast the spatial scientific tradition to the previous cultural landscape and traditional regional geography methodologies. This comparison illustrates the fundamental contrasts in their epistemological foundations, techniques, and spatial concepts. Second, the paper investigates the emergence of behavioral and humanistic geography in the 1970s, examining the elements that influenced their growth. This part looks into the growing realization of human complexity and behavior, and how these viewpoints provided a vital critique and expansion of the previous spatial scientific paradigm. Finally, the paper looks critically at the evolution of structuralist and structurationist approaches to geography. By contrasting these frameworks, the debate highlights their contributions to understanding the interplay of structure and agency in spatial study. To achieve these goals, the study gives a thorough overview and examination of the epistemological, methodological, and spatial concepts inherent in each tradition. These transformations and their repercussions are illustrated using contemporary literature and geographical examples.

Key Words:  Geographic thought, cultural landscape, traditional regional geography, spatial science, behavioral geography, humanistic geography, structuralism, structuration, epistemology, methodology, space.