Locational Analysis in Human Geography

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Locational Analysis in Human Geography: Major Criticism Against Locational Analysis by Puja Mondal Geography Advertisements: Locational Analysis in Human Geography: Major Criticism Against Locational Analysis! Locational analysis is an approach to human geography which focuses on the spatial arrangement of phenomena. Its usual methodology is that of spatial science. The main objective of locational analysis was expressed as building accurate generalization, models and theories with productive power (Berry and Marble, 1968). Locational analysis is based on the philosophy of positivism. The philosophy of positivism underpins the approach, which concentrates on the identification of theories of spatial arrangements and so is closely linked to the discipline’s quantitative revolution. A number of geographers in U.S.A. advocated the cause of locational analysis in the 1950s, although it has much deeper roots in the work of pioneers who were later adopted by geographers. Bunge (1966), for example, wrote a thesis on Theoretical Geography based on the premises who stated that geography is the ‘science of locations’. Others such as McCarty, were strongly influenced by developments in the field of economics, to which they introduced the spatial variable. These links led to the close interrelationship between geographers and regional scientists in the 1960s and 1970, and illustrated by attempts to build economic geography theories of spatial arrangements (Smith, 1981). Locational analysis is based on empiricism. Empiricism is a philosophy which accords special privilege to empirical observations over theoretical statements. Specifically, it assumes that observational statements are the only ones which make direct reference to phenomena in the real world, and that they can be declared true or false without reference to the truth or falsity of the theoretical
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