Hey Class 12 students! Are you worried about the different types of questions that can be asked from the CBSE Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 - Human Geography Nature and Scope? Worry not, in this article we have provided you with all important questions that can be asked from this chapter. While preparing this, we have kept in mind the latest trends of questions that have been asked in the recent exams. We have also tried to include less but quality questions, so that you can score high in less time.
| Class | 12 |
| Board | CBSE & State Boards |
| Subject | Geography |
| Book | Fundamentals of Human Geography |
| Chapter No. | 1 |
| Chapter Name | Human Geography Nature and Scope |
| Content Type | Important Questions and Answers |
Human Geography - Nature and Scope Class 12 Important Questions & Answers
Q. No. 1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
i. Arun is interested in that aspect of human geography which studies each unit of the Earth thoroughly to understand the entire planet.
Which stage in the evolution of human geography is this?
a. regional analysis
b. areal differentiation
c. exploration and description
d. post-modernism in geography
Ans. Option (a)
ii. Which one of the following concepts is related to the Naturalization of Humans?
a) Environmental Determinism
b) Possiblism
c) Humanism
d) Neo-Determinism
Ans. Option (a)
iii. Who among the following has introduced the concept of Neo-determinism?
a) Ratzel
b) Griffith Taylor
c) Allen c. Semple
d) Paul Vidal de la Blache
Ans. Option (b)
iv. Arrange the following approaches in a sequential order according to their development. Choose the correct option.
- Spatial organization
- Regional approach
- Areal differentiation
- Humanistic approach
Options
(a) 1 4 2 3
(b) 4 1 3 2
(c) 2 3 1 4
(d) 3 2 4 1
Ans. Option (c)
v. This age was marked by the use of computers and sophisticated statistical tools. Laws of physics were often applied to map and analyze. Select the correct option.
a) Regional analysis
b) Quantitative revolution
c) Areal Differentiation
d) Spatial organization
Ans. Option (d)
Q. No. 2) Evaluate the dualisms that exist in Geography.
Ans. The three dualisms in geography which started wide-ranging debates in the discipline of geography are:
- Whether geography as a discipline should be law-making/theorizing (nomothetic) or descriptive (idiographic).
- Whether the approach of the study should be regional or systematic.
- Whether geographical phenomena can be interpreted theoretically or through a historic-institutional approach.
Q. No. 3) How is ‘Naturalization of Humans’ different from ‘Humanization of Nature’?
Ans.
| Naturalization of humans | Humanization of nature |
| This refers to early stages of interaction between the natural environment and humans where humans are adapted to dictates of nature. | This refers to the interaction between the forces of nature and humans who begin to understand the forces of nature. |
| It indicates a very low level of technology and social development. | It indicates development of efficient technology and better social and cultural relations. |
| Naturalized humans listen to nature, are afraid of its fury, and worship nature. | Humans move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom. |
| Direct dependence of humans on nature. | Resources are obtained from the environment to create more opportunities. |
| The physical environment for naturalized humans becomes mother nature. | Humans make use of nature so that nature gets humanized showing the imprints of human activities. |
Q. No. 4) How is Possibilism different from Environmental Determinism? Explain with suitable Examples.
Ans.
Possibilism: With passage of time, humans developed better and more efficient technology. This gave him many choices and possibilities to use resources offered by the environment. They become free to use natural resources according to their convenience and necessities. Man has created health resorts on highlands, huge urban sprawls, fields, orchards and pastures in the plains, ports on the coasts, and satellites in space. This was termed Possibilism by earlier scholars.
Determinism: In the earlier stages of Human evolution, There was no technology to modify environment by man. Thus, human beings adapted to the dictates of nature. The naturalized human was afraid of nature and worshipped the forces of nature such as fire, floods, rains, etc.
Q. No. 5) “There is a direct dependence of human beings on nature for resources which sustain them”. Justify the statement in the light of environmental determinism.
Ans. Direct dependence of human beings on nature for resources:
- Low level of technology
- Primitive stage of human social development
- Fear of nature’s fury
- Nature worship
- The physical environment became ‘Mother Nature’
- Complete harmony with the natural environment
Q. No. 6) When attempting to create opportunities in nature through human modifications, what environmental considerations should individuals take into account to reduce adverse impacts?
Ans.
- Ecological Impact: Modifications should not harm or disrupt local ecosystems, biodiversity, or natural habitats. Consideration should be given to preserving or enhancing the natural environment.
- Climate Change: Modifications should take into account the potential effects of climate change and aim to minimize carbon emissions, energy consumption, and other greenhouse gas emissions.
- Resource Conservation: Sustainable use of resources should be prioritized to avoid excessive depletion or waste. This includes water conservation, efficient use of materials, and minimizing pollution or contamination.
- Waste Management: Proper waste management practices should be implemented to reduce environmental pollution and ensure proper disposal or recycling of waste generated from modifications.
- Environmental Regulations: Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is essential. Any modifications should align with applicable environmental standards and guidelines set by authorities.
Q. No. 7) Griffith Taylor introduced Neo determinism which reflects a middle path between the two ideas of environmental determinism and possibilism. Explain the concept of Neo determinism with examples.
Ans. Neo determinism
- The concept shows that neither is there a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor is there a condition of absolute freedom (possibilism).
- It means that human beings can conquer nature by obeying it. They have to respond to the red signals and can proceed in their pursuits of development when nature permits the modifications.
- It means that possibilities can be created within the limits which do not damage the environment and there is no free run without accidents.
- The free run that the developed economies attempted to take has already resulted in the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, global warming, receding glaciers, and degrading lands.
- The neo-determinism conceptually attempts to bring a balance nullifying the ‘either’ ‘or’ dichotomy.
Q. No. 8) ‘Neodeterminism means that human beings can conquer nature by obeying it. They can proceed in their pursuits of development when nature permits the modifications. It means that possibilities can be created within limits which do not damage the environment.’
Source: NCERT
Based on this description of neo-determinism, justify climate change as one of the consequences of neo-determinist activities.
Ans.
- Humans modify nature for their ends.
- The modification works till such time that nature does get affected by it.
- Human development leads to pollution of the environment.
- Pollution harms humans.
- They begin to find ways to control pollution.
- Thus, climate change is a way for nature to take back control and force humans to work within its rules.
Q. No. 9) “The approaches to the study of human geography have been evolving over a period of time”. How have these schools of thought changed the approaches of study to human geography?
Ans.
- Welfare or humanistic school of thought in human geography was mainly concerned with the different aspects of the social well-being of the people. These included aspects such as housing, health, and education. Geographers have already introduced a paper as Geography of Social Well-being in the Post Graduate curriculum.
- Radical school of thought employed Marxian theory to explain the basic cause of poverty, deprivation, and social inequality. Contemporary social problems were related to the development of capitalism.
- The Behavioral school of thought laid great emphasis on lived experience and also on the perception of space by social categories based on ethnicity, race and religion, etc.
Q. No. 10) Explain how Human Geography in the early 20th century has become more integrative and inter-disciplinary in its approach.
Ans. The subject matter of human geography continues to grow over the period. It has widened its scope considerably. In the early 20th century, several new branches emerged out of it such as population geography, political geography, agricultural geography, etc. It aimed to study emerging issues and problems like political dimensions and social relevance. In doing so, human geography has not only become more integrative and interdisciplinary but has also incorporated several new approaches into its field. It gives the necessary spatial and systematic viewpoint to the other social sciences which they otherwise lack. At the same time, human geography draws on other sciences, the analysis and identifies with its sub-fields such as political, economic, and social geography.
Q. No. 11) Human geography which includes cultural, economic, and political geography is highly interdisciplinary. It develops a close interface with other sister disciplines in social sciences to understand and explain human elements on the surface of the earth.
Source (edited): NCERT
Throw light on this statement by analyzing the connection between political geography and political science.
Ans.
- Political geography studies government, boundaries, political divisions &units.
- Political Science is the study of how the state, political processes, and systems of governments rise.
- The two are interlinked since geographic differences have historically led to conflicts and clashes.
- Political geography can help in understanding how powerful dynasties and governments influence the rest of the world.
Q. No. 12) Answer the following questions with respect to the evolution of Geography as a discipline:
a) In the 1970s, why was there discontentment with the quantitative revolution in Geography, which aimed to bring more scientific rigor and mathematical modeling to geographic research?
b) How did this discontentment influence the further approaches to the discipline in the years ahead? Explain the transition with an example.
Ans. a)
- Neglect of qualitative approaches The emphasis on quantitative analysis led to a neglect of qualitative methods which provide in-depth insights and contextual understanding, which many geographers felt were essential for capturing the complexities of human experiences and cultural dynamics.
- Lack of critical and theoretical perspectives The quantitative revolution was criticized for its limited attention to critical and theoretical frameworks and primary focus on empirical analysis and statistical techniques, overlooking the broader social, political, and economic contexts in which geographic processes occur.
b)
- Integration of Multiple Approaches: Over time, there has been a move towards integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in geography. Researchers recognize the value of both approaches and seek to combine them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of geographic phenomena.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex geographic issues: This shift led to fruitful interactions with other disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, and urban planning. By integrating diverse perspectives, geographers sought to develop more comprehensive and nuanced analyses of spatial phenomena.
- The emergence of new approaches: It led to the emergence of humanistic, radical, and behavioral schools and introduced post-modernism approaches to geography.
- For example, it led to the emergence of Social geography. This branch shifted the focus to understanding the social aspects of human spaces, emphasizing the relationships between people and their spatial behaviors. This transition brought attention to the social complexities and human experiences within geographical spaces, recognizing cities and landscapes as products of human interactions, cultural practices, and social institutions.
Q. No. 13) Identify the following statements as True or False and state the reasons behind your response.
a) Integrated Tribal Development Project in Bharmaur Region is an example of the transition of the geographical theories of environmental determinism to possibilism.
b) In the Indira Gandhi Canal (Nahar) Command Area, five out of the seven implementation measures aim to promote ecological sustainability in these areas. This illustrates a shift from neo-determinism to environmental determinism in geographical theories.
Ans. a) True
Environmental determinism is the belief that the physical environment is the primary factor that determines human development. Possiblism, on the other hand, is the belief that humans have the ability to modify their natural environment to suit their needs but also acknowledges that the environment can impose constraints on human activities.The Integrated Tribal Development Project in Bharmaur Region is an example of how humans have modified their natural environment to suit their needs. The project has helped to improve the lives of the tribal people in the region by providing them with access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.
b) False
The fact that five out of the seven implementation measures in the Indira Gandhi Canal (Nahar) Command Area aim to promote ecological sustainability suggests that the project is taking a neo-deterministic approach. This is because the project acknowledges the importance of protecting the environment and ensuring that future generations can benefit from it. However, the project is not abandoning the idea of human modification of the natural environment. The project is still designed to improve the lives of the people in the region, and it is still using technology to achieve its goals. Therefore, the project cannot be considered an example of the transition from neo-determinism to environmental determinism. It is more accurately seen as an example of how neo-determinism can be used to achieve sustainable development goals.
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