SYSTEMS ANALYSIS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

SYSTEM: System is defined as a coherent whole unit that includes several elements with persisting links between them.

Ludwig von Bertalanffy
Propounded first general system analysis. He was an ecologist or biologist. He believed it to be applicable only to the biological unit then it was validated in other fields too.

Odum 
Applied system analysis in his classification of the biological systems.
From biogeography, it was also incorporated into human geography.
Human Geographers incorporated system analysis in specific lab generated tools to interpret the generalized nature of the spatial pattern of economic and cultural land use.

Minshull 1956 is credited to be the first human Geographer to have propounded general system theory rising on strong interactive relation variable components of human living human activities are associated with.

Priston, Berry and Chorley contribution to system analysis is in identifying that like biological system all the human Geographic systems have multiple hierarchies with each hierarchy by itself forming a defined system along with strong interlink with both lower and higher hierarchical system.

Blalock and Blalock identify theoretical and practical categories of the system in human geography
A theoretical system is categorized into three types
1. Series or sequential system:

Series system example Indira Gandhi Canal irrigation is directly related to the increase in farmer production in dry areas of Rajasthan.
The output of one is an input of another, but there is a complete absence of a reverse link.
2. Parallel system:

 Output of one can be the input of more than one system. There is no reverse link or a direct link. Example production of petrol and naphtha from crude oil
3. Feedback system:

 The output is again the input of the same system. It can be of two types positive feedback system negative feedback system. Example: In the plastic industry recycling of plastic.


Theoretical systems are too simple to be real. In real systems, systems Incorporated more complex relations & combinations of all three systems. This can be either simpler or complex.

Arnold Enyzdi
Arnold demarcated two different categories of system for true spatial capitalization of system.
1. Functional system
2. Morphological system

The functional system is nothing but an enlargement of Blalock and Blalock's theoretical category type (series, parallel, feedback)
The types of functional systems are
1. Closed system:

 In a closed system, there is no outer interaction and inner elements are strongly interlinked. Example primitive fourth world community.
2. Open system:

 In an open system, there are strong interlinks between elements of a given system which eliminates in due course of time establishing new links with another system, for example, globalized trade with political boundaries
3. Partially open system:

In a partially open system there is an absence of interactive links between elements of the system. Links between systems are present.
For Example cultural modernization along with bilateral trade.

Morphological system

It includes spatial dimension of a functional system like urban settlements, rural settlements and agricultural regions.
It can be categorized into 3 types
1. Structural system, e.g. Land use profile

2. Cascading system: cause and effect called pulsating system, e.g. Urban sphere of influence and industrial agglomeration.

3. Controlled system example of those land use which is induced in regional planning.

Application

1. Study of physical Elements and the physical landscape in a geographical landscape.

2. Minimizing exponential concentration of economic and technical capacity in order to minimize the possibility of agglomeration diseconomy.

3. Facilitating injection of growth momentum in backward areas she applicable to backward area planning for sustainable development.