Cybergeo (Apr 1998)
Quelques remarques à propos de la géographie culturelle
Abstract
On november 3rd, 1997, a conference was held in Paris devoted to a review of the activities of "section 39 : Space, Territories and Societies", a CNRS commission which most French human geographers, along with some architects, urbanists and sociologists joined. The presentation of the research field "Geography and Culture" led to a strong discussion between the two reviewers in charge of the presentation and later with both of them and the public.This paper was written in reaction to this discussion. It is argued here that it is time for French geographers to stop focusing on methodological issues, for the situation is far more complex than just an opposition between deductive quantitative and nomothetic geography on the one side, and empirical, qualitative and idiographic geography on the other side. In fact, a deductive approach can rely on qualitative data only, and an empirical approach can lead to some theoretical developments. But one cannot deny that there is an urgent need for empirical geography to formalise its methodology. Also, in reaction to Professor Anne Buttimer´s remarks who, invited to react as a foreign expert, underlined that French cultural geography gives most of its attention to heritage and historical issues, some explanations to this situation are developed.
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