"The Morphology of Landscape"

"The Morphology of Landscape" (1925)
By Carl Sauer

Synopsis: Sauer's main purpose here is to define what geography is. In this 35 page article he discusses different aspects of geography and talks a bit about its history and various ways of looking at the field. He argues that: "Geography is based on the reality of the union of physical and cultural elements of the landscape" (325). He believes there to be a distinct separation between "natural landscape" (areas not touched by man), and "cultural landscape" (places where human influence is manifest). It's important to study the natural environment though, because it "furnishes the materials out of which man builds his culture" (340). He is primarily interested only in the materials cultures leave on the land, as cultural geography is not interested in the customs or beliefs of man, but with "man's record upon the landscape" (342). This material evidence may include housing, population density, production, and communication. Bottom line is, indeed: "Culture is the agent, the natural area is the medium, the cultural landscape is the result" (343).

Interesting Specifics:

Says geography is usually divided into three realms: 1) earth geography (physical geography); 2) life forms in connection with physical environment; 3) "study of the areal or habitat differentiation of the earth" (316).

Landscape is "an area made up of a distinct association of forms, both physical and cultural" (321).

"The content of landscape is something less than the whole of its visible constituents" (324).

Cultural geography is not interested in the customs or beliefs of man, but with "man's record upon the landscape"(342).

Branches of geography: 1) morphology, 2) comparative morphology, 3) historical geography, 4) commercial geography.

Interacts With:
[Yes - Sauer definitely seems apolitical here. Was his focus only on the material/physical artifiacts, with no concern for the underlying beliefs and ideas, his attempt to distinguish geography from cultural anthropology?]
This is considered a key article in the field.

“The Superorganic in American Cultural Geography”

“The Superorganic in American Cultural Geography” from Annals of the Association of American Geographers

By James S. Duncan, 1980

Synopsis: Traces the evolution of and problems with the concept of the “superorganic;” interrogates the accepted view within geography that culture is “superorganic,” that is, “an entity above man, not reducible to actions by the individuals who are associated with it” (182). The superorganic is a concept that arose in the 1920s-30s with Carl Sauer and the Berkeley School geographers. That is, culture was seen as some upper layer of force/ultimate power/entity which made individuals mere passive agents. There have long been two competing ways of understanding culture: 1) individualistic – that we’re all separate entities and actors, 2) holistic – that actions occur in a large scale way via a sprit or collective consciousness (Durkheim, Hegel). Alfred Krober brought idea of cultural determinism (which is basically the superorganic idea that culture rules all) to anthropology in the 1950s. This idea of the all-powerful superorganic has been hard to prove and has been largely discredited. Duncan argues that idea of the superorganic is problematic as it ignores differences among populations, ignores agency of individuals, and ignores interaction between culture and individuals. Duncan thus argues for an interactive/reciprocal approach.

Interacts With:

Carl Sauer,

Labels: superorganic, Berkeley School, Carl Sauer