“This Is Like Déjà Vu All over Again”

Abstract

Understanding the Changing Planet is the latest in a long line of reports that makes the case for the relevance of the discipline of geography by invoking big “S” science. My commentary argues that this model of science, with its celebration of large data sets, sophisticated methodological techniques, and various material tools and hardware, is only one model of geography's contribution. Instead, I suggest that the strength of geography is in its pluralism and methodological variety, and in the end that will do more for understanding the changing planet than anything else.

Understanding the Changing Planet es el último de una larga serie de informes que toman a cargo la relevancia de la disciplina de la geografía invocando la ciencia con una gran “C.” Mi comentario arguye que este modelo de ciencia, con su celebración de grandes conjuntos de datos, técnicas metodológicas sofisticadas y varias herramientas materiales y hardware, no pasa de ser un modelo de la contribución de la geografía. En vez de eso, sugiero que la fuerza de la geografía se encuentra en su pluralismo y variedad metodológica, y que en últimas eso hará más para entender el cambiante planeta que cualquiera otra cosa.

Key Words:

• planetary crisis
• pluralism
• science

关键词:

• 行星危机
• 多元化
• 科学

Palabras clave:

• crisis planetaria
• pluralismo
• ciencia

Acknowledgments

TREVOR BARNES is a Professor and Distinguished University Scholar at the Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]. His interests are in economic geography and in the history of the discipline.

Notes

1. Said by Yogi Berra after seeing his teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris hit back-to-back home runs for the New York Yankees in the early 1960s.

2. Given as directional instructions by Yogi Berra to a friend who was driving to his house for dinner.