Order and Skepticism

It is argued that when a discipline, such as human geography, overemphasizes order and neglects skepticism and criticism, the products of research are likely to be erroneous, misleading, and self-fulfilling in nature. The first three chapters present the core of the argument. Chapter 1 establishes the case for an order-skepticism dialectic. Chapter 2 discusses why much recent research in human geography has emphasized order. Chapter 3 suggests some social and institutional barriers to skepticism and criticism. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 comprise three case studies of research in human geography that illustrate the ways in which order is emphasized, with unfortunate results. The case studies show how geographers have uncritically accepted the concepts of hexagonal market areas, S-shaped diffusion curves, and rank-size relationships among urban places. The concluding chapter provides some conclusions and preliminary suggestions for improving the place of skepticism within human geography. A bibliography is provided. (RM)