The Social components of geographic space Are the entities of a natural and human nature that shape life in society .
The geography Is responsible for the study of the Earth and the social geography of how Earth influences social organization. The social components make mention of the composition of the population.
This composition can be based on the amount of population, location, customs, natural resources Or productive activities, among others.
In any place where human beings live, social components are created, these determine factors such as economy, culture and political organization in a society.
In addition, they interact with each other and allow us to understand the diversity that a place can host. In turn, these determine the changes and future transformations of societies.
Sociologists think that human beings owe much of their existence to Earth. For, throughout history has been shelter and synthesis of customs, forms of organization and relations of production that are, to a large extent, determined by the geographical characteristics of space.
Geography from the sixteenth century took a more scientific course both to establish parameters of study and to make social inferences derived from geographic space.
The social components are one of the best finished products of man, thanks to elements such as communication, cooperation, understanding and need to produce, man has created increasingly complex social components.
In addition, thanks to their ability to perfect the technique, these elements are constantly changing.
What are the social components?
The social components are the human movements that take place in a geographical territory. They are also understood as human activities that give meaning to life in society.
The social components in turn materialize in the beliefs, ethnic distribution, classes, urban distribution and group conflicts.
The study of social components occurs in the calls social Sciences , Which frame the sociology , psychology , Anthropology or politics, among others.
These human movements are shaped by beliefs and ideas that give meaning to cultural identity And common characteristics. Thanks to the territory, the language and the need to relate, we have built great societies.
1- Social classes
Social classes are groups or subgroups of people who have similar social and economic characteristics in a society. Social stratification is directly proportional to the social and distributive system that prevails in that society.
The social strata have become enormously complex since Industrial Revolution . There used to be only high, low and middle classes. Other intermediate layers have now been attached, such as low stockings, high or medium stockings, among others.
Social classes are a manifestation of the degree of inequality and the way of life of a society.
In contemporary societies there is the phenomenon of "Metropolitanization "Which implies that in the territory,"the center"is inhabited by the upper classes, while"marginal"are the lower classes, near the riskiest geographical areas.
2- Urban distribution
It is the way in which the population is distributed based on access to public services and economic activities . The population of a geographic territory is divided into urban population and rural population.
The territories in which urban distribution predominates have, in general, a higher quality of life, given that education, electricity, water and opportunities are given in greater scale and quality than in the territories known as rural.
The flow of migration Of people from rural to urban areas has been increasing over the past two centuries around the world. This has led to a significant demographic deficit, as cities are overcrowded and fields are sparsely populated.
The urban distribution accounts, to a large extent, of the characteristics of the geographical space. These explain why the groups tend to be located in areas where they can develop holistically and not in areas that hinder their activities.
3- Culture
The cultural components are the knowledge, customs, beliefs and social behaviors that have been mediated through beliefs, values And institutions throughout history.
Each geographical area preserves cultural aspects that determine their traditions and ways of life. One of the main factors making culture is the religion ; Whether they are theists or not theists, all have codes and systems of behavior that shape much of the culture.
Beliefs in a society are systems of general ideas that are common to the majority of the population. Every society has beliefs, myths, prejudices and covariates that shape the identity of the beings that inhabit it
Cultural factors - in this way - are the set of philosophical, scientific, technological and historical knowledge, as well as the more general beliefs and patterns of behavior that denote and characterize a group in a geographical space.
Natural components
In addition to the social components, there are Natural components Of geographic space, without whose existence, the development of social components would be impossible.
The natural components refer to relief , Fauna and topography of a territory. Naturally the natural components are studied by sciences such as biology , Geography and chemistry .
Within the natural components, the mountains, rivers, seas, climate, plains, vegetation and soils are framed. From the point of view of the human room these factors determine where man can live and where not.
The natural components have been determinant in the preservation of civilizations and safeguard of customs of native peoples.
In ancient times, entire civilizations were razed by landslides, floodwaters and other natural phenomena.
In addition, anthropologists have emphasized the close relationship between man's social organization and the natural elements that surround him, as well as the way in which man determines technique and work. What is commonplace in one place may be vital to gaining prestige and riches.
References
- Virtual Library of Law, Economics and Social Sciences (2015) The components of culture . Retrieved from: eumed.net.
- Encyclopedia of Examples (2017). Examples of social, economic and natural components of geographic space . Retrieved from: examples.co.
- Ruiz, T. (2016) Components of geographic space . Recovered from: estudiaprender.com.
- Santoyo, C; [Links] Development and social interaction: theory and research methods . Editorial UNAM. Mexico.
- University of Oviedo (1986) ) Theoretical and quantitative geography: concept and methods . Publications Service. Spain.