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Unit 1

1.6 What are Scales of Analysis?

6 min read•june 18, 2024

Riya Patel

Sana Fatah

AP Human Geography 🚜

320 resources

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Scales of Analysis in Human Geography

What Are Scales of Analysis and Why are they Important?

Scales of analysis refer to the level or perspective at which a problem or issue is studied or addressed. In other words, they are the "lens" through which we view and understand the world around us. The scale of analysis can range from the global or planetary level, to the regional or national level, to the local or community level, to the individual level.

Different scales of analysis may be appropriate for different types of problems or issues. For example, issues related to global climate change may require a global scale of analysis, while issues related to a particular community or neighborhood may require a local scale of analysis.

Understanding the scale of analysis is important because it can affect the way we approach and solve problems, as well as the types of data and information we need to consider. It can also help us to identify the appropriate level of intervention or action needed to address a particular issue.

What are Map and Cartographic Scales?

Map scale refers to the relationship between the size of an object or feature on a map and its actual size on the ground. It is typically represented as a ratio, such as 1:24,000, or as a fraction, such as 1/24,000.

For example, a map with a scale of 1:24,000 means that one unit of measurement on the map, such as an inch or a centimeter, represents 24,000 of the same units on the ground. This means that if you measure a distance on the map and then compare it to the same distance on the ground, the distance on the ground will be 24,000 times larger.

Map scale is an important consideration when using maps because it determines the level of detail and the area that can be shown on a map. Maps with small scales, such as 1:1,000,000, can show a large area but with less detail, while maps with large scales, such as 1:24,000, can show a small area with more detail.

Cartographic scale refers to the relationship between the size of the features on a map and their actual size in the real world. It determines how much detail can be shown on a map and how much of the area being mapped is shown on the map. There are several different types of map scales, including verbal scales, bar scales, and representative fraction scales. The choice of scale depends on the purpose of the map, the area being mapped, and the intended audience.

Watch this video review on Scales of Analysis in Unit 1

Four Types of Scales of Analysis

The 4 most common types of scales of analysis in AP Human Geography are local, national, regional, & global.

Local (Ex: City with supermarkets highlighted)

The local scale of analysis refers to the level of a particular community or neighborhood. It is a relatively small scale that focuses on issues and problems that affect a specific place or group of people.

At the local scale, issues and problems may be related to the physical environment, such as access to clean water and air, or to social and economic factors, such as poverty, crime, and education.

Examples of issues that might be studied at the local scale include:

Environmental impacts of a proposed development or land use change in a particular community
Access to health care services in a particular neighborhood
Crime rates and public safety in a particular area
Quality of schools and educational opportunities in a particular community

Solving problems at the local scale often requires the participation and engagement of the community, as well as the involvement of local government and other stakeholders.

National (Ex: A country color coded based on religion)

The national analysis scale describes the level of a specific country or nation. It operates on a larger scale than local government and focuses on problems and issues that affect the entire country or a substantial portion of it.

Issues and problems on a national scale may be related to the economy, political system, infrastructure, and other factors that shape the country's overall functioning and well-being.

A few examples of issues that can be studied at the national scale include:

Economic policies and their impact on different sectors of the economy
National security and defense issues
Healthcare policy and access to healthcare services
Environmental regulations and their impact on the environment and industries
Education policy and access to educational opportunities

Finding solutions to problems on a national scale frequently necessitates the participation of national level government agencies, as well as other stakeholders such as businesses, non-profit organizations, and international organizations.

Regional (Ex: Map of schools across a state)

The term "regional scale of analysis" describes a level of a specific region or geographical area that is larger than a single community or neighborhood but smaller than the entire nation. It can range in scale from a few nearby cities to an entire state or province.

The physical environment, such as access to resources and transportation, as well as social and economic factors, like economic growth and cultural identity, may be the source of issues and problems at the regional level.

Some examples of issues that might be studied at the regional scale include:

Transportation and infrastructure needs in a particular region
Environmental impacts of resource extraction or industrial development
Access to healthcare and other services in a particular region
Economic development and job creation in a particular area

Multiple levels of government, as well as other stakeholders like businesses, non-profit organizations, and community groups, are frequently involved in regional problem-solving.

Global (Ex: World Map of COVID-19 Cases by variant)

The level of the entire planet, as well as the global scale of systems and processes, is referred to as the global scale of analysis. It includes issues and problems that have a global or regional impact.

The physical environment, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, or social and economic factors, such as global inequality and global governance, may be the source of issues and problems at the global level.

Examples of issues that can be observed at the global scale include:

Climate change and its impacts on the environment and society
Loss of biodiversity and the impacts on ecosystems
Global economic inequality and poverty
Global governance and international relations
Access to healthcare, education, and other services in developing countries

The involvement of international organizations, as well as that of national governments, corporations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders, is frequently necessary to address problems on a global scale.

It is IMPORTANT to note: The size of the place (city vs country) and area of interest (religion, supermarket, schools) are various dimensions and scales of analysis. Maps can be created at many different scales, and the appropriate scale depends on the purpose of the map and the area being mapped. For example, a map of the entire world would typically be created at a smaller scale than a map of a single city, because the area being mapped is much larger. Similarly, a map that is focused on a specific theme or subject, such as religion or supermarkets, would be created at a different scale than a map that is intended to show a broader range of information.

What Do Scales of Analysis Reveal?

Scales of analysis reveal the different levels at which problems or issues can be studied and understood. Different scales of analysis provide different perspectives and levels of detail, and can highlight different aspects of a problem or issue.

For example, studying a problem at the global scale may reveal larger patterns and trends that may not be apparent at a smaller scale, while studying a problem at the local scale may reveal the specific ways in which the problem is affecting a particular community or neighborhood.

Using multiple scales of analysis can also help to identify the root causes of a problem and the most effective ways to address it. For example, a problem that is being studied at the local scale may have root causes that are rooted in national or global level policies or processes, and therefore may require intervention at those levels in order to be effectively solved.

Here are some questions for context:

Does a map of bitcoin servers in Italy tell us about bitcoin servers in Australia? No, a map of bitcoin servers in Italy would not provide any information about bitcoin servers in Australia. Bitcoin servers, also known as nodes, are distributed across the world and there is no central organization that maintains a comprehensive list of all of the nodes that exist. In order to get a sense of the distribution of bitcoin nodes in a particular region, you would need to gather data about the nodes that are present in that region.
Does a map of poverty in your city reveal trends of poverty in your state? It is possible that a map of poverty in a city could reveal trends of poverty in the state in which the city is located. However, it is important to consider that poverty can vary significantly from one location to another, even within the same state. In order to fully understand the distribution and trends of poverty in a state, it would be necessary to analyze data from across the state, rather than just from one city. This could include data from a variety of sources, such as the Census Bureau, local government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

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🗺Unit 1 – Thinking Geographically

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1.1Introduction to Maps and Types of Maps