The diversification of research approaches in human geography in Chinese Mainland

Beginning with the problems facing the Chinese geographical academia from a review paper on the issues of the progress and retrospect in geography in Chinese mainland,the paper reviews the related research results,and guides the readers to the methodological issues of human geography research.Through the retrospect of the development of human geography approaches and philosophies in the Anglophone world,the author comes to a conclusion that the research paradigm and methodology has been diversified since the 1970s.Through the period from the 1970s to the present,geography was in a state of turmoil.Although Chinese human geographers need not dance to the pipe of the Anglophone counterparts,the diversification of approaches in the Anglophone world can be used as a reference point. Just because of the realization of the limitations of positivist paradigm and reaction,structurism(including Marxism),humanism,feminism,and post-modernism(including poststructurism) appeared and exerted much effect on the research methodologies and paradigms of human geography in Anglophone world.During this course of methodological diversification,geography lost its traditional core but now has a strong periphery. China,as a giant transitional developing country,has a complex geographical pattern of human activities.This complexity is attributed not only to its long history and giant internal inequality,physically and economically,but also to the market-based social and economic reforms.The result is that the postmodern issue parallels the modern problem.This situation gives Chinese human geographers an unprecedented opportunity.The related researches by Chinese human geographers are dominated by empiricism,particularly positivism,and the attention that the researchers paid to the human aspects is not enough.So it is badly needed to diversify the research methodology and approach in order to deepen the researches.The paper discusses the necessity,and gives the countermeasures about the diversification of research approaches in human geography in Chinese Mainland,with the aim to do a little bit to the rational development of human geography in China.