In the Dictionary of Human Geography (2009), David Bell states: Geography has long had a reputation as a magpie discipline—scavenging the shiny bits of other subjects and making new uses of them. For many people working in human geography, this is a real strength; the openness or porosity of the subject means that it is always transforming, morphing, moving in new directions. For critics, conversely, this signifies everything that is bad about human geography: it is a rag-bag—a messy mix of bits and pieces—so it lacks coherence and is too faddish. On the basis of your experience in GEOG 1101 Human Geography, i) assess this evaluation of human geography as an extremely diverse discipline, and ii) consider the praise/criticism (as noted in the quote above) of the diversity of human geography. What do you think?

In the Dictionary of Human Geography (2009), David Bell states: Geography has long had a reputation as a magpie discipline—scavenging the shiny bits of other subjects and making new uses of them. For many people working in human geography, this is a real strength; the openness or porosity of the subject means that it is always transforming, morphing, moving in new directions. For critics, conversely, this signifies everything that is bad about human geography: it is a rag-bag—a messy mix of bits and pieces—so it lacks coherence and is too faddish. On the basis of your experience in GEOG 1101 Human Geography, i) assess this evaluation of human geography as an extremely diverse discipline, and ii) consider the praise/criticism (as noted in the quote above) of the diversity of human geography. What do you think?