Beyond the material: What qualitative inquiry offers physical geography

Abstract

While most physical geographers have traditionally focused on natural processes, growing attention is now being paid to how people experience and respond to them. This shift reflects a broader recognition that the natural environment is not only material but also shaped by social, political, and cultural meanings. Accordingly, when people speak about nature, they tend to speak less about physical-geographical factors and more about emotional experiences. Natural hazards, for instance, are often perceived as recurring threats, deeply unsettling events, expressions of political neglect, or simply as part of everyday life. While these narratives are individual in form, they point beyond subjective feelings; they reflect social patterns of meaning and can be analysed as socio-spatial narratives such as inscriptions of (dis)trust or (dis)empowerment. To explore such meanings, qualitative inquiry complements quantitative approaches. However, in my daily work as a lecturer, supervisor, and as advisor in trans- and interdisciplinary research projects, I regularly encounter misconceptions about qualitative inquiry, especially among researchers with a natural science background. This paper clarifies the epistemological foundations, objectives, and potential outcomes of qualitative inquiry in physical geography to dispel common misconceptions. By doing so, I move beyond a narrow understanding of qualitative geography and instead highlight its capacity to critically engage with meaning-making processes, power relations, and situated knowledge in human–environment interactions. Thus, I encourage dialogue and mutual understanding between qualitative and quantitative researchers – particularly in the growing field of transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, where mixed-methods designs are increasingly prevalent.