The Welfare Approach in Human Geography emerged as a significant perspective in the 1970s primarily as a critical response to the limitations and perceived shortcomings of the dominant 'Quantitative Revolution' and positivist approaches that had characterized the discipline in the preceding decades. The 1970s was a period of significant social and political upheaval, marked by growing awareness of inequalities, social injustices, and environmental concerns.

Reasons for its Emergence:

1. Critique of Quantitative Geography: The Quantitative Revolution, while bringing scientific rigor and spatial analysis techniques, was increasingly seen as too abstract, mechanistic, and detached from real-world human problems. It focused on spatial patterns and models without adequately addressing the human condition, social well-being, or ethical considerations.
2. Growing Social Awareness: The 1960s and 70s witnessed heightened social consciousness regarding issues like poverty, inequality, racial discrimination, and access to resources (housing, healthcare, education). Geographers felt a moral imperative to make their research more socially relevant and contribute to solving these pressing societal problems.
3. Focus on Human Well-being: The Welfare Approach shifted the focus from purely spatial efficiency or economic optimization to the quality of life and well-being of individuals and communities. It sought to understand who gets what, where, and how, emphasizing the distribution of resources, opportunities, and disamenities across space.
4. Influence of Radical Geography: It was closely associated with the broader 'radical geography' movement, which challenged the status quo and advocated for a more critical, activist, and human-centered geography. Scholars like David Harvey, initially a proponent of quantitative methods, became leading figures in this shift, advocating for a geography that addressed social justice.
5. Policy Relevance: There was a desire for geographical research to have practical applications and inform public policy aimed at reducing disparities and improving living conditions. The approach sought to identify areas of deprivation and propose interventions.

In essence, the Welfare Approach marked a humanistic turn in geography, re-emphasizing the discipline's responsibility to address human suffering and promote social equity, moving beyond purely objective spatial analysis to incorporate values, ethics, and a concern for the human condition.