Environmental determinism

1. Environmental determinism

2. Environmental Determinism • Belief that the physical environment, especially the climate and terrain actively shape cultures.

3. Environmental Determinism • Explanation:Perspective is that human response are almost completely molded by the environment, leading to physical environments producing similar cultures.

4. Climatic determinism or Geographical determinism • The fundamental argument of the environmental determinists was that aspects of physical geography, particularly climate, influenced the psychological mind-set of individuals, which in turn defined the behavior and culture of the society that those individuals formed. • For example, tropical climates were said to cause laziness, relaxed attitudes and promiscuity, while the frequent variability in the weather of the middle latitudes led to more determined and driven work ethics. Because these environmental influences operate slowly on human biology, it was important to trace the migrations of groups to see what environmental conditions they had evolved under.

6. Possibilism Considered as a distinct approach to geographical knowledge, directly opposed to geographical determinism.

7. Possibilism • People are the primary architects of culture, so any physical environments offer many possibilities for a culture to develop. People make choices based on the opportunities and limitations of the physical environment-choice guided by heritage.

8. Environmental vs. Possibilism Environmental Determinism-An example of Environmental Determinism would be any climactic or geographic hindrance to humans, such as deserts or mountains. • Possibilism- Possibilism can be observed in any situation where humans conquer their environment, such as through building roads through arid land or establishing radical settlements in hospitable conditions.

9. Environmental Perception Perspective emphasizes human culture as ultimately more important than physical environment in shaping humans

10. Environmental Perception Explanation • Not reality but how we “think” to get to a conclusion. Based on our cultural beliefs, and values.

11. Environmental Perception Example • If people believed that devastating flood was a result of the angry gods, they might respond by building an alter or with a sacrifice. If a culture believes that the flood was from a natural disaster they might take steps to not let a flood of that portion happen again.

12. Cultural determinism • The perspective emphasizes human culture as ultimately more important than physical environment in shaping human activities