Culture and Environment

Culture and Environment

The interaction between human culture and the environment is a dynamic and complex process. While human heredity remains relatively constant, the nonhuman environment, encompassing elements such as climate, soil, vegetation, and topography, introduces significant variability to cultural expressions.

Consider the impact of environmental factors on historical civilizations. The agricultural system of Egypt, made possible by the great floods of the Nile River, showcases how a specific environment shaped cultural practices. Similarly, the Eskimos of the North developed snow houses adapted to their cold surroundings.

However, the environment doesn’t dictate cultural development outright. Until a certain cultural threshold is reached, geographical features like the sea act as barriers rather than pathways. For instance, even with abundant natural resources, American Indians did not develop machine industry.

Cultural adaptation is selective, with some societies adopting obvious uses of their environment while others do not. The diversity of cultures in the same geographical area challenges earlier notions of geographical determinism. The cases of the Tauregs and Moors in the Sahara or the Navaho and Hopi Indians in the American Southwest exemplify how distinct cultures can coexist in the same region.

Human activities, culturally shaped, significantly impact the environment. Bridges, tunnels, and dykes alter landscapes, and agricultural practices influence soil erosion and deforestation. The text rejects the outdated ideas of geographical and climate determinism, highlighting the flaws in assuming that civilizations considered superior always originated in temperate zones.

The relationship between culture and the environment is intricate, involving a continuous interplay of adaptation, selectivity, and human impact on the surroundings. The rejection of deterministic theories underscores the complexity of cultural development, which can undergo profound changes without corresponding shifts in climate.

Harry M. Johnson_Sociology: A Systematic Introduction (pp. 101-103)