Determinism And Possibilism In Geography Pdf Notes
Environmental Possibilism Vs. Environmental Determinism
Students can compare and contrast environmental determinism and possibilism 2. Students can explain the history and beliefs of environmental determinism. Students can explain the history and beliefs of possibilism 2. Cultural ecology culture develops in a physical environment that, in a way,contributes to the differences among people.
Environmental possibilism and determinism are theories, put forth in order to comprehend and understand the role played by the physical environmental conditions in the emergence and progress of any human culture or society in a particular location. ScienceStruck explores and lists out the differences between these two concepts.
“For anyone inclined to caricature environmental history as “environmental determinism”, the contrasting histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti provide a useful antidote. Cod black ops lag fix patch download. Yes, environmental problems do constrain human societies, but the societies’ responses also make a difference.”
― Jared Diamond
The study of the interactions between humans and their surroundings, and the observed effect of such interactions is called human geography. Studies related to this field attempt to establish the human or natural factors underlying the environmental changes occurring at that site. It also tries to understand the sociocultural evolution of humans based on the stimuli provided by their physical living conditions.
Till 1950, philosophers believed that human civilizations form and proliferate in certain parts of the world due to the direct influence of the natural physical environment found in those places. They put forth these beliefs in the form of theories which claimed that the environment had deterministic effects on the nature of human society and culture.
The natural environment posed as a limiting factor for the development and progress of people inhabiting the particular area (environmental determinism). This provided a logical reasoning for diversity that was observed among the various civilizations and settlements of humans across the globe. These theories reinforced the idea that human-environment interactions were solely driven by the physical conditions, and that they were unidirectional.
However, as time elapsed, scholars and scientists began to question the validity of these theories, as they did not account for the impact of humans on the environment. They also did not take into account the essential factor of human ingenuity and advancement in technology. Due to the availability of advanced technology, humans could have a larger impact on the environment and easily adapt themselves, if not overcome, to the physical conditions.
This contradicted the previous claim of the deterministic nature of the environment and in its stead proposed that while the environment did pose a few limiting factors to the prosperity of the inhabiting people, the people or society was also capable of having an impact on the surrounding and molding it as per their needs (environmental possibilism).
After 1950, both these sets of theories were revised and improved upon, as they proved inadequate to explain all the aspects related to human-environment interactions. A comprehensive comparison of these two concepts is given below.
Environmental Possibilism Vs. Environmental Determinism
| Environmental Possibilism | Environmental Determinism |
| Basic Premise | |
| Humans can alter the environment to best serve their needs, through the use of technology. | Physical environment, especially climate, exclusively shapes human culture and behavior. |
| Emphasis | |
| Human modification of the environment. | Human adaption to the environment. |
| Nature of Interaction | |
| Physical environment and human cultures are interrelated. | Physical environment caused social development. |
| Reason for Rejection | |
| Considered too extremist. | Was used to promote racism. |
| Ideated By | |
| Strabo | Aristotle |
| Advocated By | |
| Vidal de Lablache | Friedrich Ratzel |
| Criticized By | |
| Griffith Taylor | Carl Sauer |
| Example | |
| Change of body color of black pepper moth. | Cultivation of land by ancient nomadic settlements. |
In order to better explain the development of human cultures with respect to the particular environment, a new theory was proposed, one that has been widely accepted and used. It is the theory of cultural ecology, and it is the study of human adaptation to social and physical environment with respect to biological as well as cultural processes.
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Possibilism in cultural geography is the theory that the environment sets certain constraints or limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social conditions.[1][2]In cultural ecology, Marshall Sahlins used this concept in order to develop alternative approaches to the environmental determinism dominant at that time in ecological studies. Theory by Strabo in 64 BC that humans can make things happen by their own intelligence over time. Strabo cautioned against the assumption that nature and actions of humans were determined by the physical environment they inhabited. He observed that humans were the active elements in a human-environmental partnership and partnering.
The controversy between geographical possibilism and determinism might be considered as one of (at least) three dominant epistemologic controversies of contemporary geography. The other two controversies are 1) the 'debate between neopositivists and neokantians about the 'exceptionalism' or the specificity of geography as a science [and 2)] the contention between Mackinder and Kropotkin about what is—or should be—geography'.[3]
Possibilism in geography is, thus, considered as a distinct approach to geographical knowledge, directly opposed to geographical determinism.
References[edit]
- ^Dhillon, Jasbir Singh, S.S. (2004). Agricultural geography (3rd ed.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. p. 457. ISBN9780070532281. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^Stadler, Reuel R. Hanks ; contributing author, Stephen J. (2011). Encyclopedia of geography terms, themes, and concepts. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 262–263. ISBN9781598842951. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^José William Vesentini, Controvérsias geográficas: epistemologia e política, Confins (magazine) - Revue Franco-Brésilienne de Géographie