Geography · Ch 1 — Human Geography: Nature and Scope
Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature
Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature
The relationship between humans and nature is not static — it has evolved dramatically as our understanding of the natural world has deepened. This evolution can be understood through two key concepts: the naturalisation of humans and the humanisation of nature. These ideas trace the journey from a time when nature completely dominated human life to an era where human technology reshapes the environment itself.
The Role of Technology
Human beings interact with their physical environment using technology. The book stresses that what matters is not what humans produce, but with the help of what tools and techniques they produce it. Technology reflects the level of cultural development of a society.
Technology itself is born from understanding nature. For example:
- Understanding friction and heat led to the discovery of fire.
- Unlocking the secrets of DNA and genetics helped conquer many diseases.
- Applying the laws of aerodynamics allowed us to build faster planes.
Knowledge about nature is essential to develop technology. And technology, in turn, loosens the shackles that the environment places on human beings.
Naturalisation of Humans (Environmental Determinism)
In the early stages of human-environment interaction, people were greatly influenced by their natural surroundings. They had to adapt to the dictates of nature because their technology was primitive and their social development was low. This type of relationship — where primitive human society is dominated by the powerful forces of nature — is called environmental determinism.
At this stage, humans were essentially naturalised humans: they listened to nature, feared its fury, and worshipped it.
The textbook illustrates this with the story of Benda, a member of a tribe in the Abujh Maad area of central India. Benda practices shifting cultivation, burns small patches of forest, and uses ash as fertiliser. He thanks the spirit of the forest (Loi-Lugi) for water, searches for special herbs (Gajjhara and Kuchla) to barter at a tribal fair, and disappears into the forest canopy when outsiders approach. This story shows a direct, dependent relationship with nature, where nature is a powerful force that is worshipped, revered, and conserved. For such societies, the physical environment becomes "Mother Nature."
Humanisation of Nature (Possibilism)
As time passes, humans develop a better understanding of their environment and the forces of nature. With social and cultural development, they create better and more efficient technology. They move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom. Humans begin to create possibilities using the resources obtained from the environment.
This human activity creates a cultural landscape. The imprints of human activities are everywhere:
- Health resorts on highlands
- Huge urban sprawls
- Fields, orchards, and pastures in plains and rolling hills
- Ports on coasts
- Oceanic routes on the ocean surface
- Satellites in space
Earlier scholars termed this perspective possibilism. Nature provides opportunities, and human beings make use of them. Slowly, nature gets humanised and starts bearing the imprints of human endeavour.
The textbook contrasts Benda's story with that of Kari in Trondheim, Norway. Kari drives to work in the dark of winter with special tyres, works in an artificially heated office under a glass dome, eats tropical fruits flown in from warmer areas, and networks with colleagues in New Delhi via computer. Technology has allowed her to overcome the harsh constraints of her natural environment.
Neodeterminism (Stop and Go Determinism)
Neither extreme — absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor absolute freedom (possibilism) — fully captures reality. Geographer Griffith Taylor introduced a middle path called neodeterminism or stop and go determinism.
The concept uses the analogy of traffic lights:
- Red light means 'stop' — nature imposes limits.
- Amber light provides a gap 'to get set' — a pause for preparation.
- Green light means 'go' — development can proceed when nature permits.
The free run that developed economies attempted has already resulted in serious environmental damage: the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, global warming, receding glaciers, and degrading lands. …
Benda lives in the wilds of the Abujh Maad area of central India. His village consists of three huts deep in the wilds. Not even birds or stray dogs that usually crowd villages can be seen in these areas. Wearing a small loin cloth and armed with his axe he slowly surveys the penda (forest) where his tribe practices a primitive form of agriculture called shifting cultivation. Benda and his friends burn small patches of forest to clear them for cultivation. The ash is used for making the soil fertile. Benda is happy that the Mahua trees around him are in bloom. How lucky I am to be a part of this beautiful universe, he thinks as he looks up to see the Mahua, Palash and Sal trees that have sheltered him since childhood. Crossing the penda in a gliding motion, Benda makes his way to a stream. As he bends down to scoop up a palmful of water, he remembers to thank Loi-Lugi, the spirit of the forest for allowing him to quench his thirst. Moving on with his friends, Benda chews on succulent leaves and roots. The boys have been trying to collect Gajjhara and Kuchla, from the forest. These are special plants that Benda and his people use. He hopes the spirits of the forest will be kind and lead him to these herbs. These are needed to barter in the madhai or tribal fair coming up the next full moon. He closes his eyes and tries hard to recall what the elders had taught him about these herbs and the places they are found in. He wishes he had listened more carefully. Sudden …
Winters in the town of Trondheim mean fierce winds and heavy snow. The skies are dark for months. Kari drives to work in the dark at 8 am. She has special tyres for the winter and keeps the headlights of her powerful car switched on. Her office is artificially heated at a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius. The campus of the university she works in is built under a huge glass dome. This dome keeps the snow out in winter and lets in the sunshine in the summer. The temperature is controlled carefully and there is adequate lighting. Even though fresh vegetables and plants don't grow in such harsh weather, Kari keeps an orchid on her desk and enjoys eating tropical fruits like banana and kiwi. These are flown in from warmer areas regularly. With a click of the mouse, Kari can network with colleagues in New Delhi. She frequently takes a morning flight to London and returns in the evening in time to wat …