C.1 Geography, Skill #3- Notes

C.1 Geography, Skill #3- Notes

  Identify the ways natural processes and human-environment interactions shape cultural features (e.g., communities, language, technology, political and economic institutions).

Ecology

Cultural ecology study of culture and Earth interactions culture is the way of life that characterizes a group of people including their language, technology, music, etc. Political ecology multi-disciplinary study of how social and environmental change occurs in the context of power relations, social structures, economic issues, and human-environment interactions

Human-Environment Interaction

the environment shapes people and people shape the environment Humans depend on and modify environment to provide basic needs. Adaptation Humans adapt to their environment if they cannot change it depends on their ability to do so reflects their economic and political circumstances and their technological abilities  human-environment interaction has shaped Earth's physical systems and features  can study these interactions through: impact of climate on interaction climate influences humans, cultures, and what kind of agriculture can be produced people can learn to adapt to climate to get what they need if it cannot be produced impact of vegetation on interaction quality of soil/ vegetation and access to irrigation can affect how people interact with the environment impact of landforms on interaction landforms can shape human and cultural activities such as hunting humans and cultures can adapt and change landforms to meet their needs such as building highways through mountains

Human-Cultural Determinism

view that culture overpowers and shapes the environment does not take into account how environment can shape our cultural activities

Environmental Determinism

view that environment can overpower people and determine their culture and extent of their development widely considered to not be "politically correct" an area's physical characteristics such as climate impact how people develop over time