5-22-2007

Environmental Culture?

Most would agree that the human persona, is a result of the delicate interaction between nature, and nurture. Nature being, the genetic makeup of the individual, and nurture being the tableau rasa, molded by parents and society. And so, with these halves man is complete; whatever man may not be able to do or fathom, can be taught to him, - or so goes this story of human success. This formula may very well work, if there is a plethora of stimuli for interaction. But what if there is not?

What if, a "complete" individual, has no environment for interaction? No external points of reference, or imagination? How important is the environment for a society? Is it important enough as genetic makeup of an individual or the nurture by his parents? More!

In absence of variety of stimuli, in this case a sufficiently enough challenging environment - humanity and the society it builds, is severely hindered not just by its need to adapt and conquer its surroundings, but interact as a unit with each other. Human language in its simplest form is a means of communication with regards to food, aggression, and mating. As any child psychologist will note, children to the age of 9-10 express themselves in this, most direct of ways, unable to comprehend subtle undertones of human feeling hidden under the complex language. It is only as they reach puberty, are children able to start fully grasping concepts such as sarcasm, analogies, and metaphors. These higher strata of language are exactly what separate human language with that of animals. The ability to reference a completely unrelated theme and subject and to project with it, your own simplistic urges, takes human expression and feeling to another level. Suddenly; she shines like the moon and stars, and is prettier than the sunset on a summer day. Creativity such as this, creates a completely new field where humans may consider themselves unique, and not only in the animal kingdom, but amongst humans themselves. "She listened to his sweet sweet nothings, and love was born within her soul". Expression in the form language is not only more diverse and wealthy but at the same time is strengthened vastly because of our environment.

In truth there are many candidates for human progress as good as a rich environment full of sensation. However, the lack of such an environment may be the difference between a dominant and a less shining civilization. Taken all things aside the variety of literature produced by countries experiencing all four seasons vastly outnumbers those with less seasonal change. For the very simple reason – they have more to write about. These writings; poems, essays, songs, plays, operas etc all contribute to the evolution of a civilization. Through them, not only can a civilization define itself and set itself apart from other less polished ones, by being more unique and accomplished, but it pushes itself ahead through a greatly better expressive medium, than just language alone. Music in a similar fashion is greatly impacted upon and influenced by the environment. Once again topics such as spring, winter, can easily be compared to Vivaldi's Seasons, or the running of a horse with Rossini's William Tell. Even today popular songs come with general themes that are often attributed to the season they are referring to. In Eastern Europe for example, the Summer is often seen as a special time for social interaction and having fun, and specifically songs reference the trees, the flowers , the temperature and warmth associated with the special someone they are singing about. Curiously, Americans, who also experience the four seasons, seldom treasure the summer as much as the Eastern Europeans, and the majority of their pop (not country ) songs are simply sex related with scarcely any references to the environment at all – no doubt a result of extreme urbanization in the USA. While few question the popularity of the pop culture songs of the US, few would also be hard pressed to say a true variety exist in the themes they portray.

While we have seen that the environment, be it fauna, flora or weather serves a great boost by influencing a civilization in a positive way, similarly the loss of environment creates a cultural vacuum, where that same civilizations' achievements simply stop making sense, and being relevant to the people who created them. A point in case – is Europe, a subcontinent once rich in wild animals, had a long tradition of the arts being attributed to their regions that were filled with bears, boars, deer, and foxes. Today these tributes to hunts, and stories of how diverse and plentiful the European's lands once was, seem fictional, a legend…a movie. In the same way, the language and the words that it contains with reference to these once "real" animals, are now less plausible, less expressive, less genuine. With nothing to reference these once great nations, will soon fall behind other civilizations that more diverse than they are.

Nature bounces back, it always does...until it doesn't. Strongest survive weakest die out, life, will adapt to what ill humanity causes upon it. Few feel the effects of endangered species and loss habitat, as these changes are slow to notice, and once they are done, their effects are forgotten. Today bees, are ailing, many species are dying out for unknown reasons, wasps often take over, and as insects are quite useless to humans. It's possible, the great product we all love and eat will eventually also disappear. How then will you call your Honey? Will that word honey ever have the same meaning once honey itself ceases to exist.