MAN ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION

Source
Human-environment relationship is the interplay
between people and their environment,
including the elements and arrangements by which
people use the environment and the limitations the
environment puts on human behaviour
 Human beings depend on the environment
 Human beings adapt to the environment
 Human beings modify the environmentdeterminism and possibilism are the dominant theories. Till
date, they are considered as an irreconcilable paradox
among them
 It has been a debate for years that flourished from ancient to
modern period
 Among geographers, a great number of them have strongly
emphasized the effect of environmental determinist on man’s
activity. And also a great number are supporting the notion of
possibilism
 Relph (1987) said, “the landscapes and places we live are
important. Whether we shape them or they shape us, they
are the expressions of what we are. Our lives are
impoverished precisely to the extent that we ignore them.
ENVIRONMENT DETERMINISM
 This view is highly supported by most geographers and non-
geographers from Ancient to modern periods
 In ancient to medieval periods, the concept of geography by itself
and determinism was promoted by non-geographer and unscientific
scholars with simple interest and observation
 Even the prominent scholars were non-geographers like
Hippocrates, Eratosthenes, Strabo, Aristotle, Herodotus,Ptolemy
and others
 The belief that the environment causes all cultural development.
 Natural environment is the dominant force in shaping cultures
 Natural environment influences social, political,religious life of man kind