Environmental Determinism
Definition
Environmental determinism is the theory that physical environment shapes human activities and societal development.
Analogy
Imagine you're playing a video game where your character's abilities change based on the environment. If it's cold outside in the game world, your character might move slower. This is similar to environmental determinism - our surroundings influence how we live our lives.
Case Studies
case studiesImpact
Environmental determinism influenced colonial attitudes and policies, justifying imperialism with the notion that climate determined a society's success. It affected geographical scholarship until cultural ecology and possibilism offered more nuanced understandings of human-environment interactions.Related terms
Cultural Ecology: The study of human adaptations to social and physical environments.
Geographic Determinism: A philosophy that holds geography as the primary factor determining human behaviors and societal development.
Adaptation: Changes in behavior or physical characteristics that allow organisms to survive in their environment.
"Environmental Determinism" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (11)
Why is the theory of Environmental Determinism considered flawed by modern geographers?
Which historical event best illustrates the concept of "environmental determinism"?
How does environmental determinism contribute to regional analysis in human geography studies?
Why do some scholars criticize environmental determinism in regional analysis?
What is the theory of Environmental Determinism?
What best represents the concept of "environmental determinism" in human geography?
Which of the following is a weakness of environmental determinism as a theory in human geography?
Which statement best represents the viewpoint of environmental determinism in human geography?
What is a key weakness of environmental determinism as a theory in human geography?
What is an example of environmental determinism in history?
Who proposed an alternative to environmental determinism with possibilism?
Resources
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