Nature and Society

Perhaps you spend your downtime in the relaxing environment of the natural world. Or perhaps you prefer a bustling city, surrounded by many people. Nature and society are often considered distinctively separate ideas, but is this really the case? What are the different perspectives of the two? Nature and society both occur on a variety of scales, and this creates plenty of interactions between nature and society.

Nature and Society Definition

Nature can be explained as all elements of the physical world, from landscapes to flora and fauna. It is associated with wildlife and the outdoors. Contrast this with society, which is normally associated with entirely different terms, such as cities and humans. Society is the people who exist in the world in communities, it is a human creation.

Fig 1. The Natural World.

But, how are these two features of the world related? What are the different ways in which the relationship between nature and society has altered over time and space?

Nature can influence society's actions and behaviors. Additionally, society can modify and adapt nature for its own needs. This is one of the main interactions between humans and the environment.

Simply, humans walking through a natural space, such as a National Park, can be considered a way in which nature and society interact. At the other end of the scale, deforestation (a consequence of society on nature) is another more harmful way that society interacts with nature.

Nature and Society Geography

Within geography, the main geographical concepts include location, space, place, pattern, regionalization, globalization, flows, networks, and nature and society. Therefore, nature and society are considered major elements of geography.

Fig. 2 - Society.

Both nature and society exist across many spatial aspects, and there are numerous ways in which nature and society interact with each other. These interactions include (but are not limited to) deforestation, energy resources, water use, waste, pollution, and urban expansion.

Depiction of Nature and Society

Throughout the history of geography, there have been many shifts in the geographic perspective of nature and society.

Physical geography focused on studying the natural world, and human geography studied human activities. However, there was an aspiration to explore the relationship between the two, due to the idea that nature lays the foundation of human activities and that nature is impacted by these human practices.

Alternatively, there have been suggestions within geography that nature does not influence society in any way. Nature has also been viewed as something that is socially constructed. This allows nature to be perceived as either pristine and natural or an economic resource. Ultimately, there is little agreement on what nature is and how exactly it should be studied in relation to society.

Environmental Perspective

Environmental perspectives of nature and society include the theories of environmental determinism and possibilism.

Environmental Determinism

This is the view that nature determines and influences human behaviors, experiences, and actions. However, this theory has received many criticisms; is racist and encourages colonialism and imperialism.

Possibilism

The alternative environmental perspective to environmental determinism is possibilism. Possibilism is the theory that although the environment influences society, it does not limit society and humans can also influence and shape the environment.

Nature and Society Example

Sustainability

Sustainability is the preserving of a resource for the present needs of society, whilst maintaining it to meet the needs of future generations, without economic, social and environmental damage.

This is a way society can interact with nature whilst protecting the natural world because it is enforcing sustainable methods of development (sustainable development.) Essentially, sustainability allows society to use nature (such as natural resources) for its needs, without causing irreparable damage.

Natural Resources

Natural resources are a type of item or material found in its natural state that can be used by society.

Natural resources are extracted from nature to be used by society. Non-renewable resources are resources such as coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and oil. These resources are finite and therefore will eventually run out. Renewable resources, on the other hand, are infinite. Renewable resources include wind, solar, wave, and hydropower.

There are also abiotic and biotic natural resources. Abiotic natural resources are non-living resources, whereas biotic natural resources include living organisms.

Land Use

Land use is the way that society alters the land to suit its requirements and needs. Land use includes agricultural, industrial, commercial, residential, recreational, and transportation uses of the land.

Similarly to natural resources, land use can have negative effects on the natural world if the land use is not planned or executed sustainably. Therefore, sustainability plays a huge role in the interactions between nature and society.

Nature and Society in a Warming World

Impacts in a warming world

As you know, there is a range of ways society interacts with nature, and these interactions can create a variety of impacts on the environment. Due to the different ways and rates nature is used worldwide, there is an uneven distribution of human impacts on the natural environment across the world. The table below shows these impacts.

However, the impact of society on the environment depends on society's environmental perspective. A focus on the environment would suggest society is largely negatively impacting the environment. On the other hand, a priority of society would imply that the impact humans are having on nature is not detrimental but is necessary for human survival.