The natural environment is the phenomenon of all natural things that encompasses humanity. This means that the natural environment entails all living and non-living things which occur naturally on earth without the influence of human beings. The natural environment includes the Physical environment and the Biological environment. The physical environment entails all physical features occurring naturally on earth. It includes the atmosphere (layer of gases surrounding the earth), hydrosphere (liquid component of the earth) and lithosphere (solid layer covering the earth). The biological environment includes the natural biological factors as in animals, plants and bacteria that affect human life in a particular place or period.
According to Wikipedia, human behaviour on the other hand refers to the range of actions or attitudes exhibited by humans. This means that every action, speech, gestures and mannerisms employed by humans consist of our human behavior. Human behaviour is influenced by our culture, emotions and the natural environment. As the culture of a particular society influences the conduct or behaviour of an individual, so does the natural environment also influences human behaviour. It does influence the human behaviour because even the water, climate, soil, animals and plants we interact with do affect our attitude towards life and at times influence our cultural traits. The natural environment has influenced human behavior from the beginning of humankind up till the present. It has influenced us in our behaviour towards our food, shelter, clothing, vocabulary acquisition and ideology.
Table of Contents
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Vocabulary (Language)
Ideology
Objectives and Topics
This work aims to examine how the natural environment fundamentally shapes and influences human behaviour across different regions, analyzing its impact on essential aspects of daily life such as survival strategies and cultural development.
- The impact of environmental factors on food acquisition and dietary habits.
- Adaptations in shelter construction driven by climate and local materials.
- The role of natural surroundings in determining clothing styles and materials.
- Environmental influence on vocabulary development and language diversity.
- The relationship between natural phenomena and the formation of belief systems.
Excerpt from the Book
Food
Primitive human’s behaviour towards food began with the environment that they naturally found themselves in. In order for them to survive they had to hunt down small animals and gather wild plants fruit that were immediate to their environment. With time, they came to have knowledge of the use of fire by using materials from their natural environment to create fire. This development changed the behaviour of human. This caused us to begin to cook our food before we eat. Slowly and gradually, as we continued to rely on the natural environment to feed, we had that tendency of domesticating some of the animals and plants which we relied on most in order to free ourselves from wandering for food which the natural environment made it difficult to obtain. With time we ventured into agriculture resulting in the creation of surplus food to feed the ever increasing population.
Presently, it could be viewed that all societies and communities over and across the world rely on the food products which are able to survive the environment in which they live in. Thus, the entire world over there are different kinds of plants and animals which humans live on and this is as a result of what the natural environment prevailing in that region can provide.
Summary of Chapters
Food: This chapter describes how human subsistence strategies evolved from hunting and gathering to agriculture, and how local climates dictate specific dietary patterns worldwide.
Shelter: The text explains how architecture and housing styles have evolved as a direct response to climatic challenges, ranging from caves and tents to modern storm-resistant buildings.
Clothing: This section explores how the need for protection against harsh environments led to the development of various clothing materials and styles, influenced by temperature and available natural resources.
Vocabulary (Language): The chapter analyzes how the specific natural environment of a society shapes its language, as people create symbols and words based on the phenomena they encounter daily.
Ideology: The final chapter discusses how recurring natural events influence a society's belief system, shaping how people interpret and react to the world around them.
Keywords
Natural environment, Human behaviour, Survival, Adaptation, Climate, Agriculture, Shelter, Clothing, Vocabulary, Language, Ideology, Belief systems, Geography, Subsistence, Cultural traits
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this work?
The work explores the profound influence of the natural environment on human behaviour, examining how physical surroundings have shaped our actions, culture, and development throughout history.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The central themes include food acquisition, housing and shelter patterns, clothing choices, the development of language and vocabulary, and the formation of ideological belief systems.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to demonstrate that human behaviour is not isolated but is intricately linked to and influenced by the biological and physical environments in which societies exist.
What methodology is employed?
The document employs a descriptive and analytical approach, drawing on ethnographic examples and comparative observations to highlight the correlation between geography and human patterns.
What does the main body focus on?
The main body details specific instances of environmental influence, such as how desert or coastal environments determine the type of housing built or the language used to name local flora and fauna.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include natural environment, human behaviour, cultural adaptation, climate influence, and environmental determinism.
How does the environment influence language development according to the text?
The text explains that vocabulary is created to represent what people observe; therefore, societies only develop words for phenomena they actually encounter in their specific geographic environment.
How do Eskimo shelter patterns differ from those in the Sahara?
Eskimos build homes from snow or animal skins to adapt to cold climates and a wandering lifestyle, whereas those in the Sahara use tents or huts, moving according to the availability of resources for their livestock.
What role does the natural environment play in ancient Egyptian ideology?
Ancient Egyptians developed specific rites and rituals as a response to environmental challenges, specifically the need to appease entities they believed were responsible for flooding.
Why do coastal building designs include raised foundations?
These designs are a direct adaptation to the natural environment, specifically intended to prevent floodwaters from entering homes in coastal regions.
- Quote paper
- Kwabena Ankoma (Author), 2012, How Human Behavior is Influenced By the Natural Environment, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/889344
