ENVIRONMENTAL-CULTURAL TERMS
by Antonio C. Antonio
January 9, 2013
Cultural and environmental terms may be
strange and unfamiliar to some. Please
allow me to mention, define and give examples for some of these terms:
1.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM – A theory that says that human culture,
institutions, and economic activities are shaped (or are determined) by the
environment and that human actions are entirely a response to ecological
settings.
Mr. Philander Rodman has a son (Dennis) who
was a famous basketball player in the NBA.
Dennis lives in the U.S. and speaks English with a black-American twang. Mr. Rodman settled in the Philippines and
sired another son (Phil, Jr.) who also plays basketball. Phil, Jr. lives in Angeles City and sFeaks
HEnglish with Ha KaFamFangan dicSHAn.
2.
ENVIRONMENTAL POSSIBILISM – A theory that states that the environment
offers different mixes of opportunities and limits to how humans may behave and
that the environment does not shape human behavior but instead presents an
array of conditions that allow for the same behavior to prosper and others not
to develop at all.
American influence on Philippine culture is
quite strong. The way and manner
Filipinos speak English is more American than other Asian countries. This is the very reason why BPOs (business
process outsourcing) have gained a relative high level of success here… even
beating India where BPOs started. But American
consumers can easily discern Indian English from Filipino English and, when an
Indian Customer Service Representative answers the phone, they are quick to
say: “I don’t wanna talk to you. I have
a friend who doesn’t have a job, why should I give you this freakin’
opportunity to earn!”
3.
CULTURAL DIFFUSIONISM – A theory that states that cultural traits are
assumed to spread from one culture to another.
Filipinos dress like Americans… some even
wear boots and wear them in sweaty socks because of the heat. Some even color their hair blonde!... and act
western and talk in typical American slang!
Pero pango ring kagaya ko.
4.
ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATION – A theory relating certain organs of animals to
specific features of the environment.
The physical attributes of people has
something to do with their environment.
Take the case of mountain dwellers like the Aetas for example. They are short, stocky, have big feet, and
short and muscular limbs. These are
physical traits borne out of walking on slopes.
People living along coastal communities, who are traditional fisher
folks, have rough and dark skins from constant exposure to seawind and
sunlight. The rough and dark skin,
however, helps them stay under the sun and exposed to strong seawind longer
than people living in in-land communities.
5.
CULTURAL ECOLOGY – A theory that states that ecological influences from
the natural environment and cultural traits diffused from other societies
create a combination of core and non-core elements of human cultures, which
together make up the unique manner that a society behaves.
Chinese migrants to the Philippines who are
predominantly Buddhists and Taoists have adopted the Roman Catholic religion
and send their children to Catholic schools.
However, they are Catholics in public and at the same time Buddhist and
Taoists in private. The entire family
attends Mass in Roman Catholic churches on Sunday mornings, have family lunch
in a Chinese restaurant after the Mass then go home to pray before their Buddha
altars.
Just my little thoughts…
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