Over the course of the semester, the students in ENVS 160 have poured over a lot of material, in which there are endless lessons and take away messages. That being said, I think that one of the lessons that we discussed, regarding the importance of nature, social relations and meaning, is a good way to tie together a lot of what we have been reading about.
I think that in the context of environmental studies, it is easy to identify a problem and those who will be affected by this problem simply by geographical location. However, to truly have a full understanding of any given environmental concern, it is helpful to look at and evaluate it under three different contexts: nature, social relations, and meaning. Each of these help us understand different aspects of an issue, and together, they paint a thorough, comprehensive picture.
The first lens that we can use is nature. This specifically addresses the natural sciences. Under this lens, you understand the natural processes, the biological or chemical implications, and the scientific connections that the given issue may have on other things. An example of this could be understanding that graphite has a layered structure and each individual layer is called graphene. Some of the properties that graphite is highly valued for is it ability to conduct electricity.
The second lens is social relations. This specifically refers to the things that people do and the actions we take that somehow include the chosen issue. This could describe the political climate and how it connects to the issue or it could mean a high demand for a given material. In Making the Modern World, I learned about the high demand we have put on biomaterials; the demand for just silk has increased so much that the production of silkworm cocoons has doubled in about fifty years (Smil, 47). Now, another way this could be viewed under the context of social relations is if, perhaps, people specifically needed that silk to boost the economy or to keep their small business booming. There are motives and reasons there is high demand for specific materials, and these all fall under the category of social relations.
Finally, the last lens is meaning. This is essentially the things we think or value and the meaning we place on things. An example of this would be eco-spirituality. This is finding spiritual and religious meaning in the natural world- people who follow eco-spirituality place emphasis and meaning on preservation of the natural world because of their spiritual beliefs.
Ultimately, when you use nature, social relations, and meaning to observe something you deem problematic, you are able to comprehend the way in which everything is interconnected and, in this way, most threats to a stable, healthy natural world really become a global issue. It may immediately affect you because of your geographical location, but someone three thousand miles away may view the problem in a similar way as you because of your shared interpretation of meaning or because your economy and another country’s economies are dependent on each other. Each lens serves a different purpose and creates a way to analyze environmental concerns while keeping in mind all dimensions.
Photo citation: Jsukhomlinova. Terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. 2011. N.p.