DETERMINISM and. PROBABILISM

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM and. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBABILISM

In expert opinion, human beings are stated to possess the innate ability to respond to the environment in which they live, and thereafter, consciously alter it. At the same time, feel experts, the environment in which one lives may in fact subtly ‘condition’ him or her. However, these phenomenon do not occur without proper stimuli; after all, people are not ants, which respond to external stimuli without using any part of their thinking processes, which of course may be non-existent in ants. (Blair; Hitchcock, 2001) Today, the use of ecological principles and theories in relation to anthropological research on human beings has gained in popularity, and this has facilitated experts to better understand the exact role that a human being plays in nature, and what type of influences he may have on the environment, and also, what type of influences the environment may have on him, over a period of time. (Schutkowski, 2006)

The definition of environmental determinism is this: “Environment determines Culture,” wherein environment refers to one’s physical environment, and not to one’s social conditions. In other words, it states that people are what they are, because their environment, that is, the climate, the vegetation and so on, has shaped them into what they are. This definition may be accurate, but most experts seem to be embarrassed by it, because of the simple fact that this explanation may place emphasis on racism, by stating that people from one particular region may be better than people from another, because they have been shaped by their environment, and if the environment was appalling, then they must be appalling as well. (“Griffith Taylor and Environmental determinism,” 1986) These concepts are not new; its history dates back to the days of Darwin and Ellen Semple, and ever since, the idea has been used in various contexts, like for example, in egalitarian politics. (Kay, 1986) as explained earlier, environmental thresholds change as the climatic conditions change, populations across the world increase, and culture and technology evolve through time to the state they are in at the present time. The idea that environmental determinism determines the cultural adaptability of an individual is extremely interesting indeed, especially in today’s globalization and other forms of technological advances. However, if the changes in environment are great, then this may affect the limits and capabilities of average human beings to be able to adapt to them. (Laura, 1999)

Reportedly, Winston Churchill made the statement that a human being shapes a building, and thereafter, the building shapes him. He meant to say that there exists a subtle relationship between one’s building and one’s behavior; environmental psychologists have found this to be true after extensive research on the subject. The relationship is viewed through a list of possibilities and probabilities, and this then is the principle upon which ‘probabilism’ is based. This concept has given rise to the idea that there is a probability of the built environment playing a positive or a negative role on organizations and campus environments. Places are therefore no longer just ‘places’; they are socio-physical entities. Individuals and groups make certain choices based on the scope of the environment in which live or function, and probabilism offers suggestions that some choices may be better than others. (Banning; Banning, 1994)

It is important to note that the concept ‘environmental probabilism’ or ‘architectural probabilism’ has emerged as a direct result of reactions to the supposed shortcomings and inadequacies of environmental or architectural determinism. Probabilism or possibilism as it is known is based on the idea that the physical environment is a source of a great many opportunities and challenges that may well impose certain restrictions and limits on one’s behavior, but certainly never restrict or control behavior. According to Wissler, architectural determinism has been taken quite casually and lightly, and this is replaced by environmental probabilism, which can be taken as an influence of a “passive limiting agency.” This theory may be explained by a simple example related to a college campus. The students may wish to make up an excellent football team and progress to playing at an inter-collegiate level, but this idea may be restricted by the environment, which in this case may say that there is no space within the campus to create a football a stadium in which to practice one’s game. The idea was therefore restricted by the environment. In the same way, if the college management said ‘yes’ to the idea of creating a football stadium for the football team to practice, and the same were to be created several miles away from the campus, not many students would be interested in taking part. This too restricted the concept. (Strange; Banning, n. d.)

Experts say that the assumptions of environmental passivity generally associated with environmental possibilism must be questioned. Take for example the presence of a beautifully constructed and designed campus restaurant. This may be considered more of an opportunity to draw more patrons than just a simple restaurant; because the restaurant does not cause anyone to come and visit it, but at the same time, its mere presence would attract customers. Therefore, this can be taken to mean that architectural or environmental probabilism successfully manages to capture the probabilistic relationship existing between physical environments and behaviors. In other words, it means that certain typical behaviors would have certain typical probabilistic links to one’s environment. For example, one can contrast a warm welcoming entrance to a campus, in opposition to a cold and forbidding one. There can be no doubt that people would prefer to enter through the warm entrance, rather than through the cold one. The example signifies that the warm entrance would not cause anyone to enter, but at the same time, encourages it. The probability or possibility of entry can therefore be increased by bringing in changes in the design, so that it may appear to be welcoming to those who wish to enter. (Strange; Banning, n. d.)

Although the tenets of environmental determinism are age old and have been in existence through the times, environmental probabilism has been introduced only recently. While the environmental determinist theory offered human geography a versatile unifying theme, and stated that all human society was in fact a natural product of his and her natural environment, there also seemed to be a lack of supporting empirical evidence. This factor necessitated the bringing in of new ideas and concepts, namely, environmental possibilism and probabilism. While possibilism gave the environment much credit for imposing certain limits on all human activities, probabilism stated that there could possibly be one answer among other probable ones, which would be the best. Although this theory offered researchers and other analysts more room for manipulation and maneuvering, this seemed to reduce dramatically the power of the environment as an explanatory factor. (Wilgar Boal; Livingstone, 1989)

Therefore, it is clear that while environmental determinism is all about the examination and analysis of the several definable factors that would allow for a complete prediction of the various and several individual characteristics of a person or of a society, environmental possibilism is all about eliminating the too causal approach of the former, only to bring in and maintain human agency. This means that the physical environment and the social environment would remain at par with the hundreds of possibilities that would be offered for a human being to choose from and to act upon. However, it was stated that possibilism was much too open ended, and therefore, a new theory would be needed to succeed determinism. This was how environmental probabilism came into being. Probabilism takes the view that although it cannot be said that the physical environment decides upon the actions of an average human being, it will perforce make certain responses, which would be considered more likely than others. Therefore, probabilism is more about making an informed and educated choice based on the realm of probabilities available. Probabilism brings with it the theory of prediction, and also positivism, with which it is closely associated. However, probabilism is always referred to as being the half way point between determinism and possibilism. (“Infrastructure Possibilism and Probabilism,” 2006)

To conclude, it must be said that while environmental probabilism states that almost all or any behaviors may be probable within one or in any environment, while determinism states that it is the physical environment, and not social conditions, that would shape a person’s character and behaviors. Herein lies the basic difference between the two theories. There can be no doubt that several more theories related to these theories will emerge soon, and perhaps these would explain human behavior in a more succinct and terse manner.

References

Banning, Carolyn S; Banning, James H. (1994) “Use of Nonverbal Cues of the Physical

Environment in Campus Consultation” Campus Ecologist, vol. 12, no. 4, pp: 36-38.

Blair, Alasdair; Hitchcock, David. (2001) “Environment and business”

Routledge.

Kay, Jeanne. (1986, Jun) “Commentary on the social origins of environmental determinism”

Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Jun., 1986), pp.

Laura, Johnson. (1999) “Neo-environmental determinism and agrarian collapse” Antiquity, vol. 73, pp: 634-42.

N.A. (n. d.) “Griffith Taylor and Environmental determinism” Retrieved 28 September, 2007 from http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/isern/382/taylor.htm

N.A. (2006, Aug) “Infrastructure Possibilism and Probabilism.” Retrieved 28 September, 2007 from http://serendipityoucity.blogsome.com/2006/08/16/infrastructure-possibilism- probabilism / http://serendipityoucity.blogsome.com/2006/08/16/infrastructure-possibilism- probabilism/

Schutkowski, Holger. (2006) “Human Ecology, biocultural adaptations in human communities” Springer.

Strange, Carney; Banning, James H. (n. d.) “Ch. 1, Physical Environments: The Role of Design and Space” Educating by Design. http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/65/07879104/0787910465.pdf.

Wilgar Boal, Frederick; Livingstone, David N. (1989) “Forms of life, history and mind”

Routledge.

DETERMINISM and. PROBABILISM”

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!