Nature, Culture, and Literature

"BEING WHITE" by FA

The term ‘nature’ juxtaposes with the term environment, world, universe, planet earth, and so on that has similar meaning to it (Abdillah, 2001). It constitutes all of the external factors affecting an organism whether living organisms (biotic factors) or nonliving variables (non-biotic factors). Living organism includes plant, animal, virus, bacterium, and human being. Besides, nonliving includes temperature, rainfall, day length, wind, and ocean currents. The interactions of organisms with biotic and non-biotic factors form an ecosystem.

Organisms and their environment constantly interact, and both are changed by this interaction. Like all other living creatures, humans have clearly changed their environment, but they have done so generally on a grander scale than have all other species. Some of these human-induced changes have led to altered climate patterns, or what is in so forth we called as Global Warming. In turn, altered climate patterns have changed the way animals and plants are distributed in different ecosystems.

There are two side of point of view in considering nature or environment as part of human interaction. One is that they who consider nature as entity which evolves within itself and which possesses power to form and to adapt the changes toward it. One who stands in this position assumes that nature needs not to be saved or even gives a special treatment. Other is one who holds into conviction that everything beyond this universe is connected. The changes of whether, climate, and temperature much less engages human contribution. However, in arguing who is the right or wrong over the belief is merely wasting of time. Regarding to the problem on environment, scientists and also environmentalists has study the long-term consequences of human actions on the environmental order to lessen the impact of human activity on the natural world. And the study of the relationships between these living organisms and their interactions with their natural or developed environment is what we so-called as ecology.

Some theories deal with environment also reveal to the surface of discourse for the last decades. There are environmental determinism and possibilism theory, and the cultural ecology. Environmental determinism believes that all of the cultural aspect and human attitude are influenced by environment or surroundings. This theory brought by Frederich Rosel (Germania) in the early decade of 20’s gives an example that English is the nation of sailor for it is surrounded by sea. Unfortunately, this theory contains mystical belief which is irrational by way of possessing a set of assumption that human body contains four elements of fire, earth water, and blood. This believe apparently could hold on the ground if only Karl Marx didn’t make a funny remark by striking his opinion about Technological Determinism which states that human attitude and their personality is induced by technology since in the certain nation it dominates their lives (Sumaatmadja, 2005).

The second is possibilism theory. The theory states that culture and technology is shaped by the environment but it is not caused by it. In other words, this theory believes that there is compatibility between certain culture and it environment, but there is also incompatibility over other environment. The theory introduced by Frans Boas in 1930’s is also known as the theory of Openness. The last is cultural ecology. It is said that environment does affect human behavior, only just in exact time human also affects their surroundings. In other words, the relation between human and their environment is equal. In certain circumstances of time and place, surroundings highly affect human’s culture and their behavior; and in other certain circumstances, human being does affect their surroundings or environment (Abdillah, 2001).              

The last theory conducts us to comprehend more about culture as part of people product.  As Bambang Sugiharto said in his article (2007) that the word ‘culture’ is one of the words which is difficult to define. At least there are 150 definition compiled by Kroeber and Kluckholn in 1952 for more or less three decades (Suriasumantri, 2005). Generally, the word refers to patterns of human activities and the symbolic structures that give such activities significant. Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity. Based on statement, Koentjaraningrat (1985) expounds culture into some subdivisions. Those are: system of religion and rituals, organization of society, system of knowledge, language, arts, occupation, and system of technology and equipment.

Regarding to the research, poem belongs to product of culture of arts and language. The most considerable thing is that whether the surrounding or environment of society really influences this product of arts (?) The answer is possible in any way. However, it is better to consider the cultural ecology to see the relationship between both. The theory actually emphasizes the influence of environment to culture and its people. Introduced by Jullian H. Steward in 1930’s, the theory stated that culture and environment is undivided entity for it holds the process of mutual induction or interrelationship. In other words, culture and environment is interdependent (Abdillah, 2001).

This concept draws a conclusion that poem as product of culture directly or indirectly influences by surroundings or place where the creator lives. Apparently, culture is not static in its development. The change of environment will also alter social order of society that in forth also affects its product. Culture then is one that dynamic. This perception is appropriate with a concept of culture change. For example, the end of the last ice age leads to the invention of agriculture, which is in its turn brought about many cultural innovations. Cultural change can come due to the environment, to inventions (and other internal influences), and to contact with other cultures.

Based on the description above, ecocriticism as part of knowledge in literature environment takes its subject the interconnectedness between nature and culture, specifically the cultural artifacts of language and literature. As a theoretical discourse, it negotiates between the human and the nonhuman (Cohen, 2004). (*Saswaloka*)