Friday, September 19, 2008

Culture vs. Structure in Environmental Problems

While discussing the origins of environmental damage, our MSc class was asked an interesting question. Do we think culture (norms & values) or structure (market & political systems) is the root of mankind's anthropocentric view of nature and the environment?

But what is your opinion? Try to answer the following question:

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After some discussion, most agreed that the root of the problem is multi-casual, or at least there is not such a big difference between a society's culture and structure. But when talking about money decisions and where to invest, tackling the problem at the knees seems like it can be difficult. So if you answered 'education' you might think culture plays a bigger role, and if answered 'subsidies' then... you get the idea.