GEOG205 Environment And Society
Mar 10,22GEOG205 Environment And Society
Question:
Photo Essay
Photography is an essential tool for geography students (Hall, 2009). It can provide evidence to support text, it can represent places, people and things, and it can be used in critical inquiry to expose and challenge meanings/interpretations of the world and the constructions of power they support (Sanders, 2007).
This assignment aims to connect your own experience of urban nature to concepts covered in class, to get you thinking critically about your day-to-day experiences of nature in the city. To achieve this you will use photography to document salient aspects of what you see. You will then incorporate your pictures into a photo essay, examining what they show about urban nature.
Background
In Western thinking, urban and rural are frequently understood in opposition to each other. Open and green spaces are assumed to be confined to the countryside whereas city spaces are imagined as polluted, overcrowded concrete jungles; the opposite of nature. This perceived contrast between the two spaces influences people’s decisions about how and where they live (such as urban-rural migration and migration to the suburbs). While there is a great deal of focus on the way the city cuts into green spaces (through urban sprawl), there is limited consideration of the opposite: how nature permeates the city.
The urban-rural separation is an example of the limitations of binary thinking (such as culture/nature, black/white, man/woman). There is no clear divide between city and country: a variety of animals and plants are found throughout cities, and rural areas are deeply cultural spaces. Ecosystems do not stop at the city fringes and the impacts of human activities, such as water or air pollution, are not restricted to urban areas.
Cronon (1995) argues that focussing on preserving ‘untouched’ wilderness can prevent us from recognising the presence, and the value, of the wild things, processes and places which exist closer to where we live and work. Building on early geographical work pointing out the presence of nature in the city, attention has now turned towards the interactions, processes and metabolisms forming urban ‘social-natures’ (e.g. Braun, 2005; Swyngedouw, 1996; Wachsmuth, 2012). These ‘hybrid’ socio-natures challenge distinctions between natural and social, rural and urban.
Question
Using photographs showing your experience of Auckland, critically explore the idea that cities are socio-natural spaces.
Approaching the question
Your own experience of Auckland should shape your approach to the question. Begin by reading around the topic, reflecting on how the concept of socio-nature fits with how you see the city.
How useful is ‘socio-nature’, and/or its related concepts, in describing and explaining your experience of Auckland?
Does a socio-natural ‘lens’ shed any light on what you see, or might your experiences/photographs be better explained as simply products of nature or society?
Answer:
Introduction
Socio-nature of Auckland
Student name:
Student ID:
Module name:
Table of Contents
Introduction. 3
Discussion. 3
Conclusion. 7
References. 8
Introduction
In this following assignment, the role of photography skills has been discussed in detail. Photography skills help the reader in getting a detailed and more realistic view of the happenings. A deep analysis of the socio-nature of Auckland has been made in this following assignment. With the help of this assignment, the readers will be able to understand in-depth the social nature of Auckland.
Discussion
Photography skill helps to increase the direct vision among the geography students. This skill provides a sensory connection among the students. Photography skills also provide the different sources and also provides evidence that is needed in the study. In this assessment, the experience and different concepts and socio-natural aspects are introduced using photography skills.
Figure 1: Auckland City
Source: (ArchDaily, 2022)
Experience of Auckland
Auckland is a metropolitan city on the north island which is majorly filled with the Maori community. This seafront city is in New Zealand and the iconic tower of this city is famous. The Rangitoto Island can be seen from the north side of this city. Although this is a narrow land, there are so many glaciers, volcanoes, open plains and forests and beaches as well (Xu & Gao, 2021). The Subtropical climate is generally in Auckland city. This city lies 13 degrees latitude from the south zone and so there are so many tropical plants growing.
Concept of socio nature
Socio nature is the concept of maintaining and living in an ecosystem that is socially created. In a socio nature space, humans, animals and plant species all get to live together but without disturbing the lives of each other. In a socio-natural environment, one will get to sense both rural and urban essence. Social natural spaces consist of an environment where the greenery and wildlife are well maintained. In a socio-natural city or country both the rural cultures, wildlife features and the modern world exists and survives in the same environment (Beattie & Haarhoff, 2018).
People living in a socio nature understand that it is very important to maintain wildlife and to preserve it. They view wildlife, natural environment, rural cultures, and modernisation as the parts and parcels of their society. In this assignment, the example of Auckland city has been highlighted throughout and the way the city has been able to maintain its greenery and open spaces indicated towards a socio-natural environment. This city is a mix of rural and urban worlds wherein one will find absolute greenery in the city along with skyscrapers and billboards stretching across the city. This city consists of various cultures and traditions which makes this city culturally rich and environmentally sustainable.
Socio natural spaces of the city
Auckland city is inhabited by the Maori community. This city is a green city and the governing bodies of the city ensure that the greenery of the city is maintained. The city has a diversity of the western and ancient world. The acuity is somewhat modern along with maintaining the rural essences. The city is accustomed to open green spaces and this is one such city that has been able to maintain its greenery throughout. The city is inhabited by the Maori community and their cultures and traditions are present throughout the city. If a person visits the city, they will be able to get a view of both the rural and urban spaces of the city (Ebrahiem Ebrahiem, Alaa Mandour & Mostafa Sobhy, 2021).
The city has been successful in preserving its wildlife and the governmental policies of the city are also very effective. The people residing in Auckland also abide by the rules and laws of the government and they also do their best in maintaining the socio-natural spaces of the city. With modernisation, the city has not forgotten its roots and one will find mesmerising greenery in the city. Different species of plants and animals still survive in Auckland, making it one such city of the world where humans are intended not to disturb the wildlife. The dense forest and most parts of the wildlife of Auckland are untouched by humans and this helps the acuity to have its socio-natural spaces.
Importance of the concept in describing the experience
The concept of socio-nature entails the mechanisms and processes that highlight the interaction between the rural arena and city space. It keeps away the issues emerging out of the urban encroachment into the rural space. Auckland is the city that witnesses the controversies regarding the coexistence of the rituals of tribal communities and the metropolitan influence. The predominance of natural entities at times overlaps the urban attractions that are enriched in diversity. Industrial agriculture and controlled urban stretch are accountable for skyrocketing prices and decreasing housing affordability (Baviskar, 2019).
The preservation of the croplands, fragmented forests and land resources can reduce the urban sprawl a bit. Overall, the environment of Auckland is sensitive and vulnerable to the negative influences of lost biodiversity and traffic congestion. On the other hand, the presence of greenbelts curtails the population density and commercial, industrial and recreational activities. Accurate monitoring of the relationship between the urban population and the open green spaces.
Outcomes of this concept in better explanations
The socio-natural lens facilitates the creation of a socially created ecosystem that prioritises the fact that all social relations are ecological. At the same time, humans are social inherently. The concept may be a bit difficult and requires a lot of complexities to maintain yet this is crucial for our survival (Bulkeley, 2019).
Active volcanoes, deep oceans, rocky terrains, stretches of green are crucial to the permeating nature. More than 40% of the human population constitutes the northern part of Auckland. The influence of socio-nature can curtail rapid development and growth. The constant threats of climate change must be mitigated by perfect planning and measurements in the populous city. The photographs have already illustrated the wonderful landscape of Auckland as the most remarkable waterfront city. The binary structure constituted by urban and rural, culture and nature challenges the hybrid concept.
Conclusion
It can hence be concluded that maintaining a preserving a socio-natural environment in a city is very important. A modern city should not miss out on its rural roots, rather it should be a mix of rural and urban essence. A city should have vast green open spaces along with skyscrapers.
References
ArchDaily. (2022). World’s Most Liveable Cities in 2021: Auckland in New Zealand Tops the Ranking. Retrieved 17 February 2022, from https://www.archdaily.com/963165/auckland-in-new-zealand-named-as-worlds-most-liveable-city
Baviskar, A. (2018). Urban Jungles: Wilderness, Parks and Their Publics in Delhi. Economic and Political Weekly, 53(2), 46-54. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicole-Kalas/publication/336086367_Seeds_of_change_provocations_for_a_new_research_agenda/links/5e3
Beattie, L., & Haarhoff, E. (2018). Urban growth, liveability and quality urban design: questions about the efficacy of urban planning systems in Auckland, New Zealand. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2(2), 12-23. Retrieved from: https://ijcua.com/index.php/ijcua/article/download/42/246
Bulkeley, H. (2019). Navigating climate’s human geographies: Exploring the whereabouts of climate politics. Dialogues in Human Geography, 9(1), 3-17. Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2043820619829920
Ebrahiem Ebrahiem, E., Alaa Mandour, M., & Mostafa Sobhy, T. (2021). Creating healthy spaces indicators. Engineering Research Journal, 169, 1-15. Retrieved from: https://erj.journals.ekb.eg/article_152743_4123b37321545a76999cce88cd1ef6ba.pdf
Xu, T., & Gao, J. (2021). Controlled urban sprawl in Auckland, New Zealand and its impacts on the natural environment and housing affordability. Computational Urban Science, 1(1), 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43762-021-00017-8
