Reflections with Social Scientist Rodrigo Chaparro: How Do We Think about Nature? The Impacts of Colonialism and Economic Practices By: Christin Meusel Talking about nature and environment creates diverse discussions all over the world. Whether in scientific debates, alarming news about global climate change, or in the seemingly urgent desire of many people to get closer to their idea of nature again through their everyday life, diet or next vacation. However, having a desire for something implies a distance from it. Social scientific circles even speak of a division between the concepts of nature and the human world, which is widely referred to as culture. Perceiving this dualism, when also seen as two complementary parts, affects our behavior towards the environment and is reflected by diverse practices around the world. This article aims to reflect on this binary of nature and culture, and the way how we think about using resources is a potential cause of damaging practices. ...
