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The Nature and Culture Series: Introduction
The journey begins
Original posting: March 2003 Issue

by SIERRA SERRANO, managing editor

Why doesn’t the US have more nude beaches? Our friends in Europe seem to have the right idea when it comes to beach going. Why deal with swimwear at all; it just gets in the way, right? If only things were as simple in the US. For various reasons, which we will delve into soon, public nudity isn’t as tolerable in the US as it is in many other nations around the world. These reasons are mostly cultural, with roots in religious doctrines, common social etiquette, and so on. These cultural differences also have roots in the different ecological environments that humans have adapted to.

Its obvious that people living in the far north would require warmer clothing, and more layers of it, whereas people living in the jungles near the equator would shed their clothing to keep cool under the sweltering shade of large trees. From simple ideas like this one, anthropologists have developed a theory of the “evolution” of different cultures based on environments in which cultures have developed. Simply put, where our ancestors have failed to adapt biologically to their environments, we have adapted in ways that have led to a variety of cultures.

First, let’s explore some light scientific concepts. The theory of evolution teaches us that humans have naturally developed an advanced intelligence, and that this intelligence gives us a means to compete with other species for survival. Somewhere along the way humans also have come to stand upright. Standing upright gives humans the ability to walk long distances, making us geographically dispersed, as well as intelligent. As a species, we have moved into new environments way too fast for adaptation by biological evolution. Other species could not handle such fast changes. However, with our natural intelligence we have managed to adapt to the places where our legs have brought us.

Now lets examine the environmental aspect of evolution with a story. Imagine your tribe lives in an environment that provides you with various plants to eat, and only two sources of meat: one that comes out of hibernation only in the summer, and a herd of something that migrates to your area in the winter.

All of a sudden the world has experienced some major changes, such as a global warming/cooling/makeover of some sort. Because of this global change, many different environments around the world begin to change. Some species can handle the changes; some will evolve and adapt; still others will become extinct.

Now picture this: because of natural changes to the environment, your summer meat supply has gone extinct. Now that situation may not be so bad, since your tribe can adapt by storing meat from the winter herds, and by becoming more dependant on plants for sustenance.

But, no! Now all the edible plants around your tribe also start to go extinct. Now your only source of sustenance is that migrating herd that only comes around for the winter. So, come the end of winter, your tribe decides to pack up and follow the herd to colder lands for the summer.
You look at the herd of (whatever they are) and notice they have evolved nice shaggy coats to stay warm. You look at yourself and think, “Gee, there’s no way in hell I can evolve a coat like that before it gets cold tonight.” So you do the next best thing, you adapt to your environment.
You invent some shoes that let you walk in the snow quietly, sneak up on a big furry (whatever), and you kill it. Keep in mind this is before animal rights (fight on warriors of the natural kingdom!). After cooking up the meat for dinner, you put on the left over fur coat and discover a whole new world of warmth.

Your fellow tribe people copy your idea and soon you are your people’s first fashion designer. Fashion by (your name here)- Fur Coats and Quiet-Attack Snow Shoes are IN Baby!!!
But isn’t that just environmental adaptation? Where is the culture? Well, the culture is in the fashion. Those who live in the colder climates will develop different ideas of fashion from those who live in warmer climates, and those peoples will identify culturally with their respective fashions. Something as simple as a scarf can become a symbol of cultural identity. The Hawaiian grass hula-skirts are a great example of a culture evolving around the environment. Could you picture people wearing grass skirts in the Sahara Desert? It’s clear that the environment does affect the evolution and development of a culture.

The culture of a people shows how human intelligence has adapted to an environment before any biological evolution was needed. For example, a society that preaches hospitality and being kind to neighbors shows how building relationships and social networking is necessary to survival. For example, the Dobe Ju’hansi, a people in the Kalahari Desert of Africa, have responded to an environment of scarce resources by living in small bands, but keeping a system of friendly exchange between these bands, called hxaro exchange (look out for upcoming articles with more on this).

So, what has cultural evolution brought us over the ages? Well, are dry winds giving you chapped lips? We have developed fruit scented lotions for that. Is the bright sun blinding you? Put on a cool visor, or Ray-Ban sunglasses. You can’t build palaces of stone in the forest? Well then, cut down a tree and build yourself a cabin. No matter where we have gone, humans have adapted and developed new and exciting cultures.

Walking upright and having a big brain is a golden combination that satisfied the requisites to create a world of diverse cultures. As we will see in upcoming articles, peoples all over the globe have adapted to their respective environments in fun and inventive ways, spawning many exciting cultures along the way. Now we know why the US doesn’t have more nude beaches!