ABSTRACT
How can we speak of the ‘construction’ of nature when the word nature evokes such a strong sense of naturalness, as a realm free from human activities? This chapter answers this question arguing that the social construction of nature involves the making of the world both physically and imaginatively, whether that is urban landscapes or children’s books that constitute the ideas we have about nature. In the social sciences and humanities these approaches achieved influence and momentum through the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. This chapter explores the legacy of these debates today in both research and university teaching.
