ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on two theoretical areas: ecological anthropology and ecological psychology. Ecological anthropology and ecological psychology are two social sciences that have focused on the role the environment plays in human societies. Ecological anthropology has generally focused on the influence of the natural environment on culture and society. The basic assumption is that humanity and the environment are inextricably intertwined. An essential part of early human survival is adaptation and adjustment to the ever-changing environment. That non-genetic adaptation was and still is an essential element of human culture. Ecological psychology examines how humans utilize environmental information to regulate their activities and behaviours in what Reed called 'the living world'. One essential element of ecological psychology is that behaviour is situated within the individual's environment. Thus, how one acts in a behaviour setting is an established norm that is typically known by those that frequent that setting. Newcomers are socialized into the established norm for each setting.
