Print PageAs of 2008, the technological environment dominated the empirical experience for the majority of humans, with 50% of the world population living in urban environments. Paired with this significant move of humans into the technological environment is the emergence of a global phenomenon that has been identified as biocultural homogenization – the homogenizing of corresponding and interrelated local ecological knowledge’s, practices, languages, and landscapes. Urban areas in particular are vulnerable to this phenomena because of commonly shared techniques of urban development. In turn, human populations living within urban ecosystems are developing forms of ecological knowledge and a sense of place that are not necessarily tied to regional ecosystems. Urban cultures are shaped by the automated processes of surrounding technological infrastructure, such as transportation infrastructure, industrial agricultural and educational institutions, and the intangible institutions that shape life, such as the economic, political, and informational infrastructure. This emerging physical and cultural isolation of societies from regional ecosystems might explain the general lack of awareness and ethical concern for the unprecedented loss of biological, linguistic and cultural diversity.
In response to the loss of biocultural diversity and ecosystem functioning, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was developed to evaluate ecosystems and human well-being worldwide. Identifying potential drivers for homogenization of biological and cultural diversity through various political, economic, educational and technological standards that comprise the urban environment will allow for local urban residents and policy makers to evaluate, identify and respond to phenomena and processes that are contributing to the loss and degradation of society and the environment. Indirect drivers tend to be process oriented, or “invisible” within descriptive studies, and tend to impact lifestyle or ecosystem functioning.
Results/Conclusions
To understand the nature of indirect drivers of biocultural homogenization within urban environments, we have begun to study education as a potential indirect driver of biocultural homogenization, by evaluating the ability of textbooks to accurately represent local biodiversity. In the study conducted, textbooks were analyzed in two extreme locations to compare whether there is more overlap in the species represented in Texan and Chilean textbooks than a) between species found in Texas and species represented in Texan textbooks or b) between species found in Chile and represented in Chilean textbooks. By making explicit the homogenizing drivers within urban cultures, we can take steps towards developing and articulating a sense of place that is both urban and yet particular to the diverse ecoregions and cultures throughout the urbanized world.
