Generally speaking, the environment is the context, container, or framework of human actions . In reality, we can imagine various forms of interaction and interdependence between social groups and the physical context. The first way in which the environment enters human societies is certainly in terms of ecological conditioning . The environment is a source from which we draw nourishment and physical protection. Humans, if they wish to survive and reproduce, must follow certain dietary and hygiene practices. Their physical structure obeys the rules of nature. Conditioning also applies to coexistence with other human beings. Humans, as a species, collaborate and compete to draw from the environment the elements that guarantee their survival. Thanks to technology , they can modify their interdependence with the environment but never eliminate it entirely. Even when they feel they have defeated one form of dependence (for example, epidemic diseases), they notice that other pathologies emerge and claim victims before the normal life cycle is completed.
A question of proximity
The second way in which the environment enters human society is analyzed by a particular branch of sociology, which grasps the environment in a completely different way. It is seen as an abstract measure of space, as a physical distance between one subject and another. distance means assenza And this conditions human relationships; it makes them colder, more calculated, based on specialized roles and on abstractions and typifications. Proximity, on the other hand, implies co-presence, and therefore direct, widespread, emotionally charged relationships. It's a very effective dichotomy, inherited from the classics of sociology, Simmel in particular. He acutely observed that “with very close people one is usually on friendly or hostile terms and mutual indifference is excluded in proportion to spatial proximity“At the same time, he considers the fact that the intellectualization of modern life means that, even in conditions of coexistence, relationships can be cold and little influenced by extreme feelings. In fact, he goes so far as to say that “intellectuality, while offering a general ground for understanding, precisely for this reason places a distance between men" So physical distance intersects with mental distancing, what Simmel calls intellectuality, causing cold and abstract relationships even in situations of co-presence and possibility of understanding between people who are physically very distant.
Space and relationship
This vision of the relationship between space and relationship is taken up by anthony giddens with the concept of disaggregation of space-time coordinates. Connections are possible regardless of distance because transportation technologies, telematics, and—in general—symbols and expert systems, allow us to maintain warm and meaningful relationships even with people who live and work far away. In this way, social relationships lose all spatial references, and the places of reference for interaction take on indeterminate boundaries. Certain activities can be organized regardless of co-presence. Just think of globalization of economic activities: consultations, verifications, and even group work can be conducted simultaneously from various points around the globe. But the structure of relationships also changes: a good, close relationship can likely be maintained with frequent electronic exchanges and a few face-to-face meetings. It's hard to imagine this replacing face-to-face relationships. face to face, where the emotional component is very strong. In fact, we must not forget that both the telematic relations and the actual movements of people. Not only are they exchanging messages more frequently, but they are also increasingly moving from one place to another. Indeed, the number of passengers and transits by various means continues to grow, despite contingent factors (terrorism, traffic, high costs). It can be concluded that the telematics revolution and disaggregation are consistent with humanity's age-old attempt to eliminate the space that separates us from our fellow humans. Space, however, can be expanded or compressed, but never completely eliminated.
Gianni Broggi
