HUMAN ECOLOGY AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY CONCEPT
5
concepts utilized in human ecological studies originated in fundamental
biological ecology (Dice, 1961). Generally, however, the adaptation of
these basic concepts to the study of man has not been done by biologists;
students in biology have been slow to focus on humans as a fit object of
study, except in areas like genetics and physiology. And even in these
areas, much of the work on man is being done by physical anthropologists.
The completely biological origin of many of the concepts is of course
open to challenge. Many of the concepts utilized by the biological
ecologists at the turn of the century were borrowed from other disciplines,
notably economics and sociology. Whatever their original roots, however, the biologists were instrumental in giving certain concepts ecological validity and it is from the biologists that they were borrowed by
early human ecologists.
For example, Park and Burgess, in their seminal book “Introduction
to the Science of Sociology” (1921), used a mixture of excerpts from a
wide variety of sources to present their basic sociological concepts: the
incorporated readings were in each case preceded by their own introductory remarks and followed by the authors’ statements on investigations and problems. Such “materials” from other authors make up a
large part of the book and provide a conceptual base for take-off
comment by Park and Burgess. Included among these materials are
excerpts from such biological works as “Oecology of Plants” (1909) by
Warming (for materials on plant communities); “Ants: Their Structure,
Development, Behavior” (1910) by W. M. Wheeler (on symbiosis and
[ant] society); “Plant Succession” (1916) by F. E. Clements (for
materials on competition, migration, and segregation); and, of course,
excerpts from Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” (1859) (for material on
natural selection, competition, specialization, and organization). Park’s
later (1936a) more specific work on human ecology is an obvious
extension of the book’s basic outline and utilizes many of the same types
of material.
Park and Burgess and, a little later, McKenzie, are widely recognized
as the “founders” of human ecology: all were sociological human
ecologists associated as professors (Park and Burgess) or student
(McKenzie) with the University of Chicago. McKenzie in his early work
(1924) drew heavily on Clements’ book “Plant Succession”; Park
depended on Elton and others, including repeated references to Darwin.
In Park’s definitive work (1936a) on human ecology, he examines, in a
human context, such basic biological ecology concepts as web of life,
food chains, mutual interdependence, community, symbiosis, balance of
nature, succession, dominance, and competition, with strong emphasis on
the last two.
5
concepts utilized in human ecological studies originated in fundamental
biological ecology (Dice, 1961). Generally, however, the adaptation of
these basic concepts to the study of man has not been done by biologists;
students in biology have been slow to focus on humans as a fit object of
study, except in areas like genetics and physiology. And even in these
areas, much of the work on man is being done by physical anthropologists.
The completely biological origin of many of the concepts is of course
open to challenge. Many of the concepts utilized by the biological
ecologists at the turn of the century were borrowed from other disciplines,
notably economics and sociology. Whatever their original roots, however, the biologists were instrumental in giving certain concepts ecological validity and it is from the biologists that they were borrowed by
early human ecologists.
For example, Park and Burgess, in their seminal book “Introduction
to the Science of Sociology” (1921), used a mixture of excerpts from a
wide variety of sources to present their basic sociological concepts: the
incorporated readings were in each case preceded by their own introductory remarks and followed by the authors’ statements on investigations and problems. Such “materials” from other authors make up a
large part of the book and provide a conceptual base for take-off
comment by Park and Burgess. Included among these materials are
excerpts from such biological works as “Oecology of Plants” (1909) by
Warming (for materials on plant communities); “Ants: Their Structure,
Development, Behavior” (1910) by W. M. Wheeler (on symbiosis and
[ant] society); “Plant Succession” (1916) by F. E. Clements (for
materials on competition, migration, and segregation); and, of course,
excerpts from Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” (1859) (for material on
natural selection, competition, specialization, and organization). Park’s
later (1936a) more specific work on human ecology is an obvious
extension of the book’s basic outline and utilizes many of the same types
of material.
Park and Burgess and, a little later, McKenzie, are widely recognized
as the “founders” of human ecology: all were sociological human
ecologists associated as professors (Park and Burgess) or student
(McKenzie) with the University of Chicago. McKenzie in his early work
(1924) drew heavily on Clements’ book “Plant Succession”; Park
depended on Elton and others, including repeated references to Darwin.
In Park’s definitive work (1936a) on human ecology, he examines, in a
human context, such basic biological ecology concepts as web of life,
food chains, mutual interdependence, community, symbiosis, balance of
nature, succession, dominance, and competition, with strong emphasis on
the last two.