The concept of environment and its relationship with humans

Title : The concept of environment and its relationship with humans

Abstract:

Humans live not only with others, but also in the relation with environment which is the external reality. Therefore, the research on environment is conducted from various perspectives in natural and social science under the name of environmental engineering and environmental sociology, etc. However, the concept of environment remains unclear, and the research on nature is often perceived as environmental research.

According to how to define conceptually a reality, the direction and contents of the research on the reality is different, also human way of life in relation to environment is different. Therefore, it is very important and significant in both academia and human life to examine the concept of environment and its relationship with humans.

In this context, this paper aims at establishing the concept of environment and, based on the concept, to examine the relationship between environment and humans. In order to achieve the objectives, this paper will be composed of the following parts.

Part 1: What Is Environment? will be explained.
The explanation will be composed of firstly <what concept is> and secondly <kinds of concept>. Based on the two, the concept of environment will be defined. Finally, environmental system which exists as an integrated reality being composed of conceptual components of environment will be explained.

Part 2: The Mutual Relationship between Humans and Nature will be explained.
This paper will focus on nature among the categories of environment, therefore, the explanation will be composed of two sessions. One is the impact of nature on humans, and the other is the impact of humans on nature.

Part 3: As the concluding remarks, Part 3 will examine the implication of industrialization having caused nature being polluted/destroyed, and followed by the carrying capacity of nature which will be a guideline suggesting the limitation, direction, and content of the human intervention in nature in the future.

Biography:

Prof. and Dr. Dai-Yeun Jeong is presently the Director of Asia Climate Change Education Center and an emeritus professor of environmental sociology at Jeju National University in South Korea. He received BA and MA degree in sociology from Korea University (South Korea), and PhD in environmental sociology from the University of Queensland (Australia). He was a professor of environmental sociology at Jeju National University (South Korea) from 1981 to 2012. His past major professional activities include a teaching professor at the University of Sheffield in UK, the president of Asia-Pacific Sociological Association, a delegate of South Korean Government to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and OECD environmental meeting, and a member of Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development Republic of Korea, etc. He has published 60 environment-related research papers in domestic and international academic journals and 13 books including Environmental Sociology. He has conducted 100 unpublished environment-related research projects funded by domestic and international organizations.