Webblog

Hey guys, I was just thinking about the lecture and I remembered that I was having trouble buying into the argument against Webbs environmental determinism. (The part about how germans and norwegians all brought their own culture so the environment can't completely decide culture) My thoughts were that it would take time for our culture to "completely" adapt to life on the plains, like how a prairie field doesn't instantly go to its ecological climax after you plow it up. The first plants introduced are not ideally suited to live there. It takes awhile for it to go through the phases of change. We as a region are still evolving and adapting, to our individual and global environments and I don't believe we have achieved "cultural climax" in the plains at this point. Maybe we're still moving toward it and these other cultures are being slowly phased out. I can't say for sure.

I'm not saying that I completely buy into Webb's determinism, but I don't think this line of reasoning really argues against it. Thoughts?