How We View the Environment: A Communications Perspective (Marie Cluff)

As a Communications major, I have spent the past four years studying how humans create, exchange, and interpret information, both individually and in groups. At the core, our worldviews, shaped by experiences and culture, dictate how we see the world. These same lenses also shape how we understand the environment: as an object to be used or as an entity with its own rights.

Over the years, scholars have formulated several models of communication to describe how we transmit and receive information, but they can also shed light on how we approach the environment. Linear models, like Shannon and Weaver’s, depict communication as a one-way process with a sender and a receiver. To address the shortcomings of Shannon and Weaver’s linear model, Wilbur Schramm proposed an interactive model in which each participating party acts as both sender and receiver. Although interactive models are now more widely accepted as accurate depictions of communication, I would argue that we fail to apply such thinking to our relationship with the environment and instead remain stuck in a linear model of interaction. We position ourselves as the sender, demanding things from the environment, and we incorrectly label its feedback as “noise” that must be minimized and controlled.

However, our relationship with the environment isn’t just shaped by how we frame communication; it’s also influenced by the groups we belong to. The Social Identity Theory (SIT), developed by Tajfel and Turner, outlines how our sense of identity is based on the groups we belong to, such as family, friendship networks, and workplaces. From birth, we are exposed to cultural group norms and often adopt them as our own. For example, someone raised in a household where recycling is a daily habit is more likely to view themselves as environmentally conscientious. Later in life, they may choose friend groups or workplaces that are also environmentally minded. However, someone raised in a community where environmental concerns are not emphasized may adopt very different attitudes, which in turn shape their future group affiliations.

Along with group identity, our individual filters also shape our perception of the environment. The Selective Perception Theory (SPT) explains that we filter and interpret information according to our personal beliefs, values, and attitudes. We often dismiss ideas that challenge our conceptions and instead focus on information that aligns with our internally constructed models of thinking. For example, someone who believes pollution is a pressing issue may follow news outlets that are environmentally focused, while someone with the opposite view may avoid such content altogether.

Together, these perspectives show how difficult it is to perceive the environment as it truly is. The linear model outlines how we position ourselves in relation to the environment; Social Identity Theory explains how group belonging shapes our environmental views; and Selective Perception Theory describes how we reinforce those views individually. Thus, our perception of the environment can never be neutral. It is always filtered through culture and experience. Recognizing these filters is crucial if we hope to move beyond one-way demands and instead build a more reciprocal dialogue with the environment.

 

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