Environmental Determinism.

We've moved on to the second leg of our trip in Mesa AZ, just outside Phoenix. A large portion of my wife's family lives there and we always enjoy seeing them, and reconnecting.

It is really nice having so much family around. We've been able to sneak out to the store without the kids. There are so many cousins for the kids to play with they are as aye busy and probably best of all is that there are a bunch of arms to hold the baby.

The culture of Mesa is shaped by the environment.  First factor in this case is the temperature, it's hot!!! At least one-hundred five degrees every day during the summer, however it is usually much higher. This is the kind of hot you can't run from and you can't, through "natural" means live in it. There is little or no water, the wind is usually drying. Even at the lowest levels of activity you need to drink a gallon of water a day just to keep pace with the water you loose to the environment.

As is the case with humans, we depend on our cultural adaptatiions to survive in environments where we should not. This is clearly evident in the culture that has developed, or at least has been adopted in the Arizona branch of our family.

Let's start with a little background...the part of the family was previously located in various community in Souther California. Many lived in cooler areas near the beach. The prim me activites use to be going to the beach, playing in the park, basketball in the yard, along with manh other out door activites. Tne temperate climate of SoCal lends itself to these types of activities. About nine years ago, we (my wife and I) moved to the Pacific Northwest and large portion of the family moves to Az. We maintained our love for outdoor activites and will commonly be outside more than inside on a nice summer day.

This is not the case for the AZ group. Most of the family have traded in the outdoor for exclucivily indoor lives. The windows to the world are universally covered reducing the heat taken into the house, but also the images of life outside.

Unfortunately the children are have lost the desire to play outside.  A staple of my childhood.  Of course playing in side can be fun too. 

The activities of the day include watching T.V., going to the mall, go to a movie, wait until it is cooler outside and then go to a park (not a common event).   The AC in every house is turned up to the highest level the financial situation can support (some are set to 90 other set to 75).  Because of the high demand, electricity prices are high.  Some people have pool, also very costly because of the water needed to fill and maintain them....I don't know how much water is lost to evaporation but my bit is its not a small amount.  It seems that for some the cost of living there limits their ability to live there. 


Is this a case of culture adapting to an environment that it become a maladaptation?