While the biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans' affinity or attraction for nature is universal, some research indicates that certain aspects of the human-nature relationship -- such as connectedness with nature and environmental identity -- are linked to specific regional and cultural contexts. To further investigate possible cross-cultural differences in the human-nature relationship, this study focused on young people (age 12-19) in two different countries – Germany and South Africa. Three research questions framed the study: (1) Do German and South African young people spend time in nature on a regular basis? (2) How do German and South African young people differ in their connectedness to nature and environmental identity? (3) How do German and South African young people differ in their understanding of nature?
A total of 1682 young people (836 from Germany; 846 from South Africa) completed surveys about their time in nature, their connectedness to nature, and their understanding of nature. The “connectedness to nature” section of the survey included items from the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) and the Environmental Identity Scale (EIS). The “understanding of nature” section asked participants questions about what nature means to them. For example, one questions asked, “What is nature for you?”
Most of the participants from both countries indicated that they regularly engage in nature activities with their family and with their peer group. Less than half (39%) of the South African participants said that they are regularly exposed to nature while at school. An even smaller percentage (20%) of the German students reported having regular exposure to nature during school time, which suggests that “learners from Germany rarely experience outdoor activities with their school.” German and South African participants differed in their connectedness to nature and environmental identity, with South Africans scoring higher than Germans, which suggests that South African young people “are more emotionally related to their natural world” than young people in Germany. Responses to questions about their understanding of nature indicated that both the German and South African participants perceived the natural world to be rather untouched – that is, “nature without humans” or “no man-made structure”. Sixty percent of the German students and 41% of the South African students described nature using associations like plants, animals, lakes or mountains. While 20% of the South Africans indicated that they honored nature, only 1% of the Germans did so.
The difference between the two groups in their emotional attachment to and their perceptions of nature may be due to the contrasting regional and cultural characteristics of the places where the participants live. Some research suggests that “emotional relationships with the natural world are more likely amongst young people who live in emerging countries.” The students from South Africa live in an area recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. The subtropical climatic conditions of this area might have a positive impact on their affective and cognitive relationships with the natural world.
Overall findings, however, showed that neither group had strong connectedness with nature and positive environmental identity. Young people in both countries indicated that they perceived the human-nature relationship to be “inconsistent, detached and disturbed.” These findings indicate that environmental education programs need “to provide meaningful, diverse and recurrent nature experience for young people who are rather detached from their natural world.” An environmentally-sustainable future depends on strong connectedness with, versus detachment from, the natural world.
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