Meaning, Types and Concept of Environment in Education

Back to: Childhood and Growing Up – Unit 2

Meaning of Environment

The environment is a term that denotes the surroundings and area in which an individual, plant, and animal lives and gets involved in any activity.

Types of Environment

The environment can be of many types. These types are as follows:

Natural Environment

The natural environment contains all the living things and weather conditions that come in direct contact with human beings. Therefore, the lifestyle, habits, and living style gets affected by the natural environment. For example, the clothing style and skin color vary according to hot places and hilly areas.

Social Environment

Social Environment can also be referred to as Cultural environment. The social environment constitutes the factors that make our society. These include the family, school, colony, residential area, and other social relationships e.g. family relatives, shopkeeper, doctor, teacher, friends, neighbors, etc. These kinds of relationships impact the social behavior of a person. Similarly, the culture of an individual is referred to the food habits, dishes, traditions, clothing styles, folk songs, and conversations. This social environment makes the social heredity which is known as the heritage of a nation.

Intellectual Environment

The intellectual environment is also known as the Mental environment. This is referred to the thoughts, ideas, discourses, interests, library, radio, television, all means of entertainment, seminars, and all of the academic engagements. All these mental actions and activities put an impact on the brain. Hence, the mental and intellectual environment also activates the learning process of a person.

Emotional Environment

Emotional environment is referred to the factors which contribute to the emotions of an individual including emotional environment at home with parents and relatives, at school with friends, and in the neighborhood. The emotions of harmony, compassion, kindness, and benevolence are parts of the emotional environment of a child. These emotions can determine a person’s behavior in society.

Conclusion

The environment is the physical surrounding in which a person open and gets affected by it in various senses. The environment plays a vital role in defining a person’s character, academic and professional life.