Catalytic Environments

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe metaphor of catalytic environments adequately accentuates the key role of natural factors in social change without superseding the significance of human agency. In this approach, natural resources are integrated into social practices and strategies while avoiding an environmentally deterministic perspective. The case study of MC-6, Middle Caicos, Turks & Caicos Islands, demonstrates how the natural availability of salt, fish, and cotton affected processes of social change, including settlement practices, food procurement strategies, and long-distance exchange. The inhabitants of MC-6 chose these resources within a social framework of historic practices and regional interaction, while simultaneously depending on local natural conditions and environmental factors. Although environmental diversity in the Caribbean highlights the relevance of catalytic environments, this approach is a tool to examine the dialectic interaction between humans and environments at a global scale.