Some studies that speak to the unity of humans and
nature focus on issues of aggression and violence. And in my mind, those that are particularly important are the ones that suggest that anger and aggression decrease when
we spend time in nature (see my post about
blood pressure and nature walks).
For example, some researchers bring attention to links
between increased human aggression and violence with noise, crowding, and high
temperatures.
And Stephen Kaplan found that people whose directed
attention is fatigued become irritable and often seek to be alone. (Kaplan, along with some other researchers, believes that nature requires a different type of attention than
human-built environments, leading it to play a restorative function for human
attention.)
Study in inner-city
Chicago
One study found a connection between a lack of exposure to
natural settings and aggression/violence amongst inner-city Chicago residents living in poverty.
A hallmark of many impoverished, inner-city neighbourhoods in
North America is that they tend not to have as many parks and green spaces as
richer neighbourhoods. And the thing about green spaces, even in cities, is that they
can help to reduce mental fatigue (see my post about how even
window views of nature can help).
The researchers, Frances Kuo and William Sullivan, believe that the ongoing stress associated with poverty and the pervasive risks of
crime and unpredictable violence for those living in poverty-stricken
neighbourhoods contribute to heightened levels of mental fatigue, since
residents are constantly on guard for signs of trouble.
They worked with residents living in several public
housing apartments. The living spaces themselves were similar, but some had access
to trees and grass immediately outside their building
while others opened onto barren lands or concrete.
And Kuo and Sullivan found significantly lower levels of
intrafamily violence when
those families had access to trees and grass outside their apartment building!
The bottom line
The researchers warn against over-generalizing their
research and urge caution in extrapolating their results to other
settings.
However, I can’t help but draw parallels between people
living in poverty in inner-city neighbourhoods and soldiers’ experiences during
combat, since soldiers are also under constant stress, vigilant for signs of
danger and/or situations of concern, and also often lack access to restorative settings.
Other parallels that come to mind are refugee camps and other
communities affected by violence, where people are constantly stressed by their
life situation.
And if something that seems so minor – a few trees and grass
outside a building – makes a significant difference in decreasing levels of violence,
we need to pay more attention to this! Remember, too, the ways
that when children play together in green play spaces, they are more creative,
cooperative, and collaborative (
Why isn’t every schoolyard green?).
I’m not saying that access to nature is the solution to all problems of violence in our world, but for now, it seems
like a start...
References:
Hartig, Terry. (2003). Guest editors’ introduction: Restorative
environments. Journal of Environmental
Psychology, 23, 103-107.
Kaplan, Stephen. (1995). The restorative benefits of
nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal
of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169-182.
Kuo, Frances E. and Sullivan, William C. (2001). Aggression and violence in the inner city: Effects
of environment via mental fatigue. Environment
and Behavior, 33, 543-571.
