An ecological view
An ecological view of the world looks at all the connections and interactions that make the world what we know it to be. This perspective would focus on not only the actual “world”, but also all the factors that affect the world and help shape it. Our relationship with the world would change if we took on this perspective because we would not judge things off of just their physical appearance, which we tend to do most of the time. Instead, we would study objects or concepts by looking at them as if they were the sum of all of their interactions and connections with the outside world. This would be harder to record or observe, but it would lead to a greater level of understanding than simply using our eyes to tell us information about something or someone. An ecological view would change our entire mindset and how we process information.
For example, a non-ecological way to describe a ski resort would be listing off what it directly consists of, skiers, lifts, snow, etc. This kind of assessment you can make with your eyes. However, looking at something from an ecological perspective means that you have to take a step back and look at the big picture. Instead of focusing on what the ski resort looks like, you ask questions like “why does it look that way?” and “what other unseen factors have helped shape this ski resort?” You have to think about what forces are acting upon the ski resort and what influences the ski resort is having on other factors. By using an ecological lens, we are able to understand connections that normally no one would think to look for. — Sarah Perlee