Thread: Wordsmiths Out There

You're asking me, Lionel? The biggest word I know is corrugatediron!

Google says
Anthropogenic

is an adjective that describes changes in nature made by people. ... From the Greek anthropogenes,

meaning

"born of man,”

anthropogenic

can refer to any changes in nature that are caused by people — like the existence of roads or cities where once there were forests.

So no it doesn't mean what you want it to mean.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Is the term "Anthropogenic" a synonym for the term the "built environment"?


However, could "Anthropogenic" be a wider term where the activities of other human-beings in general, inside and outside of the built environment, be a barrier to individuals with disability?

Kind regards
Lionel

Generally Antropogeny is the study of the evolution of humans. Anthropogenic is a derived word generally referring to the pollution and effect of that evolution.

you could use it to indicate something that was rendered in place by humans in general such as roads but as they are not in and of themselves pertinant to our evolution using the term to finely define that it was human evolution as a whole that created the item which is a specific hinderance to only a portion of the genus would be a bit of a stretch.

Consider.

the simplest and most obvious use of the word is as per this demo sentence

Thus a succession of closely connected environmental and anthropogenic events destroyed the bison

closer to how it seems you would like to use it would be.

Evidence of Anthropogenic interference is visible simply in the vastness of the road infrastructure that has been put in place to support the logistics of their consumption.

Thats pretty generic and IHMO an easily acceptable use of the word.

The issues with access for those with disabilities are from the Anthropogenic interference of kerbs and stairways consturcted as part of...

This to me is a bit of a stretch as firstly its not generic to all of the situations not all environments have kerbs and stairways but more importantly disable people are still people and are likely to get a tad upset if they work out that by using the word anthropogenic to describe them being victims of a situation caused by people actually means that they are not people...



I would suggest that staying away from the tongue tickler words and using a short phrase may serve you better in this instance, something along the lines of "The restrictions caused by the evolution of the artificial environment"

Originally Posted by V8Ian

You're asking me, Lionel? The biggest word I know is corrugatediron!

And you spelt it wrong....

C O R R I G A T I O N S.

You astound me, sometimes, Dave.

[QUOTE=Lionelgee;2875547]Hello All,

Is the term "Anthropogenic" a synonym for the term the "built environment"?

I am writing a report for work about disability. I want to discuss barriers that are placed on people with a disability. There is, according to the Social Model of disability: Societal - where it is society's attitude and treatment of disability is more debilitating than the disability itself. For example, stigma.

There are also issues with the built environment, where people who are dependent on wheelchairs for their mobility cannot access some buildings or access footpaths due to vertical kerbs and channelling. Buildings which only have stairs as their main form of access are a barrier to wheelchair access.

However, could "Anthropogenic" be a wider term where the activities of other human-beings in general, inside and outside of the built environment, be a barrier to individuals with disability?

Kind regards
Lionel[/QUOTE

Why are you trying to use words you don't know the meaning of ?
.W.

[QUOTE=B.S.F.;2875588]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Is the term "Anthropogenic" a synonym for the term the "built environment"?

I am writing a report for work about disability. I want to discuss barriers that are placed on people with a disability. There is, according to the Social Model of disability: Societal - where it is society's attitude and treatment of disability is more debilitating than the disability itself. For example, stigma.

There are also issues with the built environment, where people who are dependent on wheelchairs for their mobility cannot access some buildings or access footpaths due to vertical kerbs and channelling. Buildings which only have stairs as their main form of access are a barrier to wheelchair access.

However, could "Anthropogenic" be a wider term where the activities of other human-beings in general, inside and outside of the built environment, be a barrier to individuals with disability?

Kind regards
Lionel[/QUOTE

Why are you trying to use words you don't know the meaning of ?
.W.

Hello B.S.F,

I am fully aware of the usage of anthropogenic in relation to my old vocation of Arboriculture. The biggest threat to amenity trees within parks and on footpath reserves was anthropogenic. Namely, the collision of mowers and string/blade trimmers tearing their bark and compromising the trees integrity. These wounds could "ringbark" the tree or become the entrance point for diseases and insect pests. Similar threats included changing the level of soil around the tree through implementation of new landscape designs. Other intrusions could be damage to the tree's roots by the installation of drains and paths. The incorrect treatment of broken branches through poor pruning could also act as entrance points for diseases and insect pest. All these influences on the trees are 100 percent anthropogenic in their nature.

There are also scientific papers written on the anthropogenic threats on forestry. For example Morris, R.J. (2010) Anthropogenic impacts on tropical forest biodiversity: a network structure and ecosystem functioning perspective: in Philos Trans R Soc. London B Biol Sci. Again I am fully aware of the term's meaning. I was questioning whether the term could be extrapolated to include changes in the environment that act as challenges to people with disability.

No people are not trees ... more is the pity.

Kind regards
Lionel

Anthropogenic, from the Greek for man and for origin, means to do with the origin of mankind. In recent years a secondary meaning has arisen, by turning the two parts around, and in this case it means originating from human activity, which is the use you are looking for.

However, despite this, I have not seen it used exactly as you are suggesting, and in your case, I would suggest that "manmade" or perhaps simply "human" or "human factors" may be better, as you seem to want something more than what is usually meant by anthropogenic. Maybe don't try to use a single word.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Anthropogenic, from the Greek for man and for origin, means to do with the origin of mankind. In recent years a secondary meaning has arisen, by turning the two parts around, and in this case it means originating from human activity, which is the use you are looking for.

However, despite this, I have not seen it used exactly as you are suggesting, and in your case, I would suggest that "manmade" or perhaps simply "human" or "human factors" may be better, as you seem to want something more than what is usually meant by anthropogenic. Maybe don't try to use a single word.

Hello John,

I appreciate what you wrote about not trying to use a single word. It is just within my old vocation of Arboriculture = "the culture of trees"; the biggest daily threat to them could be encompassed by a single word ... anthropogenic - which unfortunately included wanton vandalism.

Yes John, I am no longer practising my old vocation. I am working with people. More is the pity! I developed a vision impairment which meant that I had to retrain. I now work in a new vocation where I work with people - is that irony?

Kind regards
Lionel