naturewhat

Naturewhat is a term used in environmental humanities and design discourse to describe a frame of analysis that treats nature as an inherently mediated and contingent domain, shaped by human perception, culture, and technology as well as by natural processes.

The coinage combines 'nature' with 'what' to emphasize inquiry into the limits of knowing and the question 'what is nature?' in different contexts. The term has appeared in scholarly discussions in the 21st century.

It is applied across disciplines including ecology, anthropology, science communication, urban planning, and digital media. It asks how representations, measurements, and interventions translate natural phenomena into knowledge, policy, and experience.

The approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on ethnography, systems thinking, media analysis, and participatory design to examine how natural phenomena are co-produced with technologies and institutions.

It intersects with naturecultures, posthumanism, ecocriticism, and environmental justice, offering a vocabulary for discussing mediation, agency, and value in nature-related practices.

Some critics argue that the term is too broad or ill-defined; supporters contend that it helps break binary distinctions between nature and culture and foregrounds situated knowledges.

See also environmental humanities; naturecultures; ecocriticism; posthumanism.