Impact of Karl O. Sauer's Cultural Landscape Theory on Geographical Thought and Pedagogy: Pathways to Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Environmental Education

Carl O. Sauer’s cultural landscape theory provides a foundational lens for environmental education with a focus on cultural diversity. Sauer (1925) argued that “culture is the agent, the natural area is the medium, and the cultural landscape is the result” (Sauer, 1925), emphasizing the active role of culture in shaping environments. This idea reframed geography away from environmental determinism toward cultural agency (Sauer, 1927; Solot, 1986). As landscapes became interpreted as “cultural texts,” they were seen as repositories of historical and cultural diversity, reflecting the plurality of human–environment interactions across time and space (Livingstone, 1992; UNESCO, 2008). In pedagogy, Sauer’s approach has inspired methods where students engage with agricultural origins, cultural diffusion, and environmental narratives, fostering contextually rich and inclusive learning (Sauer, 1952; DLYJ, 2003; iResearchNet, n.d.). Such educational practices not only deepen ecological awareness but also cultivate respect for cultural diversity by highlighting how communities continually reshape landscapes (Reflections on Landscape, n.d.; MDPI, 2022). Thus, Sauer’s framework emerges as a robust pathway for culturally responsive environmental education that emphasizes diverse human–environment relationships.