A new book by David Hawk, Human Nature and the Potential in Nurture, investigates the connections between human behavior, social organization, and environmental degradation. Drawing from research conducted during Hawk's doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Stockholm School of Economics, the work analyzes how patterns of regulation, control, and strategic threats in human relationships extend to humanity's interaction with nature.
The project involved participation from twenty firms and six governments, providing a broad empirical base. Hawk examines underlying social structures that drive environmental problems rather than focusing solely on ecological outcomes. The discussion spans interpersonal relationships, organizational behavior, and public policy, presenting a systems perspective on how societal actions affect the environment.
Hawk's professional background in engineering, planning, architecture, leadership development, and higher education informs the book's analysis. He explores how institutions develop responses to complex problems and how these responses can sometimes reinforce the very conditions they aim to address. The book contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on environmental management, social organization, and long-term sustainability.
According to Hawk, the work grew from a desire to better understand the relationship between human systems and natural systems, and how patterns of behavior influence both. The research sought to examine these connections through a systems perspective.
Hawk, raised on a farm in Iowa, studied engineering, city planning, and corporate planning, and served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968. His career has included work in the United States, Sweden, Finland, Japan, England, China, and other international settings. He has contributed to projects in urban planning, business management, public policy, engineering, and executive education, and has served as a professor, academic administrator, and program developer.
Human Nature and the Potential in Nurture is available through major online booksellers in print and digital formats. For more information, visit Barnes & Noble or Amazon.