Final answer:
The keyword 'interdependence' best describes the relationship among society, environment, and culture, indicating their deep interconnectedness and mutual influence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key word that describes the relationship of society, environment, and culture could be interdependence. This term captures the essence of how these elements are closely linked and influence one another. Society and culture are integrally connected as culture comprises the shared values, beliefs, norms, language, and symbols that create a collective identity within a societal group. Meanwhile, the environment provides the setting for human existence and is both affected by and influences human cultural practices. Through the lens of environmental sociology, we can see this relationship in how social changes, like those in agriculture, can lead to environmental challenges, which then require new cultural adaptations.
For example, societal changes in agriculture practices, like the shift from diverse crops to monoculture driven by mechanical agricultural efficiencies, illustrate this interdependence. Such changes result in increased pesticide use, soil erosion, and altered ecosystems, demonstrating how one sphere, the environment, can significantly impact another, society/culture, in complex and sometimes unpredictable ways.
This interaction is further elucidated through cultural ecology, where the physical environment's role in shaping culture and cultural practices is explored. For instance, the sport of ice hockey is closely related to the environmental condition of cold winters. Sociologists and anthropologists examine these intricate relationships to understand how societal components work synergistically and how environmental and cultural changes can influence each other.