Ever Changing Definition of Adaptation

Corrigan describes all definitions of adaptation to revolve around three different perspectives. Those perspectives are a process, a product, and an act of reception. Each of these can be represented through different areas of life and the many different materials, products, and resources we use every day.

In “Defining adaptations” by Timothy Corrigan, he defines adaptation regarding the arts as an “act of reception” (Corrigan, 23). The act of reception was defined as actively adapting a work to enjoy and understand. Each author, filmmaker, and philosopher had their own interpretation of what adaptation stood for.

Leitch said that it was assumed that adaptation was “a marginal enterprise” that anyone could profit from and use (Corrigan, 32). In the end, it was agreed that no true universal definition of adaptation could be found. If scholars and philosophers wanted to not be left behind, they had to be willing to accept the change or adaptation.

In “Adapting to climate change, water management organizations: Enablers and barriers” by Adani Azhoni, Simon Jude, and Ian Holman, the article defines adaptation as a process. “The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects” (Azhoni et.al., 737). The article talks about the need for successful implementing action for adaptation. This article also included how barriers need to be managed for future success. Some information that would help with this success, would be more research on how and why the barriers emerge, what compound impacts the barriers, and the effect the process has on the adaptation of the barriers.

Both articles, make a compelling argument that change is affecting the future. The arts are adapted from the past because the interests of people are moving from books to more real-life films. Art is being affected by the amount of new technology and the ability to have everything at the push of a button. More people are leaning toward a modern look at films instead of the old west in films. The need for adaptations in water management also is being affected. People are not thinking of how all this technology is hurting the environment. These technology advanced inventions must be produced somewhere. The industries are cleaner than in the past because they must adapt to, but not as fast as it is needed. I would classify the industrial adaptation as a product adaptation. I can see how each of these three adaptations affects one another. Art adapts the production industry and the product industry adapts the water management.

In conclusion, each of these adaptations is important, but the one that is important this semester is art adaptation. The art reception will show how each new perspective, we read about can change our own understanding of adaptation. The way that the reader reads the story or sees the film can be interpreted in many ways due to perspective. Just as authors of different books adapt their stories, we must adapt our own theories on adaptation. As scholars and philosophers, we must continually adapt and change with the times, just as we expect our films, books, and education to change.

Some of the ways that we can adapt ourselves are to be willing to grow with technology. Schools, universities and the like have shown the need for different formats for the next generation. Books just as black and white films are things of the past. We should make e-readers, e-books, tablets, and interactive films a thing of the future. As our technologies grow, we should always keep in mind how we require the things around us to adapt both negatively and positively. There will always be ways that we can use things of the past to better things in the future. Adaptations take time, but there will always be a need for learning from the past.

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