What is the definition of the word resources

After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Meaning of Resource 2. Resource and Wealth 3. Some Discarded Ideas and Popular Misconceptions about Resources 4. Resource, Resistance and Neutral Stuff 5. Functional Theory of Resources 6. Dynamic Concept of Resource 7. Classification of Resources.

Meaning of Resource:

Etymologically, ‘resource’ refers to two separate words —’re’ and ‘source’ —that indicate any thing or substance that may occur unhindered many more times. The term ‘Resource’ had no special significance till the early part of the twentieth century.

Only in 1933, when the eminent professor of economics Erich W. Zimmermann promulgated his famous “Concept of Resource”, the idea became so popular that numerous articles and papers started pouring in the contemporary Economic Geographical literature. Urgent need was felt to identify the new concept as a separate and important branch of study.

Resource, popularly, signifies:

(a) A source or possibility of assistance.

(b) An expedient.

(c) Means of support.

(d) Means to attain given end.

(e) Capacity to take advantage of opportunities.

(f) That upon which one relies for aid, support or supply.

The above definitions vary markedly and fail miserably to produce any comprehensive universally accepted meaning of resource. However, after critical examinations and analyses all these meanings can be grouped into two, i.e., resources may help us if we are:

(a) Taking advantage of opportunity.

(b) Overcoming obstacles or resistances.

The first is a positive approach, the second role of resource is, surely, negative.

Resource can be subjective as well as objective. Subjective resource denotes internal re­source, objective resource is external resource.

Prof. Zimmermann’s inimitable definition runs: “The word resource does not refer to a thing or a substance but to a function which a thing or a substance may perform or to an operation in which it may take part, namely, the function or operation of attaining a given end such as satisfying a want. In other words, the word resource is an abstraction reflecting human appraisal and relating to a func­tion or operation”.

So, resource satisfies individual human wants or attains social objectives. It also refers to the positive interaction between man and nature. Man is, of course, the most important and integral part of resource creation, as he is situated in the top of the hierarchy of resource consumption. Only the satisfaction of human beings converts anything or a substance into resource.

A thing or substance is not considered as resource when it fails to give satisfaction to human beings. Proven reserves of petroleum in the midst of inaccessible terrain or in the abyss is not considered resource as they fail to yield any satisfaction to either society or individual.

Geo-thermal energy in this contemporary world is considered to be the most useful resource, but, till recently, this heat-flow was not considered as resource—because man was absolutely ignorant about its uses.

Resource must possess two important properties:

(a) Function ability, and

(b) Utility.

To define anything or substance as resource, one must critically examine whether it has the property of both utility or function ability. The presence of both utility and function ability is mandatory for resource creation. For example, a bottle of poison has function ability but it has got no utility value as food. The function ability is also the function of space and time.

The resource of yesteryears may not be considered as resource today, resource considered by one country may be considered as waste product by another country, e.g., frog is considered as delicious food in Europe while it is not edible in large sections of India. Petroleum was not considered as resource until 27th August 1859, since the world’s first commercial oil-well was dug at Titusville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Resource and Wealth:

In day-to-day life, a common man often uses the terms resource and wealth for same purpose and meaning. Both the words signify the same expression. But, in economics and resource study, these words convey separate meanings.

Wealth, as stated by noted economist J. M. Keynes, “consists of all potentially exchangeable means of satisfying human wants”. So, wealth must possess Utility, Function ability, Scarcity and Transferability. But wealth is always measurable, i.e., wealth can be expressed in terms of measuring units, like rupees.

In this manner, culture cannot be considered a wealth as it cannot be expressed by any measuring unit.

On the contrary, resource may be tangible as well as intangible substances. Anything satisfying human wants can be termed resource—be it tangible or not.

Wealth is synonymous with valuables, i.e., it should be scarce while resource may be ubiquitous or abundant, e.g., sunshine, air etc.

Different properties of wealth and resource are:

So, all wealth’s are resource but all resources are not wealth. Resource incorporates much more than wealth in a sense that culture, technology, innovative power, skill and differ­ent other aspects are included in the realm of resource.

Some Discarded Ideas and Popular Misconceptions about Resources:

Since time immemorial, consciousness about resource is a part of both individual and society. In fact, when human beings began community life to attain security and opulence- individuals started to gather wealth and power for future resource creation. For the three basic necessities of survival — food, shelter and clothing—man had no other option but to be aware about the resources.

Ever since Industrial Revolution (1760), the values, ethics, culture, community life, agrarian economy all received severe blow. New concepts of social welfare state, ultra-capitalism, eco­nomic colonialism affected human life. The increasing gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have-not’s enhanced internal social tensions. To combat this, emergence of socialism, communism again increased the differences between different schools of thought.

According to the prevailing changes in society in different era, the concept of resources had also gone through changes —in harmony with space and time.

The major popular misconceptions about resource in earlier periods were:

1. Substances or tangible things like coal, copper, petroleum etc. are resources.

2. Invisible or intangible aspects — peace, culture, wisdom, policy, decisions, knowhow, knowledge, freedom—cannot be considered as resource.

3. Only natural things or substances, freely bestowed by mother earth, can be consid­ered resource. Resource cannot be created.

4. Human populations were not considered as resource.

5. Only the quantum and magnitude of substances, not their usability or function ability and quality, were measured.

6. Resource was considered as mere ‘static’ and fixed asset, its mobility, dynamism and expansion ability was totally ignored.

7. The concept of resistance was totally unknown. So, matter full of resistance and no function ability was also considered as resource.

In pre-Zimmermann era, only tangible or material substances were considered resources. Different minerals like iron ore, copper, bauxite, different fuels like coal, petroleum etc. were considered resource while intangible things like peace, culture, wisdom, policy decisions etc., were not considered as resource.

In the words of Prof. Zimmermann: “………… Whereas less important invisible and intangible aspects – such as health, social harmony, wise policies, knowledge, freedom – are ignored, even though possibly these latter are more important than all the coal, iron, gold and silver in the world put together. In fact, resources evolve out of the dynamic interaction of all these factors”.

In those days, widespread belief was ‘Resource cannot be created’. It is a free gift of nature. Only the natural things or substances can be considered as resource. Creation, modifi­cation or extension of resource was practically unknown to that medieval world.

The role of man was grossly underestimated in earlier times. Only after the resource con­cept was introduced role of man in the overall resource creation process was clearly under­stood. In this context we can recall the legendary remarks of Prof. Zimmermann: “man’s own wisdom is his premier resource—the key resource that unlocks the universe”.

Considering resource a static or fixed asset was another misconception in those days. In reality, the potential ability of resource cannot be measured precisely, as, always, it may in­crease with improved technological advancement. Zimmermann opined that resource is as dynamic as the civilization itself.

Early geographers were totally ignorant about the property of resistance hidden within things or substances. If resourcefulness is considered as positive aspect of resource, resistance is the opposite to that of resource like assets and liabilities or profit and loss.

Resource, Resistance and Neutral Stuff:

There is a total antagonistic relationship between resource and resistance—like light and shade. This inverse relationship is the key issue in the overall scheme of resource creation. Anything or any process that restricts substance becoming resource is called neutral stuff. Fertility of soil is resource but barrenness is resistance. Rain may be considered resource but flood is resistance. In the same manner, knowledge is a key resource while ignorance is the worst type of resistance.

In this connection, the concept of neutral stuff has been introduced by Prof. Zimmermann. Anything or substance, be it tangible or intangible, should be either resource or neutral stuff. If anything or substance does not contain function ability or utility value, it is termed neutral stuff.

A neutral stuff should not necessarily remain neutral forever. What is considered neutral stuff today may transform into resource tomorrow. Man’s knowledge, wisdom and techno­logical innovation may transform neutral stuff into precious resource, e.g., petroleum was not considered resource until 1859, because man was quite ignorant about its uses while, with the development of science and technology, it is now considered as a mainstay for harnessing energy.

The process of economic development is directly proportional with the rate of conversion of neutral stuff into resource. The advancement of modern civilization is synonymous with the transformation of neutral stuff into resource.

If we peep through the windows of history, it reveals that despite having enormous amount of minerals, water resources, human resources, wealth etc., some countries could not develop themselves, while others — without having any significant minerals, water etc. —because of their technology, skill, zeal, national pride and simple endeavour were able to transform their own meagre neutral stuff into resources and ultimately witnessed meteoric rise. Bihar has about double the total resources of Japan. Yet Bihar is one of the (if not the) poorest states in India, while Japan’s development is unique!!

So, minimization of resistance is the only way to maximize resource creation.

Functional Theory of Resources:

“Resources were defined as means of attaining given ends, i.e., individual wants and social objectives. Means take their meaning from the ends which they serve. As ends change, means must change also”. This statement of Zimmermann clearly states that resource creation is a function of space and time. With increasing knowledge, function of resource may en­hance.

A primitive man may not be able to harness resource from a substance but a supra-animal modern man may, by his scientific Midas touch, transform such simple substance into a precious resource. To a man of animal level resistance plays a very dominant role—where nature poses obstacle for resource creation—but, to a modern Man, knowledge plays a key role to convert neutral stuff into resource.

The tropical Africa is well endowed with huge water resources. Due to backward economy and technological drawbacks, inhabitants of that region cannot convert it into energy. On the contrary, the Japanese were able to produce huge energy from far less water resources. This is because of scientific knowledge, expertise and greater economic development.

The advancement of civilization is the product of expansion of human information base. Information about minerals—coal, petroleum, iron ore, copper etc., about agriculture — HYV seeds, pesticides, insecticides etc., about manufacturing industry—the invention of steam en­gines, boilers, turbines, converters etc., were possible with the increasing scientific knowl­edge.

This increasing knowledge reduced the resistances of the natural things or substances and converted them to resources. So, Wesley C. Mitchell had aptly said: “Incomparably great­est among human resources is knowledge”.

So, with the efforts of man, through the functional or operational process, resource is dynamically created. Without human effort resource cannot be created because man is the ultimate consumer of resource. Without any operational process, a thing or substance remains neutral, resource cannot be created and what is created now may be enhanced or increased with increasing knowledge. So, resource creation process is highly dynamic in nature.

Dynamic Concept of Resource:

Prof. Hamilton said:

“It is technology which gives value to the neutral stuffs which it processes; and as the useful arts advance the gifts of nature are remade. With technology on the march, the emphasis of value shifts from the natural to the processed good”.

So, resource creation process is not static, it is dynamic in nature. The thing or substance considered as neutral stuff today may be converted into precious resource tomorrow. Since the beginning of civilization, Paleolithic man started devoting his limited knowledge to con­vert neutral stuff into resource for his own requirement.

With the passage of time, with in­creasing knowledge, man was able to harness more resource from same amount of stuff. Bow­man has rightly remarked: “The moment we give them human association they are as changeful as humanity itself”.

With the increasing need, man frantically explored all possibilities or avenues to expand resource base from his existing stock. So, resource creation is a continuous and need-based operation. At the present era, when the world is passing through acute energy crisis, man is exploring possibilities to produce energy from all sources —solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy etc.

Previously ocean current was never considered as resource but, now, man is able to convert this force into energy. So, the concept of resource is dynamic and re­source study is a dynamic science.

Classification of Resources:

In general, resources are classified into two groups:

(a) Material resources, and

(b) Non-material resources.

Material resources are tangible substances, e.g., petroleum, iron ore, copper, water etc.

Non-material resources are intangible substances like health condition, culture, ethics, freedom, environmental harmony etc.

Material or tangible resources are direct, i.e., freely bestowed by nature.

Non-material or intangible resources are cultivated by human beings with the help of increasing knowledge.

Material resources may, again, be sub-divided into two groups:

(i) Organic resources like forest, fish, livestock etc.

(ii) Inorganic resources like iron ore, manganese, mica etc.

On the basis of durability, resources may be classified into two groups:

1. Fund or exhaustible resources that is, not everlasting, destroyed for ever after use, e.g., coal, petroleum, uranium etc.

2. Flow or inexhaustible resources — supply of resource remains unchanged even after renewed use, e.g., river water, sea-wave, sunshine, airflow etc.

Ownership is another parameter to classify resource.

On the basis of ownership resource may be divided into following groups:

(a) International or world resource:

Owned by global population, i.e., the total re­sources owned by all individuals and nations put together. The sum total of all material and non-material resources comes under this category.

(b) National resources:

The sum total of resources of the inhabitants of the nation and resources of the nation itself.

(c) Individual resources:

Both tangible resources, i.e., property, money, wealth, and intangible resources, i.e., knowledge, wisdom, health etc. owned by any indi­vidual is known as individual resources.

On the basis of availability of resources, it can be classified into two groups:

(a) Ubiquitous,

(b) Localized.

Ubiquitous type of raw materials are found everywhere, e.g., sunshine, air etc. while localized raw materials are available only in some places, e.g., petroleum, uranium, iron ore etc.