Rethinking Globalization
Nature, Culture, and Justice*
Intro Page Itinerary
CURRICULUM
COURSES / 32 CREDITS:
• Anthropology Theory and Field Methods 1 & 11
• Ecology and Comparative Conservation Practices 1 & 11
• International Issues in Development Economics 1 & 11
• Comparative Social Movements
• Environmental Policy and Governance
Anthropology Theory and Field Methods I & II
(Previously referred to as “Anthropology Field Methods I & II”)
(eight credits)
2008-09 Syllabus
2007-08 Syllabus
This course explores issues of globalization in reference to cultural values, beliefs, and behaviors. It facilitates critical understandings not only of dependency, inequalities, and negative ways in which cultures are affected by globalization, but also of local innovations, resistance, cultural regeneration, and interdependence. Through interactions in multiple cultural contexts, students are asked to reflect upon meanings of “the good life” and how local perspectives may conflict with their own. Emphasis is placed on ethnographic methods to enable students to learn from and with each person they meet. Examining the politics of knowledge and theoretical issues that underlie conventional research is part of this focus. Field visits supplemented with guest lectures, readings, cultural materials, and discussions contribute to the learning experience and provide the basis for individual and group projects.
Back to top
Ecology and Comparative Conservation
Practices I & II
(eight credits)
2008-09 Syllabus
2007-08 Syllabus
This course will travel to a collection of the planet's diverse ecosystems (i.e., tropical forests, coastal habitats, savannahs) and explore ways in which globalization and development forces are transforming landscapes and threatening biodiversity. The course combines an introduction to the basic principles of ecology with an exploration of how ecological science is being used to identify and address global and local environmental problems. The course will highlight different research tools, and methods of ecological analyses and conservation science. As we move around the globe, we will take a comparative approach to conservation issues and approaches, touching on major fields in applied ecology, such as conservation biology, systems ecology, and agroecology. Case studies will reveal how environmental issues are linked to multidisciplinary processes and structures of economics, culture, and politics. Multiple perspectives on ecological issues will be gained through interaction with local stakeholders, conservation managers, policy makers, and researchers.
Back to top
International Issues in Development Economics 1 & 11
(Previously referred to as “Issues of International Development and Economics I & II”)
(eight credits)
2008-09 Syllabus
2007-08 Syllabus
This course will critically examine the concept of development from a variety of perspectives to consider whether it is or can be truly sustainable. It begins by examining basic concepts in international economics, and events such as the Bretton Woods Conference, the establishment of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the emergence of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the precursor to the World Trade Organisation. We will then discuss the various phases of economic liberalization (with a strong emphasis on understanding the developments of the past two decades), and related issues such as international financial markets, debt relief, and structural adjustment programs. The core of the course is organized around the history, politics, and economy of each of the countries we visit to analyze its unique development trajectory and the plural proposals made by diverse groups and communities in society. There will also be a strong comparative exercise in your exposure to specific local economies in each country.
Back to top
Comparative Social Movements
(four credits)
2008-09 Syllabus
2007-08 Syllabus
This course provides theoretical and historical background and some analytical tools to better grasp the nature, scope, and impact of the current social movements around the globe. Through interactions with communities and organizations, an overview will be provided of the struggles of peasants, Indigenous peoples, women, and defenders of ecological spaces. Students will thus have the opportunity to interact with prominent protagonists of some of the most interesting and radical social movements in the contemporary world. We will examine the growing linkages between and among local, national, and global movements and international advocacy organizations. Speakers and local representatives of social movements will be included in the program in all the countries visited.
Back to top
Environmental Policy and Governance
(Previously referred to as “Contemporary Issues in Environmental Policy”)
(four credits)
2008-09 Syllabus
2007-08 Syllabus
This interdisciplinary course investigates the complexity of global environmental problems in moral, economic, political, cultural and biological terms. What are the root causes of these problems, who suffers their consequences, and how are individuals and organizations around the world working in creative ways to generate solutions? What are the possibilities for addressing critical environmental issues like climate change, consumerism, resource depletion, and pollution? Drawing on a diverse set of environmental philosophies (e.g., indigenous ecological worldviews, environmental justice, value pluralism, deep ecology, social ecology, Gaian philosophy, bioregionalism), we explore the spectrum of environmental thought. By seeking out local voices from a diversity of places and perspectives, we explore alternatives to industrial development from the fields of appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and resource management.
Back to top
