ANTH 307/Ecological
Anthropology
Minnesota State University Moorhead
King Hall 216, MW 3:00-4:15PM
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Roberts
Office: KH213; Telephone: 477-2043
Office hours:
Monday and
Wednesday 10:00AM-2:30PM
Tuesday and Thursday 10:30 - 11:30AM
E mail:
robertsb@mnstate.edu
Class web site:
http://web.mnstate.edu/robertsb/307
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Ecological anthropology involves the study of human adaptation to the environment. while we humans adapt to our surroundings in both biological and cultural ways, our emphasis in this course will be on cultural adaptations – those that are learned and shared as members of societies. This course has two major objectives: first, to introduce you to the theories and methods of ecological anthropology; second, to examine empirical case studies of human adaptive strategies in various physical and sociocultural circumstances.
TEXTS
Bates, Daniel G.
2005 Human Adaptive Strategies: Ecology, Culture, and Politics. Third
Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Fratkin, Elliot M.
2004 Ariaal Pastoralists of Kenya: Studying Pastoralism, Drought and
Development in Africa's Arid Lands. Second Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Reed, Richard
1997 Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors: Indigenous Models for International
Development. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
All supplementary on-line readings are hyper-linked to the on-line syllabus. When you click on the hyperlink a PDF file opens. They are mostly taken from the Journal of Ecological Anthropology or the Journal of Political Ecology.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Attendance and participation: I do not have an attendance policy. Thus, whether or not you come to class is up to you. All I can tell you is that, in 20 years of teaching, I have noticed a distinct and consistent correlation of class attendance and grades. Is this a spurious correlation?
Exams - There will be midterm exam (100 points) and a cumulative final (150 points). They will be comprised of objective (multiple choice, true-false) questions, short answers, and essays. You'll need a good excuse if you expect to take a make-up, which is all essay and given only at my discretion if you present me with a verifiable excuse or proof of extenuating circumstance (e.g., a death in the family or major vehicular problems) and you contacted me within 48 hours of the exam. Failure to do either results in automatic forfeiture of the exam grade.
Critical Book Reviews: You'll read and critically review the books by Fratkin and Reed. These reviews are worth 50 points each. The one on Fratkin's book will be due on the date of the midterm and the review of Reed's book will be due on the last day of class. Late submissions will be penalized 10 points per day late. Basic guidelines will be provided shortly. Meanwhile if you’re unsure how a critical book review should be done visit the web page for the University of Wisconsin Writing Center or the University of Alberta Libraries
Quizzes: There will be 6 unannounced pop quizzes. They will be short answer format and each will be worth 10 points. These quizzes will be based upon the assigned readings and they are intended to provide incentives to keep up on them.
Extra credit : None will be given. Just do what is asked of you and you'll be fine.
Miscellaneous: I reserve the right to slightly modify the point ranges listed below (upward, but not downward) to benefit people who put forth exemplary effort.
Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-5959 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), CMU 114 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Summary of Evaluation Criteria
|
Item |
Point value |
% final grade |
|
Midterm Exam |
100 |
25 |
|
Final Exam |
150 |
38 |
|
Book reviews |
100 |
25 |
|
Quizzes |
50 |
12 |
|
Total |
400 |
100 |
|
A =358+ /90+ avg |
C = 278-301/70-75 avg |
|
A- = 350-357/88-89 avg |
C- = 270-277/68-69 avg |
|
B+ = 342-349/86-87 avg |
D+ = 262-269/66-67 avg |
|
B = 318-341/80-85 avg |
D = 238-261/60-65 avg |
|
B- = 310- 317/ 78-79 avg |
D- = 230-237/58-59 avg |
|
C+ = 302-309/76-77 avg |
F = <230 /<58 avg |
TOPICS AND READINGS
(Subject to change)
| January 12-14 | Introduction and orientation. Anthropology & study of culture. Read: Bates Chap 1. |
| January 21-28 | Early ecological theory in anthropology: environmental determinism, possibilism, cultural ecology, ethnoecology, systems ecology. Read: Marquette - Cultural Ecology; McGrath - Ecological Anthropology; Development of Ecological Anthropology |
| February 2-4 | Contemporary theory in ecological anthropology: evolutionary ecology & political ecology. Read: Bates Chapter 2; Greenberg and Park - Political Ecology. |
| February 9-11 | Foraging. Read: Bates Chapter 3; Tharakan -- The Muduga and Kurumba of Kerala, South India and the Social Organization of Hunting and Gathering; Woodburn-- Why are the Hadza Still Hunter-Gatherers? |
| February 16-18 | Horticulture. Read: Bates Chapter 4; Kashanipour and McGee -- Northern Lacandon Maya Medicinal Plant Use...; Dodd -- Lobster in the Rain Forest: The Political Ecology of Miskito Wage Labor and Agricultural Deforestation. |
| February 23-25 | Pastoralism. Read: Bates Chapter 5; Heikkinen and Baldridge -- The Dimensions of Sustainability and the Neo-entrepreneurial Adaptation Strategies in Reindeer Herding in Finland. |
| March 2-4 | Labor intensive peasant agriculture and the diversification of livelihood strategies. Read: Bates Ch. 6. Nyasimi et al. -- Differentiating Livelihood Strategies Among the Luo and Kipsigis People in Western Kenya |
| March 9 | Review and catch-up. Listen to an audio program on pastoralism: Return of the Nomad. |
| March 11 | Midterm exam, including Fratkin's book. Turn in review of Fratkin's book. |
| March 16-18 | Spring break |
| March 23-25 | Capital intensive, mechanized agriculture. Read: Bates Chapter 7; Barlett -- Industrial Agriculture in Evolutionary Perspective. |
| March 30-April 1 | Biotechnology and genetically modified foods. Stone -- Biotechnology and Suicide in India; Brenton -- HIV/AIDS, Food Insecurity, and Genetically Modified Food Aid in Southern Africa: Seeking Common Ground Through a Commitment to Peace, Justice, and Sustainability. |
| April 6-8 | Conservation of natural/communal resources. Read: Igoe -- Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Conservation to Local Communities; Brockington and Igoe -- Eviction for Conservation: A global Overview; Sodikoff -- An Exceptional Strike: A Micro-History of "People versus Park" in Madagascar. |
| April 13 | Non-instructional day |
| April 15 & 22 | Culture change, development, & globalism. Read: Bates Chapter 8; Bodley -- Anthropology and Global Environmental Change |
| April 27-29 | Indigenous technical knowledge and sustainable development. Does bigger always mean better? Concept of the ecological footprint. Read: Shebitz -- Weaving Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the Restoration of Basketry Plants; Demenge-- Measuring Ecological Footprints in Subsistence Farmers in Ladakh. |
| May 4 | Applied ecological anthropology and its potential. An Anthropological Approach to the Evaluation of Preschool Children Exposed to Pesticides in Mexico Turn in reviews of Reed's book. |
| May 8, 3 PM | Cumulative Final exam, including Reed's book. |