321 - 330 of 390 results for: ANTHRO

This course examines how race is made. We will pay close attention to how people engage with material, economic, scientific, and cultural forces to articulate human group difference as a given, and even natural. In this seminar, we will look at the construction of race as a literally made phenomenon, where historical, colonial, bodily, market, and humanitarian constituent elements both circulate and sediment racial understandings. To focus our readings and discussions we will divide this vast terrain into three units: race and the colonial encounter, race and biopower, and race and capital.

The ability of scientific evolutionary theory to explain human behavior as represented in the archaeological record. Past attempts to apply evolutionary theory in archaeology are compared to more recent Darwinian efforts, as are current evolutionary approaches to human behavior in related fields. The ontological underpinnings and methodological requirements of a Darwinian archaeology and its potential contribution to archaeology as an explanatory system. (HEF I)

An overview of social issues in contemporary China as seen through its emerging independent documentary film movement. Topics covered include representations of history, political power and accountability in the reform era, human rights, urbanization, the environment, homelessness and inequality, sexualities, addiction, and the role of media in society. Each viewing is accompanied by readings in media theory or the anthropological/sociological study of contemporary China. Can be taken with or without research component. Films include English subtitles.

Anthropological theories and concepts as applied to Japan. Postwar demographic trends. Delayed marriage.  Declining nuclear family.  Re-structuring of education and workplace. Problems for the seniors.  Foreign laborers shaking fundamentals of Japan.

The ¿tragedy of the commons¿ is a classic social dilemma ¿ a situation in which individual interests conflict with collective ones ¿ and key to understanding past, present and future environmental degradation. This course surveys a variety of scientific perspectives on the essence of the tragedy: common property resources will ultimately be destroyed by overexploitation. Major themes include the effects of human population density and social organization on the health and management of commons, self-interest versus collective action, and potential solutions to commons problems. Modern and prehistoric case studies are examined from ecological and evolutionary perspectives.

Humans face essentially the same adaptive challenges as all organisms but are unique for having successfully adapted to virtually every environment on Earth. The resulting diversity of phenotypes and cultures¿past and present¿is key to understanding how interactions with environments shape the economic, social, and cultural lives of hunter-gatherers, pastoralists and agriculturalists. This course surveys the range of human adaptations from an ecological and evolutionary perspective to understand human adaptive capacity and vulnerability to climate change.

Environmental degradation resulting from human behavior, and what can be done about it. Patterns of interaction between people and environments, and why they vary over time and space. Topics include adaptation and behavior, resource acquisition and utilization, conflicts of interest, collective action problems, conspicuous consumption, waste, land management, and public policy.

This interdisciplinary course explores natural resource extraction from multiple conceptual perspectives. Logging and non-timber resource harvesting practices are examined through ecological dynamics of species and community life histories, natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes and resilience and recovery to diverse perturbations through alternative stable states. Using a political ecology lens, we then examine historical and current policies and practices aimed to manage terrestrial resource use and extraction: maximum sustained yield, community-based forest management, certification systems, payment for ecosystem services and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). Through problem sets and lab/field exercises, we employ quantitative ecological measurements and experiments coupled with quantitative and qualitative methods and analyses used to assess socio-economic drivers and ecological impacts. Diverse benefits/costs imparted throughout the supply chain - from extraction to consumer ¿ are explored across temporal and spatial scales with local to global agents. No Prerequisites: course or foundation in Ecology, Community Ecology, and/or Ecosystem Ecology strongly suggested.

This seminar explores topics including environmental movements and countercultures, human agency and geoengineering ecotourism, and indigenous perspectives of changing climates to query how humans view `nature¿ in terms of stability, instability, risk and disaster in the 21st century. Case studies draw upon a broad range of geographical regions including the Arctic, Iceland, Australia, and the Americas. Discussions will draw upon film portrayals and interviews with researchers in addition to readings.