ANTHRO 196W: Mapping, Modeling, Measuring: The Politics of Environmental Knowledge Production
How have the political, social, and cultural contexts of environmental knowledge production shaped how we have come to understand the environment? In this course, we will challenge conventional notions of environmental data as neutral and unbiased representations. We will explore key frameworks, practices, and technologies through which the environment has come to be known, including ways of mapping, quantifying, modeling, modifying, categorizing and predicting environmental phenomena. We will interrogate case studies and ask critical questions, focusing on the power dynamics of knowledge production and the consequences of certain ways of knowing environments. Through this course, students will develop capacities to question and evaluate different forms of environmental knowledge and critically assess their implications. They will also develop an appreciation for the histories of certain technologies and modes of measurement, particularly those with colonial and imperial roots. We will
more »
How have the political, social, and cultural contexts of environmental knowledge production shaped how we have come to understand the environment? In this course, we will challenge conventional notions of environmental data as neutral and unbiased representations. We will explore key frameworks, practices, and technologies through which the environment has come to be known, including ways of mapping, quantifying, modeling, modifying, categorizing and predicting environmental phenomena. We will interrogate case studies and ask critical questions, focusing on the power dynamics of knowledge production and the consequences of certain ways of knowing environments. Through this course, students will develop capacities to question and evaluate different forms of environmental knowledge and critically assess their implications. They will also develop an appreciation for the histories of certain technologies and modes of measurement, particularly those with colonial and imperial roots. We will draw on readings from anthropology, political ecology, geography, science and technology studies, and the natural sciences to question how and why knowledge about the environment is produced, and by whom. This class serves as an introduction to key themes in environmental anthropology as well as science and technology studies. Students from all disciplinary orientations are welcome, and no prior knowledge is required or assumed.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
Filter Results: