Society and Natural Resources

Catalog description

The relationship between humans and the natural world can be defined in large part by how societies manage natural resources. In this course, students will analyze how society-environment interactions have undergone substantial shifts over time, from John Locke's Labor Theory of Value and the rise of utilitarian conservation to more recent approaches based on sustainability that emphasize ecological integrity and stakeholder collaboration. Course readings will challenge students to think critically about how humans conceptualize and impact the environment. Class discussions and activities will focus on the evolution of effective human-ecological systems interactions and seek to connect course concepts to current real-world scenarios through weekly student reflection essays. Offered as EEPS 207 and ESTD 207 . Counts as a Communication Intensive course.