Anthropology of the Climate Crisis

Catalog description

Human societies have always had a dynamic relationship with their environments. However, in the last century that this relationship has transformed drastically. This course examines the relationship between humans and their environments, focusing on recent planetary trends that have been identified as a Climate Crisis. From the melting of ice caps to the loss of biodiversity and to the pollution of our soil and water, human societies are confronted with challenges that threaten our continued existence. This class surveys anthropological and archaeological cases to examine how societies around the world are confronting these problems today, as well as how past populations failed or succeeded in adapting to changing climates.