Political Ecology, Development and Sustainability in Latin America Political Ecology,…

Catalog description

This interdisciplinary course focuses on contemporary challenges to development and sustainability in Latin America. Grounded in political ecology (the interdisciplinary study of the relationships between people and the environment), the course draws on fundamental concepts and theories from anthropology, economics, history, sociology, geography, and political science, as well as interdisciplinary research in the areas of environmental justice, gender studies, development studies, environmental history, and action-based research. Using an historical and geographic (place-based) understanding of development and sustainability in Latin America, the course evaluates different possibilities for improving livelihoods and promoting more just and sustainable societies. Topics include access to land and natural resources, ethno-ecological practices, traditional knowledge and food production, environmental politics, deforestation, natural hazards and climate change, water governance and policy, and conservation and biodiversity.