Climate, Culture and Change

Catalog description

This course explores the implications of climate change for human cultures. The overall perspective will be historical, but the relevance of past experiences to contemporary circumstances will be under constant discussion. A series of case studies drawn from archaeological and historical records will attest to a range of possible human responses, including examples that involve both naturally- and culturally-induced change. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of paleoclimatology, such as basic processes that influence climate change, as well as the sources of long-term climate records. Under an anthropological perspective, students will also become acquainted with the range of documented human reactions to climate change and their ramifications. Each case study will be addressed in three parts over the course of two class sessions: lecture/presentation, discussion and supplemental analysis.