India: Species, Deities & Communities

Catalog description

Students journey to India through the rich ecological, cultural, and spiritual landscapes of the Western Ghats, exploring sacred groves and forest temples where the fate of wildlife, people, and deities meet. The Western Ghats region is well known to conservationists as a biodiversity hotspot, home to diverse local ecosystems with an abundance of plant and animal species found nowhere else. The existence of sacred groves in the Western Ghats predates recorded history. For social scientists, sacred groves are valued as centers for community life. For the spiritually inclined, sacred groves transcend earthly bounds, allowing people to commune with gods and other powerful beings that offer protection, enlightenment, absolution, or guidance. In this course, we seek to better understand the multifaceted relationship between people and nature, and we address specific questions about a sustainable future. Prior to and following the field experience in India, students complete coursework via Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community as they apply experiences to their home institutions. Cross-listed with IES.