Ecology Across Cultures

Catalog description

The course examines ecologies as distinct worldviews rooted in environmental contexts. By engaging with the literature and culture of different historical periods and different parts of the world, the course explores the following questions like: Is it true that exploitation of nature arises from unjust societies? Can we learn about natural conservation through folklore? How can feminism advance our understanding of ecology? What images of the Earth appear in popular science and where do they come from? What is the role of nature in technological utopias? How do colonial histories intersect with climate change? The materials for the course range from critical essays and social media to literary, visual, film, sociological, and historical documents (all in translation). The course culminates in a research project developed individually or in a group and presented in the poster presentation during the last week of classes.