Americans, Global Parks, and Wilderness

Catalog description

This course examines how concepts of wilderness have been envisioned historically, the ways in which views about parks and wilderness have evolved, and the extent to which the 1964 Wilderness Act is still relevant. The management, use, and access to wilderness areas have created great controversy especially regarding under-represented groups that include Native American, African American, Latina/o, LGBTQ+, disabled communities, and senior citizens. In addition, wilderness areas have created conflict among wilderness purists, loggers, hunters, sport outfitters, ranchers, and miners, among others. Students become familiar with the biophysical, social, and political economic drivers that influence wilderness and national park establishment and management and consider the role of dominant paradigms and social discourses in these processes. Students consider perspectives from political ecology, environmental history, and non-western science to examine these dynamics. Finally, students assess the exportation of the U.S. Park model to other parts of the world and the complications posed by issues such as co-management and fortress conservation. Offered Spring - Even Numbered Years.