Understanding People and Environment

Understanding People and Environment
Course Code
AT5013
Credit Points
30
Course Coordinator
Andrew Whitehouse

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

Compulsory course for students taking the MSc People and Environment

Notes

Students will gain:
• An appreciation of the history, themes and debates within environmental anthropology.
• An appreciation of how anthropology can contribute in distinctive ways to an understanding of environmental issues and questions and also how it can intersect with other disciplines.
• A grounding in core areas of expertise in environmental and ecological anthropology at Aberdeen.
• An understanding of methodological and theoretical approaches in environmental anthropology.
• An opportunity to read a wide range of texts in the field in depth and to develop an appreciation of how to scrutinise, adapt and communicate the ideas contained within.
• A chance to develop their own interests within the field in a coordinated manner that intersects with staff interests within the department.
• An opportunity to develop general anthropological and academic skills in reading, interpretation, oral presentation and writing.

Overview

This core course for the MSc in People and Environment will be structured around four sections. The first section will provide an introduction to ecological and environmental anthropology, exploring key issues, theories and debates in the history of the field. The remaining three sections will focus on three broad sub-themes: environmental perception, human-animal relations and anthropology and conservation. These are areas of particular research strength at Aberdeen but between them they also draw on a wide range of approaches and themes, including phenomenology, political ecology, indigenous rights, applied anthropology and aesthetics.

Structure

One hour seminar and one hour student-led tutorial per week; occasional short field trips within northeast Scotland (sites will be selected to be accessible to students with disabilities, if necessary).

Assessment

100% - Three 2000 word essays