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! ANTHROPOLOGY ! OF THE ! ENVIRONMENT ! IN LATIN AMERICA ! INSTRUCTOR Prof. Fisher ! CRN ANTH 6702 ! TIME R 7:00pm-9:00pm LOCATION HAH 202 ! OFFICE HOURS MW 11:00AM - 12:00PM ! CONTACT fi[email protected] ! 2114 G St NW, Room 201 ! ! ! ! COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is an exploration of the interdisciplinary field of political ecology within the anthropology of Latin America. In the spirit of political ecology, we will tackle issues such as environmental conservation, development, struggles over landscape and livelihood, and environmental change. However, in the spirit of anthropology, we will also seek to understand how conceptions of nature, or more accurately the material world, are materially and discursively bound up with notions of culture, identity, economy, politics, and cosmology. The course is certainly not a comprehensive survey of the literature. Rather, it is a critical exploration of theories and themes that drive at the relationship between society and environment. In the first half of the course, we will build a conceptual foundation of political ecology, drawing on key theoretical texts as well as case studies. In the second half of the course, we will examine the critiques of political ecology that are currently coming from fields such as postcolonial studies (or the “decoloniality” project), the World Anthropologies Network (WAN), feminist theory, as well as what has been termed the “ontological turn” in anthropological theory. Our end goal is to move from a simplistic nature/culture dichotomy, often laden with presumptions of homeostasis, to a more complex, inclusive, and dynamic account of the unpredictable interplay between the self-generating material world and the constructed world of knowledge, belief, practice, and culture. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES After taking this course, the student should be able to: 1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the subfield of political ecology, its theory, its methodologies, and its epistemologies 2. Critically analyze case studies using the framework of political ecology. 3. Describe the limitations of political ecology, drawing on the critiques of Latin American scholars. 4. Articulate a conceptual position regarding the role of political ecology within anthropological thought, such as ! what has been termed “a political ecology of difference.” ! REQUIRED TEXTS Paul Robbins, Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, 2004) David Carruthers, Environmental Justice in Latin America: Problems, Promise, and Practice (MIT Press, 2008) Javier Auyero and Débora Alejandra Swistun, Flammable: Environmental Suffering in an Argentine Shantytown (Oxford University Press, 2009) Philippe Descola, The Ecology of Others: Anthropology and the Question of Nature (Prickly Paradigm Press, 2013) Bruno Latour, How to Bring the Sciences into Democracy (Harvard University Press, 2009) Mario Blaser, Storytelling Globalization from the Chaco and Beyond (Duke University Press, 2010) Eduardo Kohn, How Forests Think: Toward an Anthropology Beyond the Human (University of California Press, 2013) Arturo Escobar, Territories of Difference: Place, movements, life, redes (Duke University Press, 2008) !All other readings (indicated on the syllabus as Bb) will be accessible through Blackboard. GRADING CRITERIA Minimum Classroom Requirements ……………………….…….. 20 % Discussion Leadership ……………………………………………… 15 % Short Response Paper(s).…………………………………………… 15 % Final Presentation …………………………………………………… 10 % Final Research Paper ………………………………………………… 40 % Minimum Classroom Requirements (20% of total). This category is the easiest in which to earn full credit because it represents the minimum requirements of any college-level course. At a minimum, the following is expected of you: • Physical presence (attendance, part one). In other words, be in class when it begins; bring your cerebellum with you; and stay awake. • Mental presence (attendance, part two). Bring your neocortex, too. Do the reading before class, pay attention, and answer my questions or those of your classmates when they are posed. Don’t be distracted by your computer or phone, and don’t distract your classmates. You will lose points for all mental or physical absence, lack of participation, or unpreparedness in which you are not excused by your professor. Please notify me within the first week or two if you will be absent on a certain day for religious observance. Lastly, I am willing to grant that one may be mentally present without being physically present, such as in a Zoroastral projection, but I will need a note. Discussion Leadership (15% of total). You will be responsible for leading discussion (along with your professor) on two separate weeks. That means you should prepare and distribute discussion questions in advance of the class and be prepared to direct the classroom discussion. Your professor is available to help you prepare to function in this leadership capacity. Short Response Paper(s) (15% each). You will write two short response papers regarding in-class readings. These papers should summarize and critique pieces of particular interest to you (and hopefully of interest for your final paper). Final Presentation (10% of total). You will give a 20 minute presentation at the end of the term regarding a research project (to be determined and approved by your professor) of specific interest to you. Final Research Paper (40% of total). Your final research paper (20-30 pages) will tackle a research question or literature review of specific interest to you (and approved by your professor). This task comes in several stages: (1) a written proposal, (2) a proposed bibliography of resources, (3) peer review edits, and (4) a final paper, which integrates this research/review into themes ! developed in class. ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION Classroom Etiquette: Respect for the classroom, Your Fellow Students, and Your Professor. The classroom should be treated as a sanctuary, and for the sake of your own education, the learning experiences of your fellow students, and the work of your professor. Class time should be valued as a time for better understanding readings or questions posed in class as well as for articulating difficult concepts, with the guidance of your professor, in your own terms. It is crucial that you respect that space and its purpose and that you engage your fellow classmates (and your professor) with respect at all times. Laptop and Cell Phone Policy. Laptops and cell phones generally diminish the classroom experience not only for you (they are easy distractions) but also for your classmates and your professor. Please be mindful and disciplined about your computer usage. As for phones, if you waiting for an important call, by all means step out of the class room and take it. However, do not text in class. Don’t even try. I have the eye of Mordor and can see everything you are doing. Electronic Communications. Email now constitutes the bulk of communication between the student and professor. Be mindful that your professor may receive an average of 200 emails per day—from students, other professors, colleagues, editors, etc.—many of which are important and some of which are inconsequential. Therefore, if you choose to write an email to your professor, please be mindful of some basic guidelines for electronic communication. • If possible, ask in person (class or office hours). Especially if your question is excessively conceptual in nature, such that it would need an essay in response. • Don’t write emails that pertain to information you already have on this syllabus or that I already announced in class. If you missed class, ask a classmate. Above all, don’t write to say that you are sorry for missing class and “Did I miss anything important?” Yes, you missed something incredibly important, a moment of sheer insight that can’t possibly be recreated. If you had a family emergency or had something dramatic happen to you, it’s probably best to save that for a one-on-one talk. • Don’t write to ask for your grades. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), I can’t discuss those with your parents, your friends, or anyone but you in a private, one-on-one conversation. Email is not considered private. • Please observe professional etiquette: (1) a subject line, (2) a reminder of what class you are in, (3) a salutation like Dr. or Professor, and (4) a signoff. Jokes are appreciated but not required. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours during normal work hours, but sometimes it takes longer. Please feel free to write again or approach me in class. Final Grade Calculation. While I know grades are important to you, they are not a reflection of you as a person. They represent my assessment of your work in this class. Thus, an A is reserved for work that is markedly superior and excellent in quality. Bs are reserved for work that is above average standards. C is for satisfactory work. Ds and Fs are for unsatisfactory work that does not reflect the minimal learning outcomes of the class. I will calculate your final grade using the following system: A ………………… 92.5-100 % A - ………………. 90.0-92.49 % B + ……………… 87.5-89.99 % B ……………...… 82.5-87.49 % B - …………….… 80.0-82.49 % C + ……………… 77.5-79.99 % C ………………… 72.5-77.49 % C - …………….… 70.0-72.49 % D ………………… 60.0-69.99 % F ………………… 0-59.99 % OTHER INFORMATION How to Read in College. There’s no getting around it. Reading is essential to understanding new material. You will have to do a lot of reading in this class. However, there are some tips of the trade that may be helpful for getting through all that new material. Prof. Tim Burke of Swarthmore College has some tips. I invite you to heed his advice! <http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/ burke/permanent-features-advice-on-academia/how-to-read-in-college/> Support for Students Outside the Classroom. • Disability Support Services (DSS). Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact Disability Support Services at 202-994-8250 or go to Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations.
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