Course code

HIA6347.HT

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Keskkonnaantropoloogia

Course title in English

Environmental anthropology

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester

Joonas Plaan (language of instruction:English)

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

This course aim is to introduce the most important theoretical approaches and practical applications of the study of environmental anthropology (in particular, the cultural ecology of Steward, the concepts of carrying capacity and limiting factors as used in eco-systematic models, historical and political ecology, and new approaches deriving from post-modern anthropology). It considers some of the main cultural and social aspects of the human environment interaction, such as the relationship between social organisation and ecology; alternative forms of land use and management; the impact of processes of globalization on human interactions with the environment in a number of non-western societies; and the cultural dimension of human adaptation to the environment. We will also examine contemporary issues in conservation and/or development. These issues may involve great debates in theory, problems of methodology or issues in applying research results to solve practical problems.

Brief description of the course

Throughout the course we address methods and problems of applying research in environmental anthropology to related development, conservation and human rights issues, and in particular this year we look at human adaptation to climate change among many other anthropological approaches on human-environment interactions.
Each lecture is divided into two parts. The first part (~1,5 h) is held in a traditional lecture form, introducing the course topic. The second part of the lecture (~30 min) is reserved for a student presentation.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- is familiar with main theories in environmental anthropology;
- is familiar with concepts and issues that deal with human-environment interaction in social sciences and humanities.

Teacher

Joonas Plaan

Study programmes containing that course

Anthropology (HIANB/24.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/24.HT)
Swedish Philology (GRR3B/24.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/23.HT)
Swedish Philology (GRR3B/23.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/23.HT)
Swedish Philology (GRR3B/22.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/22.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/22.HT)
Anthropology (HIANB/21.HT)