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Environmental anthropology

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 2026/2027 Autumn semester

Joonas Plaan (language of instruction:English)

lecturer of 2026/2027 Spring semester

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

Brief description of the course

The course examines different themes and theories concerning interactions between humans and nature from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Through lectures and discussions, students gain an overview of different approaches to relationships between humans, nature, and the environment. While the course focuses primarily on anthropological approaches, it also provides an overview of perspectives from other social sciences and humanities.
The course begins with historical approaches and proceeds chronologically to more recent theories and perspectives. The second half focuses primarily on more recent approaches that are currently in use. During the course, students present an independent study examining human–nature relations through the use of natural resources. At the end of the course, each student submits an argumentative essay on one of the topics addressed during the course.
Key topics include environmental determinism, cultural ecology and human ecology, ecological anthropology, political ecology, historical ecology, human–non-human relations (multispecies anthropology), climate change and the social sciences, and the Anthropocene.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- analyzes the relationships between humans, the environment, and non-human beings using key theories and concepts from environmental anthropology, comparing different approaches such as cultural ecology, ecological anthropology, historical ecology, political ecology, multispecies anthropology, and the Anthropocene;
- interprets academic texts in environmental anthropology, distinguishing between authors’ theoretical arguments, normative positions, and empirical material, and relating what they have read to specific contemporary environmental practices;
- formulates an anthropological research question related to the environmental practice under study, plans a small-scale ethnographic data collection, and justifies the chosen observation and interview methods;
- applies ethnographic skills in studying the relationship between people and their environment by collecting and analyzing field notes and interview data in an ethical and anonymous manner, while respecting the consent of the research participants;
- presents a theoretically grounded analysis, based on empirical data, of a specific environmental practice, demonstrating how anthropological knowledge helps to understand the social, cultural, political, and sustainability-related dimensions of environmental issues.

Teacher

Joonas Plaan

Study programmes containing that course