Living Well: The Anthropology of Sustainability


REVISED

Spring 2016 quarter

Taught by

anthropology

What can we learn from past and current cultures about how to best live on this planet?  How have people throughout time met their basic needs, and what systems appear to be more sustainable?  What are your own goals for sustainable living today? 

From foraging cultures of the past, to off-the-grid communities or urban neighborhoods of today, we will explore cultural approaches to life that demonstrate prudent use of resources while maintaining thriving, healthy communities.  Students will build vocabularies, analyses, and hands-on skills in the fields of both anthropology and sustainability.

Student work will include careful reading, reflection and critical analysis based on program materials.  Readings will include ethnographic studies of various cultural groups, as well as guides for contemporary sustainable living. Students will design and craft their own ethnographic interviews, focusing on sustainability and justice change agents in the local area.  The program will include field trips to local communities where students can interact with people building intentional sustainable communities. Additionally, a community partnership component will enable us to connect to local initiatives, apply our knowledge, and offer something to the community. We will spend some portion of each week in a community partnership setting.

Program Details

Fields of Study

Preparatory for studies or careers in

community development, sustainability, and anthropology.

Location and Schedule

Campus location

Olympia

Schedule

Offered during: Day

Advertised schedule: First spring class meeting: Tuesday, March 29 at 9:30am (Sem 2 B2109)

Books

Buy books for this program through Greener Bookstore.

Online Learning

Hybrid Online Learning < 25% Delivered Online:

Required Fees

$150 for entrance fees, supplies and overnight field trips.

Revisions

Date Revision
May 18th, 2015 New spring opportunity added.

Registration Information

Credits: 16 (Spring)

Class standing: Freshmen–Senior; 25% of the seats are reserved for freshmen

Maximum enrollment: 24

Spring

Course Reference Numbers

Fr (16 credits): 30222
So - Sr (16 credits): 30225

Go to my.evergreen.edu to register for this program.

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