Living Well: The Anthropology of Sustainability
REVISED
Spring 2016 quarter
Taught by
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
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
Online Learning
Required Fees
Revisions
Date | Revision |
---|---|
May 18th, 2015 | New spring opportunity added. |