Cultural Ecology of NZ

From WildWiki

Back to New Zealand Semester

Cultural Ecology of New Zealand (4 credits)

Cultural ecology is the study of the intersecting relationships between people and the natural environment from a sociocultural lens. Using culture as the primary mode of analysis, this course will examine both traditional and modern New Zealand frameworks of meaning with a particular emphasis on the ethnoecology of various culture groups including Maori, rural farm communities, and urban south islanders. Using homestays and a variety of cultural “texts” we will explore how people make meaning out of their relationship with the natural world and what that tells us about environmental problems and potential solutions. This course will be taught by a combination of visiting scholars and program faculty. Proposed Diversity-International Gen Ed.