The environmental social sciences (ESS) examines how humans interact with their surroundings and the contexts for their behaviors that have impacts across local, regional, and global scales. ESS draws from multiple disciplines that address various aspects of environmental experience including, but not limited to anthropology, geography, psychology, public health, and sociology.
This course utilizes ESS as a framework to explore the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies to better understand the characteristics of human interaction with, and dependence on, the environment and the causes and consequences of environmental degradation at local and global scales. We will explore the disciplinary frameworks in ESS, as well as touch on key elements of related research approaches commonly utilized across this interdisciplinary field.
This is a fundamental, introductory, survey course. In addition to providing the opportunity to apply and synthesize material, the course will likely fill in knowledge gaps. Many students will find that some information will be a review--but what that information is, will vary with the student! |