Ethnoecology: Conservation and Development

Ethnoecology is the study of conceptions of ecological relationships and the natural world held by different peoples and cultures. In this course we employ ethnoecology to explore the role of traditional ecological knowledge—also called indigenous or local knowledge--in maintaining and restoring healthy ecological relationships between communities and the environment. We begin by comparing local ways of knowing with western science, identifying the epistemological strengths and challenges of each. Using a case study approach, we then explore how ethnoecology is conceptualized, systematized, and helps guide the management of landscapes and biota by indigenous, rural, and folk communities in many different contexts worldwide. Students will examine how traditional ecological knowledge based on a profound and active engagement with place can lead to a rethinking of conventional approaches to environmental conservation and rural development.