Political Ecology for Global Environmental Leadership

Political ecology is an interdisciplinary nondualistic strategy for ecological justice and facilitating social change. Political ecologists view nature not as a neutral terrain outside of human history and social relations, but as geographically and historically specific; it shapes and is shaped by human desires, interests, and actions. The course introduces students to a set of conceptual tools to analyze the political, economic, and cultural contexts of natural resource use and management especially in the Third World. The class starts with traditional frameworks of political ecology and works through newer work, reflecting engagements with culture, space, place, power, gender, and race. Required for EL MA.