Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
LOCATION: MH 3.03.12
TIME: Wednesdays, 9:00-11:45am
INSTRUCTOR: Allison Koch
OFFICE: MH 3.04.17
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays, 9-11am or
by appointment
PHONE: (319) 540-4637
EMAIL: Allison.koch@utsa.edu
Course Description
This course will explore culture and ecology in the Neotropicsthe tropical region
stretching from southern Mexico through Amazoniafrom an anthropological
perspective. Students should walk away with an in-depth understanding of how
local social systems and ecologies interact with global social, political, and
economic processes.
Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Write and present to the class compelling arguments regarding culture,
environment, and politics in specific case examples
Discuss as a class local issues of land tenure, ecotourism, and conservation;
relate these to global processes.
Examine issues of gender, race, and marginalization in an environmental
context
Course Texts
We will be reading from a variety of books and articles. The required books are
listed below; additional readings will be posted on BlackBoard.
Borgerhoff Mulder, M. and P. Coppolillo (2005) Conservation: Linking Ecology,
Economics, and Culture. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Cepek, M. (2012) A Future for Amazonia: Randy Borman and Cofn Environmental
Politics. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Descola, P. (1996) In the Society of Nature: A Native Ecology in Amazonia.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Grandia, L. (2012) Conservation, Cattle, and Commerce Among the Q'eqchi' Maya
Lowlanders. University of Washington Press.
40%
Reading Responses
30%
Discussion Leading
Attendance and
Participation
20%
10%
Course Policies
Technology. All cell phones, laptops, Ipads, etc. must be on silent and put away.
Late Work. All work is due at the start of class. In the case of an absence, work will
be due the day after class at noon. Late work will lose 10% for each day that it is
late after this.
Extra Credit. I have plenty of assignments throughout the semester that will give
you opportunities to keep your grade up, so I do not give extra credit.
Academic Integrity. Students are expected to review and adhere to UTSAs
standards of academic honesty. The Student Code of Conduct can be found below. I
have a zero-tolerance policy for a breach in this policy, all work that does so will
earn an automatic 0.
http://catalog.utsa.edu/informationbulletin/appendices/studentcodeofconduct/
Classroom Behavior. To respect our fellow classmates, I expect behavior that fosters
an active learning environment. This includes: being in your seat at the start of
class, staying for the duration of class, keeping all electronics put away, listening to
classmates opinions and responding with respectful comments, encouraging each
other, and knowing when to speak and when to stay quiet. Disrespectful classroom
or social media behavior directed at classmates will not be tolerated. I reserve the
right to ask you to leave class or to take away points for inappropriate behavior.
Course Calendar
READ
Week 1
Introduction to Course
Week 2
Week 3
Li, T. M. (2007)
Week 4
Terborgh, J. (2012)
Week 5
DUE
Reading
Response 1
Reading
Response 2
Reading
Response 3
Reading
Response 4
Week 6
Week 7
**Problem
Statement
Reading
Response 5
Week 8
BlackBoard: Ecotourism
1. Stronza, Amanda. 2010. Commons Management
and Ecotourism: Ethnographic Evidence from the
Amazon. International Journal of the Commons
4(1): 56-77.
2. Spalding, A. K. 2011 Re-making lives abroad:
Lifestyle migration and socio-environmental
change in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Dissertation:
University of California Santa Cruz. (Chapters 1,
2, and 5 only)
3. Carrier, James G. and Donald V.L. Macleod. 2005.
Bursting the Bubble: The Socio-Cultural Context
of Ecotourism. Journal of the Royal
Anthropological Institute 11: 315-334.
Week 9
Grandia, L. (2012)
Week
10
Week
11
Descola, P. (1996)
Cepek, M. (2012)
**Research
Plan and
Bibliograph
y
Reading
Response 6
Reading
Response 7
Reading
Response 8
Week
12
Week
13
Week
14
Week
15
**Rough
Draft
**Peer
Review
Reading
Response 9
**Final
Paper