Jackson
Montgomery Roper
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Home | Research | Courses | CV Student Research Opportunities Off-Campus Study Information for ACM Costa Rica, ICADS, and MSID Ecuador |
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND LINKS |
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Degradation and Development in Tropical Forests (2005 Syllabus; 2003 Course Webpage). What’s happening to the world’s tropical forests? Are they really disappearing? If so, why should we care and what can be done about it? In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary social science examination of deforestation and development in tropical forests. We will focus on the tropical forests of Latin America, particularly those of the Amazon basin, as a means to understand the issues at play around the globe. We will examine the various stakeholders in tropical forests and the relations between them, and how these actors relate to the causes and consequences of unsustainable development. Finally, we will explore the costs and benefits of a variety of alternative development options for peoples living in and around these areas. GDS 111. Introduction to Global Development Studies (Spring '06 Syllabus; 2003 Webpage). The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of contemporary issues in the development of “less-developed” or “developing” countries. Following a discussion of what it is exactly that development is supposed to be fixing or making better, we will review the leading theories of economic, political and social change that have been adopted by anthropologists, economists political scientists and others over the past fifty years. We will consider how these theories have shaped past and current debate on the definition and goals of the development process. We will compare and contrast the approaches adopted by international institutions (such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) and alternative development organizations such as non-government organizations, as well as rural communities themselves. We will also examine how, why and under what circumstances development efforts have excluded or disadvantaged certain social actors and degraded the natural environment, and how these impacts have affected development discourse and practice.
GDS 346 Sustainable Development in The Modern World System (Spring 2004 Syllabus) Interdisciplinary social science examination of theories and issues concerning “sustainable development.” Historical consideration of the goals of development along with how and why the concept of sustainability became prevalent in the dominant discourse, and the contested meanings applied to this concept. Focus then given to several key issues (varying by year) at the boundary of economic/social development, natural resource management, and environmental degradation (such as population growth, agrarian reform, international environmental treaties, climate change, deforestation, agribusiness, tourism, etc.). Can count as anthropology seminar when taught by Roper. GDS 395 Grassroots Rural Development (Spring 2006 Syllabus) The goal of this course is to take an interdisciplinary examination of theory and issues relating to grassroots rural development in developing countries. We will begin with an historical review of development theories relating to rural development. What have governments and development practitioners perceived as the place of rural areas in national development strategies? How have these theories been put into practice? And how and why have these perceptions changed over time? We will then explore the emergence of the focus on grassroots development and participatory planning in development. In this section of the course we will consider theory, methods, and case studies. We will consider the methodologies of these approaches and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we will explore a range of issues within grassroots and participatory development; including (but not limited to), the role of NGOs, social movements, identity and cultural expression, and gendered and community power relations. Readings will come from both practitioners and a range of disciplines, including: development studies, sociology, anthropology, political economy, and agricultural economics. GDS 395 Sustainable Development in Costa Rica (Web Page) The goal of this course is to gain a better understanding of the theory and application of sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on grassroots rural development and Costa Rica. Students will review a number of distinct theories related to development, as well as methodological approaches used in undertaking development diagnostics and in participatory planning. A number of issues most relevant to development in Costa Rica will be reviewed both from historical and descriptive perspectives (understanding the situation in Costa Rica) as well as from theoretical/comparative perspectives (understanding the issue more broadly). The class will travel to a community in rural Costa Rica to undertake field research over spring break. The focus of the seminar will change from year to year. In 2008, the class undertook a broad review of development issues and performed a development diagnostic for the community of El Silencio.
Anthropology 104. Introduction to Anthropology. (Fall 2005 Syllabus; Spring 2004 Syllabus ) The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the diverse field of anthropology – the study of humans – through a consideration of the four fields of anthropology. These include biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and social/cultural anthropology. One of our goals will be to gain a general understanding of the nature of the discipline. As such, throughout the course we will explore what anthropologists do, how they gather their data, and how this helps to understand the human condition. Our other main goal is to examine how anthropological study has broadened our understanding of the species. Some of the underlying questions that we will address include: How did humans evolve as a species and what makes us unique? What kinds of similarities and differences have been found between societies and cultures, and how can we explain these? How and why are cultures changing today as interactions and communication between diverse groups increase? Anthropology 280. Theories of Culture. (Fall 2005 Syllabus; Spring 2004 Syllabus) This course provides a survey of major Western theories and theorists in the history of social anthropology. Beginning in antiquity, we examine how anthropological ideas about human society, social relations and, in particular, culture have evolved over time. Our focus will be primarily on twentieth century theories, particularly those developed prior to the last decade. A basic goal of the course is to come to recognize and understand a number of central theoretical schools of thought (such as historical particularism, functionalism, cultural ecology, structuralism, postmodernism, etc.), some of the main proponents of these, and how such approaches have informed ethnographic inquiry. The course is also intended to elucidate a number of key themes and debates that have recurred over the history of social theorizing. These include questions on the nature of culture, the integration of culture or society, and the role of the individual, as well as the tensions between materialism/idealism, historical/ahistorical approaches; culture/society, emic/etic, particularism/comparativism, and psychological/sociological emphasis. Anthropology 257. Latin American Cultures. (Spring 2001 Syllabus) In this course, we read a number of ethnographies in order to examine a small, diverse, handful of distinct cultural groups from different geographic and environmental regions of Latin America. Our focus will be on contemporary indigenous and peasant communities, not on pre-Hispanic populations, Latin American states, or popular culture. In examining these different cultural groups, we will pursue several related goals. We will review some detailed ethnographic information on each of the cultures or groups of cultures we examine. For each culture or grouping of cultures, we will focus on one or more key themes of significance to Latin America in general. We will give particular attention to how cultures are changing as they are becoming increasingly integrated into the global system. The final goal of the course is to gain a more detailed understanding of ethnographic research and writing as a major tool of cultural anthropology, and to critically consider the texts we read as representations of "others". Anthropology 238. Cultural and Political Ecology (Spring 2005 Syllaubs) This course takes an anthropological approach to examining the nature of human/environment interactions in small-scale indigenous societies. We will begin with an overview of theoretical approaches historically and contemporarily used to examine the relationship of humans with their natural environment as well as some of the most pressing current issues being examined. We then employ three of these approaches (ecological anthropology, cultural ecology, and political ecology) in examining ethnographic case studies from different parts of the world. The case studies may vary some by year. (Note: In the process of developing this course, I have gathered a large number of syllabi related to political ecology and environmental studies. To examine these syllabi, please go here.)
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