HIST 207-01, Global Environmental History, Spring 2013

Abstract

What can our environment tell us about our past? How have natural resources shaped patterns of human life? What meanings have people attached to nature, and how have those attitudes shaped their cultural and political lives? This course is intended as an introduction to the field of environmental history. We will analyze the ecological context of human existence, with the understanding that the environment is an agent and a presence in human history. Because environmental change often transcends national boundaries, this course places important subjects in environmental history into a global context. We will incorporate several off-campus educational experiences to draw connections between our course work and environmental change in Memphis. The knowledge gained from our outings will be essential to our understanding of environmental history. This course will help us recognize the important developments that contributed to present day environmental transformations around the world and in our local community.