Anthropology and the Environment Section

Anthropology and the Environment

Population, Ecology and Development

Anthropology 364/560
Spring 1999
Dr. John Bock

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9-9:50 AM, TAPY 220
Office Hours 12:30-2:30 Wednesdays or by appointment
Office: Anthropology B73
Tel: 277-4524 or 255-3074
E-mail: jbock@unm.edu

Required Textbooks:

McFalls, Joseph A. Population: A Lively Introduction (available at Rother's Bookstore)

Coursepak (available at ECS, corner of Central and Stanford)

On Reserve at CSEL:

Adams, J.S. and McShane, T.O. The Myth of Wild Africa: Conservation without illusion

Young, E. Third World in the First: Development and indigenous peoples

Coursepak

Course Description

This class is designed to provide an introduction to evolutionary approaches to population issues for upper level undergraduates and graduate students. We will examine the interrelationships of demography, conservation, and economic development using perspectives from evolutionary ecology. Students will emerge from the class with solid theoretical and methodological grounding in these topics. Students should have read all assignments before class and come to class ready for discussion. The general tone of the discussion should be supportive of a free exchange of ideas; graduate students should help create an environment that encourages and assists undergraduate involvement in discussions. At the end of the semeseter we will do three one-week long case studies of areas where population, conservation, and economic development are major issues: Indonesia, Botswana, and Amazonia. Each student will give a presentation on population, conservation, or development issues in one of these geographic areas. We will choose topics fairly early in the semester so that students will have ample opportunity to incorporate class topics into their presentations. 15% of the grade for the class will be based on the quality of class participation. 35% will be based on the presentation. 50% of the grade will be based on a take-home exam at mid-term. While the class requirements for undergraduate and graduate students will be similar, evaluation of graduate student performance will be more stringent, especially regarding the depth and quality of answers to take-home exam questions and the quality of the presentation.

Course Schedule

January 20-22
Introduction and Overview

Week of January 25
Introduction to Population

Reading:
McFalls, J.A. Population: A Lively Introduction

Week of February 1
Demographic Transitions I

Readings:
Low, B.S. Ecological Demography: A Synthetic Focus in Evolutionary Anthropology
Hill, K. Life History Theory and Evolutionary Anthropology

Week of February 8
Demographic Transitions II

Readings:
Caldwell, J. and Caldwell, P. Regional Paths to Fertility Transition
Kaplan, H. Evolutionary and Wealth Flows Theories of Fertility

Week of February 15
Demographic Transitions III

Readings:
Kaplan, H., J. Lancaster, J. Bock, and S. Johnson. Does Observed Fertility Maximize Fitness among New Mexican Men? A test of an optimality model and a new theory of parental investment in the embodied capital of offspring
Kunitz, S.J. Public Policy and Mortality among Indigenous Populations of Northern America and Australasia.

Week of February 22
Conservation I

Readings:
Ridley, M. and B.S. Low Can Selfishness Save the Environment?
Redford, K.H. The Ecologically Noble Savage
Alvard, M Intraspecific Prey Choice by Amazonian Hunters

Week of March 1
Conservation II

Readings
Hitchcock, R.K. African Wildlife: Conservation and conflict
Adams and McShane Chapters 1,3,4

Week of March 8
Conservation III

Readings:
Adams and McShane Chapters 7,8,9

EXAM

Week of March 15
Spring break

Week of March 22
Economic Development I

Readings:
Godoy, R. The Effects of Rural Education on the use of the Tropical Rain Forest by the Sumu Indians of Nicaragua: Possible pathways, qualitative findings, and policy options
Henrich, J. Market Incorporation, Agricultural Change, and Sustainability among the Machiguenga of the Peruvian Amazon.

Week of March 29
Economic Development II

Readings:
Young Chapter 1
Young Chapter 4

Week of April 5
Economic Development III

Readings:
Draper, P. and E. Cashden. Technological Change and Child Behavior among the !Kung.
Bock, J. Economic Development and Cultural Change among the Okavango Delta Peoples of Botswana

Week of April 12
Ecotourism and Participatory Management

Readings:
Hitchcock, R.K. Culture, Economic, and Environmental Impacts of Tourism among Kalahari Bushmen
Young Chapter 6