ANTH1620 — Regenerative Nature & Culture
What can humans learn from nature about sharing what is needed for a good life? The climate crisis compels us to rethink the ways we have divided the natural world up into parcels of public and private property, with nature itself becoming a mere “resource.” This course looks at nature as a teacher. Looking back in time and around the world today, we explore how people design resilient ways to share water, forests, agricultural fields and even local markets as “commons” that co-benefit people and nature alike. We examine the diverse social rules and cultural practices that enable people to experience their lives, livelihoods, and identities intertwined with the wellbeing of the natural world where they live. Students investigate biomimicry, Indigenous cosmologies, and case studies of “commoning” to learn a set of commons design skills that reflect the deep interconnectedness of life. With these skills, students complete a final “commons” project that applies enduring social-ecological principles, public art, history, and citizen science to solve a current water “resource” problem through commons design.