Beyond the Binary: Bridging the Gap Between Nature and Culture

Throughout the span of human history, no period has ever alienated humankind from the natural world as much as the modern era. In it, the advent of scientific discovery, the Industrial Revolution, and technological advancement have achieved a dual effect—one that simultaneously furthered the cause of human progress while accelerating the rate of planetary destruction. While these material conditions have certainly deepened the rift between society and nature, the origin of this division precedes our desire to exploit the planet of its resources and returns to a fundamental belief that nature is the antagonist of human culture.

In this course, students will learn to trace the origins of the nature-culture binary and understand its impacts in shaping contemporary human-environmental relations. By peering through the lens of environmental anthropology, this course aims to provide students with the theoretical tools necessary to critique and explore the discipline’s various proposals to ultimately bridge the gap between us and our perennial home.