Environmental Studies 80.2/ LACS 75

Problems in Political Ecology:
Biodiversity & Bioprospecting

Instructor: Michael K. Dorsey
Days & Times: T&Th 14:00-16:00 (xhours 16:15-17:20 * five total)
Location: STEELE 8 TBD
email: michael.dorsey@dartmouth.edu
Office Hours: Tu 16:00-17:00; Wed. 12:00-13:00, & By appt.

Biomedical Libraries (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~biomed/)

Reference Hours:

11AM to 9PM Monday - Thursday
11AM to 5PM Friday
Sunday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
(Note: Sunday hours run from mid-September to end-of-May)

Reference Mail: Biomedical.Libraries.Reference@Dartmouth.EDU
Reference Phone: 650-1660
Circulation Phone: 650-1658

In class presentation:

Sheila Gorman
Information and Education Services Librarian
Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries
Sheila.Gorman@Dartmouth.edu

DESCRIPTION

At the broadest level BIODIVERSITY & BIOPROSPECTING seeks to understand how explorers, scientists, merchants, governments and local people have waged more than a 500 year campaign to control, manage, usurp and understand Amazonia. The course is divided into two major parts. The first half focuses on how Amazonia is understood and imagined. How do the scientists, policymakers and myriad scholars make sense out of such a vast, complex territory. How do they theorize it? What do they write about it? How do they engage it? How do their different views inform one another? How do governments attempt to manage it? And how do local people survive against the forces of capital in more than just the forest?

The second part of the course focuses some aspects of the 21st century variety of a market-based rationale to commercially exploit Amazonia's biological and genetic resources: bioprospecting. We will examine at least...Who is doing this? Why are they doing it? How are they doing it? What are the perceived stakes, interests and claims of local peoples, healers (i.e., shamans, curanderos, etc.), governments, transnational corporations, and others? And how is the work of the "bioprospector" inspired, constrained or otherwise shaped by various images and ideas of Amazonia discussed in the first half?

THE GOAL

The intent of this course is two-fold. First you will be expected to digest, reflect and ponder the course's subject matter. Second, and most importantly, you will be given the opportunity to reflect your engagement with the subject matter through a liberatory set of writing assignments. The course will emphasize developing critical thinking skills and articulating and elaborating the by-product of that process on paper.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENT

Final Term Paper

Throughout the course we will consider numerous controversial topics regarding the commodification and commercialization of nature. The term paper will give you the opportunity to explore, analyze, and critique various aspects of a single topic or a combination of topics (per the pre-approval of the instructor).

Final Paper 4-6000 words (10,000 word MAX)

5% Abstract (w/ Draft Outline) 1 page Due 30 January
5% Draft Outline & Outline (1-2 pages each) Due 18 February
20% Paper Due 6 March

INFORMATION ACCESS

I. Where Do I Start…  A guide to locating research information.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~biomed/resources.htmld/wheretostart.shtml

II. Library at Dartmouth   http://library.dartmouth.edu/
We need your feedback on the interface of the Dartmouth College Library. Please help us make this better by offering your suggestions and comments: digital-library@mac.dartmouth.edu

1. Library Services
   -> Course Reserves   Search ->Envs 080
        A. Berry Baker Library
             Dorsey, Michael; Envs 080W
             On Reserve at Jones Media Center
             3 hour loan rule in house use only
         B. Kresge Library
             Course Reader
   
   
2. Library Services
   -> eResources
         -> Biological Science
              -> Examine sub-folders such as Plant Biology - use the "I" to understand the content of the resource.
   
   
3. Library Services
   -> eResources
        -> Environmental Studies
              -> Explore the various folders related to ENVS resources - use the "I" to understand the content of the resource.
              -> Environmental Studies Subject Guide
   

III. Key Databases of Journal Citations in Biology and Environmental Science

1. AGRICOLA
2. Biological and Agricultural Index
3. Biosis
4. Ecology Abstracts
5. Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management Sub-files
6. General Science Index
7. LexisNexis Environmental (Environmental Abstracts)
8. Web of Science

IV. Key Databases of Books and Titles of Journals (not the articles in them)

1. Dartmouth Library Catalog
2. World Cat
3. Research Libraries in Network

V. Searching WWW

1. UC Berkeley's Finding Information on the Internet

VI. Citing Sources

1. Dartmouth College Sources
A handbook for preparing scholarly work for your classes and a code of scholarly ethics, derived from Dartmouth's Academic Honor Principle, concerning plagiarism.

VII. Website Evaluation and Citing

1. Website Evaluation and Citing Tips
Techniques for reviewing sites to be sure they are reputable and up to academic research standards.