Anthro 2638 - Human/Megafauna Interactions - Past and Present

Prof. Rowan Flad

F 9-11:45am

Elephants, elk, whales, wolves, great apes, pandas, giant turtles, big cats, buffalo, bears -- these animals populate human cultural imaginations in recent times and they did so in antiquity as well. So-called "charismatic megafauna" dominate a wide swath of debates and illustrate they ways that people make sense of the natural world around them. This course explores a series of themes in the way that people symbolize, use, and experience megafauna, how people interpret these animals, and how human interactions impact these animals and their environments. We will explore some of the foundational theoretical literature on human/animal relationships, and discuss different animals and the controversies, questions, and events surrounding them. This course will examine how the relationships with megafauna illustrate some fundamental aspects of the human experience of the world, and also consider some contemporary issues including environmental activism, public and environmental policy, Indigeneity, and animals in tourism markets.