HST 470D Winter 2008
Dr. Max G. Geier
geierm@wou.edu
http//www.wou.edu/~geierm/
Office: Maaske 221
Office Hrs: M 12-1, W 12-2, R
1-2 or by appointment
On-line Syllabus and contacts
• See syllabus to access my webpage at
http://www.wou.edu/~geierm/
• On-line version of Syllabus is on my webpage under
“Current Courses” link to HST 470D
Note the link to on-line versions of the student code
of conduct and campus/division policies on
academic honesty
Course Objectives
• There are no prerequisites for this course, which is open to any
interested student.
– HST 470 is one of two courses required as core elements of the Environmental
Studies Minor.
– It also fulfills the methods/topics, world, or U.S. requirements of the History
Major or Minor.
– It examines the history of human interaction with and perceptions of the natural
environment from prehistory through the present, with a focus in the latter half
of the course on the global transformations of thought and industry that
accompanied the scientific revolution and imperial expansion of Western Europe
and the United States through the modern era.
• Students in this course will develop skills of critical reading and
analysis through directed work in assigned, secondary sources, and by
regular participation in daily class discussions.
• Individual projects will introduce students to the historical method of
scholarly inquiry in original sources and secondary materials on topics
of particular interest, and will guide each student through the process
of constructing a scholarly, analytical narrative addressing that topic.
• There are no pre-requisites for this course, other than an energetic
curiosity and an interest in participating in an informed discussion of
environmental issues in historical context.
REQUIRED TEXTS
• There are 5 required
texts, which we will refer
to in class discussions by
using the last name of the
leading author or editor:
• 1. Rampolla
• 2. Steinberg
• 3. Richards
• 4. McNeill
• 5. FernándezArmesto
Required Texts
• Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History (5th
ed.) (Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2007)
• Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. Civilization: Culture, Ambition, and the
Transformation of Nature. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
• John F. Richards. The Unending Frontier: An Environmental
History of the Early Modern World. Berkely: U of CA Press, 2005.
• Ted Steinberg. Down to Earth: Nature’s Role in American History.
NY: Oxford University Press, 2002.
• J.R. McNeill. An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century
World. NY: WW Norton, 2000.
Additional Resources
• Required Journal: Environmental History—available for reading in
Hamersly Library—needed for article review requirement. A limited range
of recent copies are available in full-text version on-line (see ASEH
gateway, below), but the full-run of the journal in hard-copy includes a
much wider range of articles directly relevant to this course.
• Recommended Reference Work: Shepard Krech III, J.R. McNeill,
Carolyn Merchant, eds. Encyclopedia of world environmental history. New
York: Routledge, 2004. Call No. GF10.E63 2004 (3 vol. set)
• Recommended on-line gateways:
• http://www.aseh.net/ This is the website for the American Society for
Environmental History—it includes links to on-line versions of the journal
Environmental History, as well as other relevant sites
• http://www.foresthistory.org/index.html This is the link to the Forest History
Society, which is the sponsoring agency publishing the journal,
Environmental History, and it includes links to other relevant research tools
and resources
• http://www.h-net.org/~environ/ This is the link to the H-Environment
Discussion Network, and it includes links to other sites and resources
• http://eseh.org/ This is the link to the European Society for Environmental
History, and it includes links to numerous other resources relating to global
environmental history (click on the “resources” tab for a listing arranged by
continent—Asia, North and South Americas, Africa, Australia and New
Zealand, as well as country-by-country listings for European organizations.
Required Products:
• There is NO Midterm Exam in this class
• Article Reviews (total of two): 10% of total for the course
– Brief essays of about 500 words each (1 page single-spaced) formally reviewing an
article from Environmental History. See Rampolla for guidelines on writing brief
reviews, OR
– Optional 10-minute oral presentation instead of written review
• Discussion Assignments and Class Participation: a combined total of 25% of
total for the course, based on:
– Quality of “points of interest” volunteered for general discussion (relevance)
– Responsiveness to questions and discussions regarding assigned material
– Regular attendance and engaged/active listening
• Analysis Papers: 25% of total for the course—3 of 5 required on due dates
indicated. Article reviews are due on the other 2 dates.
– Analysis Papers are thematic discussions of assigned readings, responsive to
discussion questions posed for each week of readings.
– Brief (1000-1500 words, or about 2-3 pp. single-spaced), formal essays synthesizing
material from two weeks of the course
• Final Exam: 25% of total for the course, comprehensive, essay format, with
matching identification section
• Term Project: 15% of total for the course. 12-15 pp. formal paper, completed in
three stages: prospectus, progress report, and final draft.
Discussion Assignments
• Each week, the instructor assigns each student a particular section of
the assigned readings on which to focus for the next week of the
course.
• Each student is expected to be prepared to raise at least two “points of
interest” for the class to consider from that chapter of the assigned
readings.
• These “points of interest” are the focus of further discussion involving
other students and the instructor. The student assigned primary
responsibility should be prepared to explain and elaborate on the
points of interest that they raise.
• Things to consider for these “points of interest”:
• what is the central thesis of the chapter and how does it relate to the thematic
questions posed on the syllabus?
• in what way does this author’s interpretation compare with, or contrast with other
assigned readings?
• what is the nature of the evidence the author is presenting? What are the most
effective examples?
• what is the nature of the sources the author has consulted? What are inherent or
overt biases of those sources?
• ALL students are expected to be familiar with ALL readings assigned
each week, and to be prepared to respond to presentations
Guidelines forAnalysis Papers
Each analysis paper is a thematic, written discussion of readings assigned for the 2-week
unit, with emphasis on the two chapters specifically assigned for in-class presentation
during those two weeks.
Basic Steps:
• Draft an introductory thesis paragraph for the analysis paper that directly
addresses one or more of the primary discussion themes for those two weeks of
the course
• Identify and explain the central arguments of the two assigned chapters as
they relate to that thesis, and the nature of the evidence and sources on which the
author(s) rely in making those arguments
• relate those materials to other assigned readings and discussion themes for
those two weeks, and to ongoing themes of the course as presented in previous
readings, lectures, and discussions.
– Each paragraph of the subsequent discussion should include a clear topic
sentence that introduces the reader to the central purpose of that paragraph
*and* relates the material in that paragraph to the thesis for the paper
– Each paragraph should support its central themes and ideas with specific
examples and evidence drawn from appropriate required readings from that
2-week unit of the course. All such evidence, examples, and ideas should be
properly cited, following the standard footnoting guidelines as explained in
the Rampolla text.
– Commentary should be limited to 2-3 single-spaced, typed pages
(approximately 1000-1500 words)
Guidelines for Term Projects
General scope of the project: a three-stage process producing a final,
thematic paper of approximately 12 pages in length that focuses on
the historical context of a particular issue of interest to you and
directly relevant to the central theme and focus of this course (see
course objectives and outline for course parameters, chronology,
and themes).
Specific stages in the project: There are three phases in the term
project and each includes a product that must be completed with a
satisfactory (passing) grade before the product for the next phase
will be accepted Each interim product is intended to build a
component of that final project.
• Phase One: “What is the topic?”—selection of a topic and
preparation of a prospectus (product 1),
• Phase Two: “How have other scholars approached this topic or
related topics?”
• Phase Three: “What is the range of contemporary writing on this
topic and how does it relate to historical trends in thinking about
this and related issues?”—
Academic Honesty Policy
• All written products must fully cite any and all sources
referenced, quoted, or otherwise consulted in the course of
generating or developing ideas for these assignments. (i.e. Use
Footnotes!)
• Students are expected to familiarize themselves with, and adhere to
the WOU student code of conduct and the Social Science Division
policy on academic dishonesty in all matters pertaining to this class.
Student code of conduct (see course syllabus for hyperlink):
http://www.wou.edu/student/csr.php
• Penalties for violating academic honesty guidelines include failure
in this course
Policy on Academic Dishonesty (see syllabus for hyperlink):
http://www.wou.edu/las/socsci
• Violations are subject to review at the campus level, as detailed in
the student code of conduct.
Statement on Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities who may need
accommodations, who have any emergency medical
information the instructor should be aware of, or who
need special arrangements in the event of evacuation,
should make an appointment with the instructor as
early as possible, and no later than the first week of
the term. For more information on services and
support available on this campus, interested students
should contact the Office of Disability Services (8388250v/tty) in the AP 405.
Statement on Cell Phones & Other
Electronic Devices
Cellphones should be turned off before class begins, and
they should remain off during class.
Use of electronic devices during class is prohibited unless
previously authorized, in writing, by the instructor.
Violations will be referred to the dean of student’s office.
Recording images or voices of people without the
knowledge and permission of the person being recorded
is a violation of law and is prohibited in this class.
Violations will be referred to the dean of students office.
Before Next Meeting (Wednesday)
• Read the entire syllabus (all 4 pages)
• Purchase required texts
• Read assignment for this first week:
Week #1 Readings (Read for AP#1):
Rampolla, pp. .6-9, 14-17, 25-37, 43-68, 88-95; 100-104, 133138; Steinberg, pp. 3-20
McNeill, pp. xxi-xxvi, 3-18
Richards, pp. 1-14
Fernández-Armesto, pp. 3-17
• Review the range of material assigned for next week (week #2
readings) and choose one section of readings for which you would
prefer to be assigned primary responsibility
• Browse through the suggested websites and examine the reference
work (Encyclopedia of World Environmental History) for ideas about
term project
Themes for Week 1 (week of Tues. 8 January 2008):
History Without Borders: Human Nature and Natural Worlds Through
Time
Discussion Questions:
- How do these authors compare/contrast in their approach to
environmental history? What are their priorities and/or biases?
- How did the natural world influence what people perceived to
be natural and how they acted as a result?
- What is the relation between ideas about nature and human
strategies of production and settlement? Political entities?
History Without Borders: Human Nature and Natural Worlds
A. Problem of scope, focus & methodology in Environmental History
1. Inherent and overt biases of evidence
2. “environmental consciousness” and knowing the past
3. mechanisms of cause-and-effect
4. What is “good” or “bad” in nature?
B. Historical method and theory (disciplinary goals)
1. Explorations of cause-and-effect/contingency
2. Chronology/geography defined to maintain context/relevance
3. Emphasis on experiences of people in relation to their
perceptions of & effect on their surroundings
4. Change over time (significance as a function of implications
for subsequent events, decisions, priorities)
5. Regional variation and variability of intent
(diverse/dynamic/changing contexts)
• Airplane travel and jets/space/time
• Foot travel and zones of transition
History Without Borders: Human Nature and Natural Worlds
A. Environmental history vs history of environmentalism
1. Are humans apart from nature or a part of nature?
a. How did perceptions of nature affect human actions in
relation to nature?
b. How did environmental changes occur and how did
humans adapt?
2. How have humans “constructed” nature through time?
a. What is “nature”? “natural”?
b. Concept of “second nature” and the built environment
i. What was the effect of human activity on surroundings
ii. How did perceptions of “nature” change over time?
-classical sense: “it’s in their nature” (as it is)
-modern sense: untainted by human manipulation?
(explained more fully in later slides)
History Without Borders: Human Nature and Natural Worlds
A. What is the relation between ideas about nature and strategies of
production?
1. What are “natural” human priorities?
2. What human actions cause environmental transformation?
3. How do different strategies of production affect interaction
with nature?
a. Hunting?
• Totemism and the mythology of oneness with nature
• Wilderness as “home”
b. What was the standard of living in paleolithic times?
Lifespan/health?
c. How did the transition to neolithic culture affect
lifespans/health?
d. What prompted the transition from paleolithic to neolithic
lifeways?
e. What was the effect of Global climate shifts and
glaciation? (ice ages?)
History Without Borders: Human Nature and Natural Worlds
A. How does agriculture affect perceptions of nature and wilderness?
1. What is “agriculture”? Is it necessary for “civilization?
2. What are the origins of the concept of “gardening”?
B. What caused change in subsistence patterns?
a. Climate change? (global warming/species extinctions?)
b. Population pressures (sedentism, declining food supplies?)
c. Innovation? (experimentation/hobbyists?)
d. Mistake? (big brain is defective adaptation?)
C. Environmental History as the study of regional variation in time?
(see case-study, below)
Before Next Meeting (Wednesday)
• Read the entire syllabus (all 4 pages)
• Purchase required texts
• Read assignment for this first week:
Week #1 Readings (Read for AP#1):
Rampolla, pp. .6-9, 14-17, 25-37, 43-68, 88-95; 100-104, 133138; Steinberg, pp. 3-20
McNeill, pp. xxi-xxvi, 3-18
Richards, pp. 1-14
Fernández-Armesto, pp. 3-17
• Review the range of material assigned for next week (week #2
readings) and choose one section of readings for which you would
prefer to be assigned primary responsibility
• Browse through the suggested websites and examine the reference
work (Encyclopedia of World Environmental History) for ideas about
Emerging Notions of Nature: regionalism and
the cultural baggage of Europeans
How did perceptions of natural vs
unnatural worlds change over time
and why?
How did those perceptions affect
the way people acted in nature, and
with what results?
How do ideas affect what people do in Nature?
•
•
•
•
How does the location of people in nature
relate to their ideas about nature?
“civilization” in association with margins, or
edges (transition zones)
fuel, refuges, reserves and dynamic tension
of people in relation to forests
Robert Pogue Harrison, Forests: The Shadow
of Civilization
Forests & Ancient concepts of wild vs civilized
(humanized?) landscapes:
• Ancient European perceptions of forests as
protective margins of cultural integrity
–
–
–
–
•
•
obstacles to conquest and homogenization
assylums of cultural independence
targets of imperial power
agents of isolation/localization (lucus)
Plato’s account of deforestation in ancient
Greece
Roman law conveyed title to person who cleared
a land parcel
How do Imperial Systems affect
perceptions of nature?
•
How do Imperial Systems affect perceptions of nature?
– potash industry and its impact on forest lands
– leather tanning and impact on forests (500,000 tons
of bark/yr in early 1800s Britain)
– sea-power and deforestation (shipbuilding)
–
•
ecological implications of classical statuary (quaries,
smelting, etc.)
How does nature affect patterns of imperial growth?
–
–
prominence of oak woodlands in Mediterranean ecosystems
relatively insignificant tidal action in Mediterranean Sea
• stability of coastal access
• implications for maritime trade
How does the structure of an imperial
economy affect energy flows and processes
F. Braudel’s
Mediterranean and
the concept of deep
currents in history
Regional specialization to
serve imperial
economy
Movement of resources
from periphery to
center
Accelerated impacts on
ever-expanding
periphery
The Nature of Imperial Greece
How did the ancient Greeks think about the world
around them?
–
Platonic idealism
•
•
–
imagine there's a real world that you can't really see, hear,
feel, touch, or smell--spiritual essence?
What you think you see is only an illusion, or a shadowimage of what is real
Aristotelian method
•
•
observed "uses"--the real world is all around you and it is
useful
pragmatic knowledge is what really matters (use-value)
What did Greeks do with the nature around them?
–
–
–
How did urbanization affect the landscapes of ancient
Greece?
• Deforestation contributed to soil erosion & siltation of
nearby landscapes and rivers
• growth model of colonization to secure depleted/needed
resources for imperial centers
• localized temperature increases and drought (microclimate
changes from deforestation)
• new marshlands (from floods & siltation) foster mosquitoborne disease epidemics (malaria)
• mining/pollution (air, water)/ and species extinctions
How did ancient Greeks respond to the ecological crisis?
• passive solar heating systems
• plantation forestry
• Contour plowing
Did their efforts succeed in slowing/halting degradation?
The Nature of Imperial Rome
How did the Roman Empire re-make the Greek
world?
–
–
–
–
–
Pliny’s Natural History (1st century AD) &
Aristotelian method (observational "uses")
land-armies and defensive ramparts (2000 x 3000 ft
per 3-legion army
Health problems associated with industrialization &
extensive use of heavy metals (lead, silver, gold)
note high lead content in garum and liquamen
(common sauces in Roman foods)
lead sulfide as common prescription for diseases,
scars, eyewash, and hairwash (cosmetic)
The Nature of Monastic Enclaves
How did European perceptions of nature change
after the Fall of the Roman Empire, and why?
–
Intellectual retreat into monastaries and the study of
localized nature
– “discovered” order vs "classical order"
• sensational Nature (monastery grounds) vs
authoritative texts (Pliny’s Natural History , 1st
century AD)
• priestly ideal of [re-]naming God’s creation
• Disjuncture of daily life and Pliny’s Nature
– Europe’s Deforestation: 95% forested in 1st century,
20% forested in 1100 AD (45 million people)
How did the “Little Ice Age” affect
Renaissance thinking and the “Discovery”
impulse?
•
•
•
•
declining agricultural productivity and the
crisis of Christendom (ca 1200-1350)
Black Death of 1347-1350 and biological
luxuries for survivors (temporary surplus)
Apparent surplus and flowering of
cultures
population recovery and resource crisis,
1400-1500
The Nature of Discovery
How did “discovery” of America affect
European ideas about nature?
–
–
–
–
Challenged European constructs of nature (religious &
scientific):
• unexplained variation in species, people, resources (new
science)
• new observations conflict with classical and renaissanceera texts (sensational vs rational order)
Disrupted faith in order and stability in nature as evidence of
God’s order (nature as unknown threat)
Native Americans as a challenge to Aristotelian ideal of “folk
wisdom” (observational and use knowledge)
Scientific/religious retreat into idealized systems (formalism,
immutable “laws”, linear time)
• de-spiritualized and commodified “nature”
• Protestant/Calvinist doctrine of pre-destination
What (mis)perceptions of forests and nature did
Europeans bring to North America after 1500?
•
Forested landscape as impediment/threatening
wilderness (vs valued legacy)
•
Ecological diversity as an intellectual and metaphysical
problem (vs introduced species as food source)
•
Aristotelian concept of use-value/ways of knowing and
understanding nature (materialism)
•
Platonic traditions of idealism (supernatural forms)
The Nature of Doubt
How did the scientific Revolution affect European
priorities in the Discovery Era, 1500-1700?
•
Instrumentation and the narrowing of perspective
(alienation from nature)
•
Scientific method and the concept of "facts" (data)
alienated from nature (context or value)
–
–
Descartes and the "method of doubt"--disbelief in
common-sense nature (“the noise of breaking
machines”)
Newton and systematic "laws" of a mechanistic
universe (soul-less nature vs soul-ful humanity)
The Nature of Belief
How did Judeo-Christian mythology/beliefs
structure human perceptions of the landscape?
–
–
"Garden" imagery and the concept of a "humanized"
environment (pastoral/agricultural ideals)
"Paradise Lost" and the search for other-worldly
"redemption" (vs "stewardship" ideals?)
How did the Protestant Reformation affect
European perceptions of/interactions with
nature?
–
–
search for order and stability in nature as a symbol of
God’s order/divine plan (John Winthrop's "City on a
Hill"
puritan ideology of a natural order apparent in
physical world (appearance is everything)
Implications of European confusion about the
natural world (what is natural) at the time of
contact with the Americas:
– European spiritual leadership in chaotic
disorder and violent contest
– “long century” of violent competition for
ideological advantage (1480s to 1620s)
– Implications for European perceptions of
exotic landscapes and peoples (the "other")
The Nature of Enlightenment