HON 498: Political Ecology in Uganda
(Spring 2009)
Dr. Laura Popova
Office: Irish A 232
Phone: (480)965-8327
E-mail: Laura.Popova@asu.edu
“We know that our subtlest perceptions, our highest values, are all based upon contrast; that light without
darkness or beauty without ugliness would lose the qualities which they now appear to us to have. And
similarly, if we would appreciate our own civilization, this elaborate pattern of life which we have made for
ourselves…, we must set our civilization over and against very different ones.” – Margaret Mead
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Is political ecology the politics of nature? An ecology of humans? Environmental
history? And end to nature-culture divides? A new way of seeing or a recasting of old debates? In
this course we consider these and other claims and counter-claims, with a particular focus on
historical political ecology. Our chief concern, however, will be not hat this large and diverse
field claims to be but what it actually does and potentially could do.
Humans have “made” the natural world both conceptually—through the creation of
various ideas about nature, ecosystem, organism, and ecology—and materially, through millions
of years of direct action in and on the landscape. In this course we not only consider the
conceptual underpinnings of contemporary western notions of ecology, environment, and
balance, but will also examine specific historical trajectories of anthropogenic landscape change.
Given that what we understand to be “natural,” “cultural,” or even acceptable states or forms and
rates of change can be contested, is it still possible to define the contours of a responsible
environmentalism? How might an understanding of environmental history redefine the ways we
view the present and the future? We approach these issues from the vantage of several different
disciplinary traditions including environmental history, ecological anthropology, human
geography, and paleoecology. The geographical scope of the course is limited to Uganda.
COURSE GOALS:
The goal of an interdisciplinary course such as this is to broaden your awareness of
ecological issues. In addition, it is hoped that these readings will prompt you to think critically
about the nature of human existence in relation to your own views and beliefs regarding politics,
religion, history, and the environment. While pursuing this goal, this course seeks to 1) engage
you in a critical evaluation of primary texts; 2) to help you develop the skills to critically analyze
others’ arguments and to develop your own arguments in response; and 3) to develop your ability
to see the various factors that contribute to a problem in an ethnographic setting.
COURSE TEXT:
COURSE READER (HON 498: Political Ecology in Uganda). Don’t loose it!
COURSE STRUCTURE:
This course will rely on online discussion through e-mail.
1. Reading: The reading for this class is light. The articles have been selected so that they will
lead you to make well informed observations about Uganda while you live there.
2. Participation (50% of your grade): You need to read the required article each week and write
an e-mail (about 1 page single space) once a week with your critical analysis of the reading. I
will respond each week with my additional observations.
3. JOURNAL (50% of your grade): Throughout your stay I expect you to keep a journal in which
you reflect on the interconnectedness of social, political, environmental, and economic forces in
Uganda. The readings should help you draw deeper meaning from the day to day events that
shape your time in that country. There is no strict format or length for the journal. It just needs to
show me that on a regular basis you made an effort to think about these things. The purpose of the
journal is to sharpen your ethnographic observations and to leave you with a book of stories that
could be used to flesh out your honors project. The journal is due when you return but it will
serve you best if you work on it periodically while you are there.
PLAGIARISM (ACADEMIC DISHONESTY): Knowingly presenting another person's language or
ideas as your own constitutes plagiarism. Don’t do it.
STUDENT CONDUCT:
Students must conduct themselves according to the ASU policies posted online at
http://www.asu.edu/studentlife/judicial. These include the ASU Student Code of Conduct and the
Student Academic Integrity Policy. For information on BHC policies for grievances and grade
complaints, go the BHC web page at http://honors.asu.edu and follow the links for Prospective
and Current Students, then Advising and Honors Curriculum, then Academic Advising Office,
then Student Academic Grievance Procedures.
COURSE GRADING:
I will be grading using the following scale for the course:
100-99% = A+, 98-93 = A, 92-90 = A-, 89-88 = B+, 87-83 = B, 82-80 = B- etc.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus during the semester. The student agrees to
this by registering and remaining in the course.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week 1 (JANUARY 19-23) – The Political Ecological Perspective
I. Scoones 1999 “New Ecology and the Social Sciences”
Week 2 (JANUARY 26-30) – The Legacy of Piers Blaikie - Political Ecology and HIV/AIDS
D. Rocheleau 2007 “Political Ecology in the key of policy”
Week 3 (FEBRUARY 2-6) – The Legacy of Piers Blaikie - Political Ecology and HIV/AIDS
P. Robbins and K. Monroe Bishop 2007 “There and Back Again”
Week 4 (FEBRUARY 9-13) – Farmers and HIV/AIDS
C. Scurrah-Ehrhart 2007 “Economic vulnerability, beer and HIV/AIDS”
Week 5 (FEBRUARY 16-20) – The Colonial Legacy
R. Ashley 2005 “Colonial Solutions, Contemporary Problems”
Week 6 (FEBRUARY 23-27) – Development and Land Management
J. Pender, P. Jagger, E. Nkonya, and D. Sserunkuuma 2004. “Development Pathways and Land
Management in Uganda”
Week 7 (MARCH 2-6) – Remote Sensing Data
N. Vogt et al. 2005 “Integrating Remote Sensing Data and Rapid Appraisals for Land-Cover
Change Analysis in Uganda”
Week 8 (MARCH 9-13)
SPRING BREAK!!!
Week 9 (MARCH 16-20) - Ecology and Violence
P. Meier, D. Bond, and J. Bond 2007 “Environmental influences on pastoral conflict in the Horn
of Africa.”
Week 10 (MARCH 23-27) – Environmental Issues: Deforestation
L. Naughton-Treves, D.M. Kammen, C. Chapman 2006. “Burning biodiversity”
Week 11 (MARCH 30 – APRIL 3) – Environmental Issues: Landslides
A. Knapen et al. 2005 “Landslides in a densely populated county at the footslopes of Mount
Elgon (Uganda)”
Week 12 (APRIL 6-10) – Environmental Issues: Gender and Plant Rights
P.L. Howard and G. Nabanoga 2005 “Are There Customary Rights to Plants”
Week 13 (APRIL 13-17) – Environmental Solutions: Organic Agriculture
C. Walaga and M. Hauser 2005 “Achieving household food security through organic agriculture?
Lessons from Uganda”
Week 14 (APRIL 20-24) – Environmental Issues: Protected Areas
W.M. Adams J. Hutton 2007 “People, Parks, Poverty”
Week 15 (APRIL 27 – MAY 1) - Environmental Solutions: Nature-Based Tourism
R. Naidoo and W.L. Adamowicz 2005. Biodiversity and nature-based tourism at forest reserves
in Uganda.
Week 16 (MAY 4-8) - Environmental Solutions: Ugandan Reaction to Tourism
A. Lepp 2006 “Residents’ attitudes towards tourism in Bigodi village, Uganda”