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Social Ecology
Interdisciplinary Major
Jameson Hubbs- 2nd year
jhubbs@ucsc.edu
(310) 613 2941
Mission Statement:
Social Ecology is a social science centered on the relationship between human
communities and their environments. While many other sciences also encompass this broad
definition, Social Ecology focuses on how deep-rooted social forces in Western hierarchal
society relate to environmental crises, specifically posing questions on how social,
economic, and political systems are created by and affect a society (Bookchin 1995; Hull
1999; Lejano & Stokols 2013; Oishi & Graham 2010; Whitely 1984).
The study of such relationships requires a focus upon both the environmental,
political, and social sciences, and thus this degree includes courses from multiple
disciplines. This major fulfills the senior exit requirement through an 80+ thesis paper,
includes 12 upper-division academic courses, and is categorized into three areas of focus:
Components of Modern Society, Impacts and Perspectives of Social Ecology, and Applied Social
Ecology.
The individual Social Ecology major will able me to utilize the strengths of multiple
departments while cultivating a strong educational foundation that will enable me to
become a change agent in fields such as social justice policy advocacy, environmental
awareness education, and green-tech enterprise. The skillset that this major provides for
advancing into such endeavors includes social science research/writing methods, project
design and evaluation, and a systems-oriented perspective on climate change and political
economy. The theoretical foundations this major offers include an understanding of
Western societal issues, frameworks of industrial development, analysis of various methods
to enact policy change, and a combination of perspectives upon the relationship between
social organizations and the environment. Such theory-based learning goals will be
reinforced and communicated through the final thesis of this major, which is a research
project on the human impacts of 21st century oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The
practical socio-ecological field research and writing skills of this degree will be reflected in
this 80+ page thesis exit requirement as well.
This major requires a diligent work ethic and strong academic capabilities, of which
I am confident that I possess. I’ve balanced weekly reading loads of 400+ pages, written 20+
page proposals, set midterm curves, and taken diverse upper division courses without
meeting pre-requisites. In addition to being a member of the Global Information Internship
Program (GIIP), I’m a representative of the Brain Mind Consciousness Society, a UCSC
student group that put on a 6-day conference focused on human sustainability in Spring
2013.
Courses- pg. 3-4
Schedule pg. 4
Appendix- pg. 5
Faculty Adviser Board:
Chair: Flora Lu, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Associate: Faye Crosby, Provost of Cowell, Professor of Psychology
Associate: Jeff Bury, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Intellectual Merit
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This 16-course proposed bachelor’s degree in Social Ecology offers an interdisciplinary
perspective and skillset that is necessary to be a successful an agent of change in the 21st
century. In our era of the unsustainable global economy and inevitable natural disasters of
climate change, it is crucial for future agents of change to hold a thorough understanding of
complex human relationships with socio-political systems and the natural world (Astley &
Fombrun 1983; Lejano & Stokols 2013; Gomes 2012; Lowe et. al. 2009; Lammeren et al.
2012; Rylatt 2013). Through studying such relationships, one can understand the larger
systems of oppression, marginalization, and industrialization that underlie the
environmental and social issues of this era (Bookchin 1995; Fornasa & Morini 2012;
Gunderson 2001; Lejano & Stokols 2013; Petras & Veltmeyer 2010; Yuqin & Henglong 2010;
Whiteley 1984).
As a student passionate to become an effective agent of change in the fields of
sustainability, social justice, and community empowerment, I have classified the courses of
this major into the following areas of focus in order to obtain the best education in Social
Ecology that UCSC could offer:
 Components of Modern Society
Sociological Forces (values of consumption, individualism, and growth)
Frameworks of Political Economy (development, industrial systems)
Methods for Change (policy advocacy, protest, sustainable initiatives)
 Impacts and Perspectives of Modern Social Ecology
Physical Environmental Impacts (climate change, ecological damage)
Perspectives of Social Ecology (critical cultural analysis and comparisons)
 Applied Social Ecology
Research Design (fieldwork, data analysis, and communication methods)
Alternatives
While these areas of focus can be independently found in other departments, they
are all not synthesized together in any other area of study. For example, ENVS does not
incorporate much analysis of deep-rooted societal forces, and Sociology does not provide an
analysis of climate change and political economy, or action research methods. Both of these
departments are fantastic and I am blessed to be able to draw upon some of their courses,
but in order to study the complex relationships entailed in Social Ecology and build the
theoretical and practical foundation to be an agent of change in the 21st century, it is
necessary to engage in specific classes in Latin American/Latino Studies, Politics,
Community Studies, Feminist Studies, Psychology, and more.
My back-up plan for the potential rejection of this major is to pursue an intensive
GISES Sociology BA. While this program offers a strong understanding of the social world, it
does not provide me with the well-rounded education and time for fieldwork and
experience that I would like to achieve. Struggling to meet pre-requisites in time does not
only mean that I would have to sacrifice taking courses like GIS mapping and climate change
ecology but I would also not be able to take the Spanish courses necessary to prepare for
Amazonian research for my thesis. Additionally, the strong social science foundational
courses I’ve taken- such as political economy and research methods- would not be credited
towards that Sociology major.
Senior Exit
The senior exit requirement of this B.A. in Social Resilience is a 80+ page thesissupervised by Flora Lu- a research project on the human impacts of Amazonian oil
extraction. This thesis communicates the skills and theories of the Social Ecology because it
focuses upon the relationship between indigenous Amazonian groups and Ecuador’s new
wave of oil extraction in the Amazon. This thesis, of which I will work as a field researcher
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in Summer 2014 in the NSF-funded “Crude Entanglements” project, entails comprehensive
field application of the theories of socio-ecological relationships studied in this major. I will
be applying studied field research methods in an investigation of how indigenous societies
relate to a rapidly changing Amazonian social ecology- that is, how forces of ecological
damages (deforestation, colonization, and oil pollution), political economy (oil companies,
state policies, etc.), and the growing indigenous presence in Ecuadorian politics affect the
lived experience of societies in the Amazon. While this research does not focus on
populations from the developed, modern world that are studied in some of the following
courses, it investigates how modern socio-political frameworks affect societies that have
existed in the globalized world for less than a century. As part of a larger, professional
research project that aims to influence policy change in Ecuador’s government in favor of
indigenous rights, this thesis also provides valuable experience to work in environmental
and social justice activism.
Disciplinary Communication (DC)
The two DC courses for this major are LALS 100A/L Social Science Analytics and
LALS 100B Cultural Theory in the Americas. These courses, which serve as the DC
requirement for LALS and its combined majors, are chosen for Social Ecology because they
provide a very strong foundation in social science research, logical writing, and cultural
analysis. LALS 100A/L includes intensive writing, research, and critical thinking skills, while
LALS100B focuses upon cultural forces and societal frameworks with relevance to
dynamics of social justice and cultural changes in the Americas.
Courses
(See pages 5-6 for detailed course relationships to the 5 fields of learning outcomes)
Upper Division Courses (14 5 units, 2 2 units: total-74 credits)
LALS 167- Amazonian Societies and the Environment- Flora Lu
Community Studies 100T- Food Activism- Guthman
Community Studies 148- Political Economy of Food/Agriculture- Guthman
Pol 120C- American Political Economy- Bertram
ENVS 143- Sustainable Development of Latin America- Bury
Anthropology 123- Psychological Anthropology- Linger
CLEI 161- Education for Sustainable Living Program- Lipshutz
ENVS 169- Climate Change EcologyENVS 115A/L- Geographic Information Systems- Nickel
LALS 100A/L- Social Science Analytics- Lu (DC req.)
LALS 100B- Cultural Theory in the Americas (DC req.)
LALS 148- Action Research Methods in the America- Fox
Lower Division Courses (2 total- 10 credits)
Soc. 10- Issues in American Society- Greenberg
Feminist Studies 20- Social Justice & Feminism- Aptheker
Alternative/back-up Courses (5 total- 25 credits; see Appendix for explanations)
Psych 143- Intergroup Relations- Staff
ENVS 122- Tropical Ecology- Gilbert
Anthro 123- Political Anthropology- Pandey
ENVS 177- Teaching Environmental Education
ENVS 158- Political Ecology
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Courses Already Taken (47 credits):
LALS 100A/L- Social Science Analytics- Lu (DC req.)
LALS 148- Action Research Methods in the America- Fox
CLEI 161- Sustainable Living- Lipshutz
Pol 120C- American Political Economy- Bertram
Community Studies 148- Political Economy of Food/Agriculture- Guthman
ENVS 143- Sustainable Development of Latin America- Bury (DC req.)
LALS 167- Amazonian Societies and the Environment- Lu
Community Studies 100T- Food Activism- Guthman
Soc. 10- Issues in American Society- Greenberg
Future Schedule:
[ ]= [GISES Soc. minor/elective course], ** = back-up course
2013-2014
Fall
[Soc. 15 World Society]
ENVS 115A/L- GIS mapping
[Spanish 3]
Winter
ENVS 169 Climate Change
Ecology
[Soc. 196G-GIIP project
assessment]
[Spanish 4]
[Implement GIIP Project for
GISES Soc. Minor]
Spring
Potential break quarter for
extra research work on
Amazon thesis; or following
courses:
Anthro 123- Psychological
Anthropology
[Spanish 5]
**Psych 143- Intergroup
Relations; ENVS 122Tropical Ecology; ENVS 177
Teaching Env. Edu.; Anthro
138 Political Anthropology
2014-2015
Fall
FS 20- Social Justice
Winter
[Soc 103A Stat. Methods]
Spring
[Soc 150- Death and Dying]
Thesis
Thesis
[Soc. 188- Social Change in
the Global Economy]
[Soc. 142- Language &
Interaction]
**ENVS 158 Political
Economy
**Psych 143- Intergroup
Relations; ENVS 122Tropical Ecology; ENVS 177
Teaching Env. Edu.; Anthro
138 Political Anthropology;
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Appendix
A)
B)
C)
D)
Complements to This Major (pg. 5)
Areas of Focus Explained (pg. 5-8)
Explanation of Alternative/Back-Up Courses (pg. 9)
References Cited (pg. 10)
A) Complements to This Major
1. Minor in GISES Sociology
In addition to offering valuable field experience in nonprofit project design and
implementation, the GISES minor provides additional courses to study societal
forces and relationships. This is why there are no upper division Sociology courses
in this major, for they are already being taken for my minor and do not wish to
overlap classes between the two degrees. The Soc. 30 series also provides intensive
field research methods and project planning, which better prepare me for the large
thesis exit requirement of this major.
2. Sierra Institute
Facilitated through UC Davis Extension, the Sierra Institute complements this
major by offering two courses that analyze the foundations of Western culture and
the human-nature relationship. While the courses are officially titled “American
Nature Philosophers” and “Perspectives on Nature”, this field program provided a
very thorough foundation on the cultural connections that underlie Social Ecology
(ie Judeo-Christian worldview, agrarian revolution, colonial social values, etc.). Also,
this program’s focus upon ecopsychology- the study of the human health
comparative to one’s relationship with nature- is very helpful for this major because
it offers a direct analysis of the human-nature connection.
B) Areas of Focus Explained:
(Note that some courses are in two categories)
**= back-up course ^= complementary (not included in major requirements)
I. Components of Western Society
This area of focus provides a foundation in understanding the social and political
forces that frame the way humans interact with one another and the natural world.
Through studying such frameworks, an understanding of the complex relationships
that create a social ecology can be gained. Through investigating past and present
methods of leveraging systematic change via activism and advocacy, I can learn how
certain forms of solutions affect deep problems within a social ecology.
1) Sociological Forces (values of consumption, individualism, and growth)
Soc. 10- Social Issues in America- Greenberg (complete, B-)
Introduction to sociological theory and the importance of social constructs and
values in affecting power dynamics or creating problems within American society
Anthro 123- Psychological Anthropology- Linger
Analysis of psychoanalytic, cognitive, and relativist perspectives on the link between
person and society
LALS 100B- Cultural Theory in the Americas (Ramirez)
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Investigation of how culture is shaped by social and political forces; how cultural
practices shape the social world; and how culture is produced in the global era
**Psych 143- Intergroup Relations- Staff (back-up course)
Theoretical foundation centered on how social groups thrive or create internal
conflicts; focus upon social psychological theories in small groups
^Sierra Institute- American Nature Philosophy (complementary course, complete A)
Historical analysis of Western society’s relationship with the natural world,
investigating societal ideals of freedom, domination, community, etc.
^Sierra Institute- Perspectives on Nature (complementary course, complete A)
Cross-cultural and historical analysis of the human-nature relationship:
-How human perspectives on nature have been influenced by cultural revolutions of
agriculture, urbanization, masculine power, and religion;
-How social forces of sustainability, war, peace, power, and gender are related to a
society’s internal power norms and its relationship to nature
2) Frameworks of Political Economy (development, industrial systems)
Community Studies 148- Political Economy of Food- Guthman (complete, B)
History of the global agricultural industry and the growing political power of the
Green Revolution with particular focus upon America and Africa analysis of modes
of development in a political economic focus with attention to economic
sustainability and social justice; investigation upon free trade policies and the
interconnectedness of global trade systems
Pol 120C- Capitalism and American Political Development- Bertram (complete, B-)
Thorough history of the development of the American economy from independence
to the postmodern era; thorough focus upon American values of growth and
development and the roles and relationships of state, market, and citizen in shaping
and perceiving such values
ENVS 143- Sustainable Development of Latin America- Bury (complete, A-)
Analysis of various development frameworks and history of the political economy of
development in Latin American countries; focus upon the impacts of various themes
of development upon social and environmental justice; investigation of global
ecological health specifically in terms of South American resource extractive
industries in terms of development themes
3) Methods for Change (policy advocacy, protest, sustainable initiatives)
Feminist Studies 20- Feminism & Social Justice- Aptheker
History of post WWII activism in America in a social justice framework; analysis
upon the effectiveness of social justice activism globally and methods for impact
Community Studies 100T- Food Activism- Guthman (complete, B)
Intensive analysis of the social movements regarding food and agriculture in the
20th and 21st centuries (pesticide drift, GMOs, etc.)- course involved 200-400 pages
of reading a week; investigation of the effectiveness of social protest movements
relative to political and social frameworks (ie geography, society, political economy)
LALS 148- Action Research Methods in the America- Fox (complete, A)
Investigation of the impact of different methods of policy advocacy in the context of
Latin American political history; introduction to the role that action researchers can
play in effecting policy advocacy
CLEI 161- Education for Sustainable Living Program (complete, B)
Introduction to theories, ethics, and applications of sustainable living in response to
and awareness of global climate change. Analysis of various sustainability
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initiatives such as localized trade and power restructuring, environmental
awareness education, and political advocacy.
^GISES Soc. 30A- Intro to Global Information and Social Enterprise (Eischen, complete, A)
Introduction to concepts of social entrepreneurship (aka for-profit civil society
business) and global information (aka information age) and the role of these two
concepts in framing 21st century social ecologies; history of the civil society/nonprofit sector; analysis of the effectiveness of non-profit organizations in overall
impact as well as internal efficiency from organizational structure (investigation of
hierarchy vs. network power systems).
II. Impacts and Perspectives of Social Ecology
This area of focus offers a wider viewpoint of social ecology and its relevance to the
non-academic world. Investigating the external impacts of modern (aka Western, industrial,
or hierarchal) social ecology is necessary to have a grounded understanding of the
interconnected forces that affect spheres of social ecologies (ie extractive industries and
indigenous communities, development regimes and environmental protection, etc.).
Analyzing various perspectives of social ecology provides a cross-cultural viewpoint to
better understand the potential frameworks that create a social ecology in both urban and
indigenous settings.
1) Physical Environmental Impacts (climate change, ecological damage)
ENVS 143- Sustainable Development of Latin America- Bury (complete, A-)
Analysis of various development frameworks and history of the political economy of
development in Latin American countries
ENVS 169- Climate Change Ecology
Advanced topics in atmospheric science and ecological theory; analysis of the
physical impacts of industrial social ecologies; topics include climate change’s
impacts on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, agriculture, and innovative solutions.
**ENVS 122- Tropical Ecology and Conservation- Gilbert (back-up course)
Deep analysis of tropical ecosystem relationships and ecological theory; provides
additional ecological knowledge to augment or enhance ENVS 169 as well as a deep
understanding of tropical ecosystems to benefit potential future work in the Amazon.
2) Perspectives of Social Ecology (critical cultural analysis and comparisons)
LALS 167- Amazonian Societies- Lu (complete, A-)
Case studies of various Amazonian indigenous social ecologies and their
relationships to conquest, colonization and extractive industries; analysis of cultural
dynamism and ecological management practices that offer critical comparison to
Western social ecologies
CLEI 161- Education for Sustainable Living Program (complete, B)
Critical analysis of the human-nature relationship in Western society and its
implications for climate change and individual well-being
**Anthro 138- Political Anthropology (back-up-course)
Analysis of cross-cultural ideas about the nature of power, order, social cohesion,
and political structure in non-Western societies; offers perspective upon multiple
forms of social ecology and the comparative differences between non-Western and
Western social ecologies.
^Sierra Institute- Perspectives on Nature (complementary course, complete A)
Investigation of hunter-gatherer social ecologies and how these frameworks differ
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from Western/modern social ecologies; analysis of the psychological and social
impacts of social ecology within Western culture
III. Applied Social Ecology
This area is focused on the real-world implications of applying a socio-ecological
perspective for research. Social science research- incorporating multiple variables of socioecological relationships- is important in this area of focus as it provides skills for studying
social ecologies in the field, which I plan on doing for my senior thesis. There is an
additional component mentioned here of complementary and back-up courses in service
learning relevant for future work aimed towards addressing socio-ecology problems,
though these courses are not requirements for the major.
1) Research Design (fieldwork, data analysis, and communication methods)
LALS 100A/L- Social Science Analytics- Lu (complete, A-)
Process-driven course on research proposal design, critical thinking, and
argumentative writing to be applied for social science research projects like my
thesis; includes 14+ page research project proposal
LALS 148- Action Research Methods in the America- Fox (complete, A)
Content-driven course on the 4 methods of action research for advocacy and social
justice movements with intensive 12+ page research proposal design
ENVS 115- Geographic Information Systems- Nickel
Use of innovative ArcGIS software for field research and communication;
comprehensive understanding of spatial analysis and basic software programing;
exceptionally useful for communicating multi-layered data findings that convey the
various relationships found in any social ecology
2) Complementary/Back-up Service Learning Courses
**ENVS 177- Teaching Environmental Education (back-up course)
Experiential education course in environmental education methods for children and
teenagers; provides additional skill sets for implementing solutions that address
issues of social ecology
^GISES Soc. Minor- Soc30A-C (complementary, complete, A)
Intensive training in organizational and technological methods to improve the
impact of civil society/nonprofit organizations. Skillset includes: project design,
proposal writing, web design, social science research methods, power structure
analysis, and grant writing.
^GISES Soc. Minor- GIIP Project (complementary, planned for Fall/Winter 2013-2014)
Design, implementation, and evaluation of a project to improve the capacity or
impact of a non profit organization that works to solve a social problem.
I have plans to create a technology lab with computers and instructional classes at
the Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center, although there is a chance I will complete
a different project in 2014-2015 instead.
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C) Explanation of back-up courses
While the foundational courses for this major and its areas of focus have already been
taken, the following classes have been selected as back-up courses to potentially replace
classes like Psychological Anthropology, Feminism and Social Justice, and Climate Change
Ecology. These three classes can each be replaced by at least one of the following courses
and are not absolutely essential to an education in Social Ecology.
**Psych 143- Intergroup Relations- Staff (back-up course)
Theoretical foundation centered on how social groups thrive or create internal
conflicts; focus upon social psychological theories in small groups
**ENVS 177- Teaching Environmental Education (back-up course)
Experiential education course in environmental education methods for children and
teenagers; provides additional skill sets for implementing solutions that address
issues of social ecology
**ENVS 122- Tropical Ecology and Conservation- Gilbert (back-up course)
Deep analysis of tropical ecosystem relationships and ecological theory; provides
additional ecological knowledge to augment or enhance ENVS 169 as well as a deep
understanding of tropical ecosystems to benefit potential future work in the Amazon.
**ENVS 158- Political Ecology- Bury or Staff (back-up course)
Further analysis of the role structural political forces play in social ecology- i.e. how
modes of development influence social forces globally or the power structures of
extractive industries
**Anthro 138- Political Anthropology (back-up-course)
Analysis of cross-cultural ideas about the nature of power, order, social cohesion,
and political structure in non-Western societies; offers perspective upon multiple
forms of social ecology and the comparative differences between non-Western and
Western social ecologies.
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D) References Cited
Bookchin, Murray. "Theses on Social Ecology and Deep Ecology." Institute for Social
Ecology. N.p., 1 Aug. 1995. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Astley, W. Graham, and Charles J. Fombrun. "Collective Strategy: Social Ecology of
Organizational Environments." Academy of management review 8.4 (1983): 576-587.
Fornasa, Walter, and Luca Morini. "Is A “Social Ecology” Possible? Notes For A Story
To Be Written." World Futures: The Journal Of General Evolution 68.3 (2012): 159-170.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Gomes, Alberto. "Alter-Native ‘Development’: Indigenous Forms Of Social Ecology."
Third World Quarterly 33.6 (2012): 1059-1073. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept.
2013.
Gunderson, Lance H. Panarchy: understanding transformations in human and
natural systems. Island Press, 2001.
Hull, Zbigniew. "Social Ecology And The Universalist Philosophy Of
Ecology."Dialogue & Universalism 9.9/10 (1999): 27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10
Sept. 2013.
Lejano, Raul P., and Daniel Stokols. "Social ecology, sustainability, and economics."
Ecological Economics May 2013: 1+. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Lowe, Philip, Geoff Whitman, and Jeremy Phillipson. "Ecology And The Social
Sciences." Journal Of Applied Ecology 46.2 (2009): 297-305. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Oishi, Shigehiro, and Jesse Graham. "Social Ecology: Lost And Found In Psychological
Science." Perspectives On Psychological Science (Sage Publications Inc.) 5.4 (2010): 356377. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Petras, James, and Henry Veltmeyer. "A Class Perspective On Social Ecology And The
Indigenous Movement." Critical Sociology (Sage Publications, Ltd.) 36.3 (2010): 437-452.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Ron van Lammeren, et al. "Exploring Dimensions, Scales, And Cross-Scale Dynamics
From The Perspectives Of Change Agents In Social--Ecological Systems." Ecology & Society
17.4 (2012): 274-287. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
RYLATT, ALASTAIR. "Three Qualities Of Highly Successful Change Agents." T+D67.7
(2013): 72-74. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Yuqin, Jiang, and Ding Henglong. "Control Over Mass Disturbances Under The Vision
Of Social Ecology." Asian Social Science 6.4 (2010): 55-60. Academic Search Complete. Web.
10 Sept. 2013.
Whiteley, John M. "The Social Ecology Of Peace: Implications For The Helping
Professions And Education." Journal Of Counseling & Development 63.2 (1984): 77.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
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