Due: July 18 Worth: 30%
Submit in Word or PDF format through the portal on Brightspace that will open on the Due Date. All papers will be processed through the Original system on Brightspace to identify plagiarism.
The themes explored in this assignment include human-animal-nature-culture relations; biodiversity, ecology and niche, rainforest habitat, environmental challenges and conservation, and the meaning(s) of and values attached to nature in non-Western and Western societies.
Research Essay Assignment:
a) From the list below, choose a topic of interest. All of these relate to issues raised in our class, though some will be covered in the second part (see the readings in upcoming weeks to see what these deal with and to find possible sources). Begin your research by identifying academic (reliable) sources of information and develop a 2-3 sentence essay statement that clearly states your topic and identifies some of the sub-topics you will cover. Send this essay statement to Prof. Aucoin at before July 10 (there is no mark for this, but I want to confirm you are on track).
Refer to the ‘Guide to Writing Essays’ posted on Brightspace for advice on how to write a research essay. Use formal writing style (no slang, complete sentences, do not use I, me, my in your essay, do not use contractions – such as don’t or they’re – in your writing. Use Canadian spelling please.
b) Continue to carry out research to collect enough information on various aspects of your topic.
*Note to file – students usually find and review research materials online for their topic and copy and paste information into a ‘research notes’ file. Keep track of the sources and their page numbers to use in your references. As you organize these notes into the sub-topics of your essay be sure that you re-write these notes so that they are put in your own words in your essay! Note your sources in your essay throughout!
c) Use the Course Bibliography on Brightspace or search through Omni through the UOttawa Library Omni to find sources and collect information from peer-reviewed articles or books on the topic. The essay should make use of the readings provided in the course and may explore in greater depth some of the themes discussed in class that are relevant to the topic.
**Students should start with the references provided with each topic below and find 8-10 additional peer-reviewed published sources (books or articles) in carrying out their research.
d) Consult the resources on the University of Ottawa’s Academic Writing Centre for help with writing style, and for examples of the APA in-text referencing format that you must follow.
e) Write a formal 7-8 (MAX!) page essay (12 pt. Times Roman font, double spaced with 1” margins) (2400 word maximum) with a separate cover page and separate Bibliography listing (alphabetically by last name) all references used, in APA style. You analysis should include ethnographic examples to illustrate your discussion.
f) Your paper must include a cover page with the essay title identifying the topic, your name, student number, course name and number , professor’s name, word count, and date submitted.
** Important Reminder: All assignments for this course must be completed before a mark can be submitted for this course. For all students, if you do not submit an essay an INCOMPLETE mark (INC) must be submitted and this will revert to a Fail UNLESS you request and receive a Deferral from the Department. See our Course Outline for more information on Deferrals. Late assignments will be penalized 2% for every day submitted after the due date. Extensions will not be granted unless a student has faced illness and has medical documentation or a personal or family emergency; please contact the professor immediately if such an emergency arises.
Essay Topics:
You must write on one of the following topics, which draw on the major works and themes of our course. You must drawon some of the references listed with each topic to ensure you are approaching issues from an anthropological perspective.
1) The goals of some environmental movements can conflict with the interests of local social groups or Indigenous societies. Discuss 1-2 of these potential conflicts listed below, drawing on ethnographic cases to illustrate: rights to whaling; anti-fur campaigns; re-wilding initiatives and the re-introduction of locally extinct species; eco-tourism (P. West 2004, McDermott Hughes 2005; Larsen 2017).
2) The establishment of conservation areas is an important environmental strategy aimed at maintaining biodiversity and reducing species extinctions. Yet these efforts sometimes neglect or seriously impact the needs of subsistence strategies and access to resources that provide for local Indigenous peoples. Explain and discuss this kind of conflict and compare/illustrate with two ethnographic examples .(N. Mansuy et al 2023 in Facets; Cultural Survival 2010; M. Colshester 2003; John Galaty; P. West, T. Heatherington; IWGIA Reports).
3) Environmental anthropology includes the study of ethno-botany, a study of human-plant relations that can provide anthropologists great insight into the ‘worldview and ontologies’ of many societies. Discuss and explain, using several ethnographic examples to illustrate (R. Ellen 1986; Bulmer; Plotkin 2000; Anderson 2016; F. Berkes; Willerslev 2007).
4) The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) recently marked its 50th Anniversary as a global agency that monitors and provides advice on urgent environmental concerns. Discuss the mandate of the UNDP and the most pressing issues it addresses today, as well as some of the challenges it currently faces as an agency of global governance (for background, see Nature 591:8, 2021).
5) Explore current themes on the significance that ‘forests’ can carry for 2-3 different cultures; not only for livelihood but also in relation to cosmological beliefs, biodiversity, ethnoecology, and as sacred sites. How have cultural views influenced the legal rights of trees’ movement? (Bell &West 2015; (Haberman 2013, Bell and West 2015; E. Kohn, Plotkin, Chandel 2022; Stone 2010).
