Ethnobiology: Traditional Biological Knowledge in Contemporary Global Context (Revision 5)
Register by to start by
Delivery Mode:
Individualized Study Online with Video Component (Overseas students, please contact the University Library before registering in a course that has an audio/visual component)
Credits:
3
Areas of Study:
Arts, or Social Science
Prerequisites:
ANTH 275 or equivalent, or introductory biology or consent of the instructor.
Precluded:
ANTH 591 (ANTH 491 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ANTH 591)
Overseas students, please contact the University Library before registering in a course that has an audio/visual component.
Overview
This course examines ethnobiology—cultural knowledge of plants, animals, and ecology—and the nature of traditional knowledge. The course consists of introduction to ethnobiology and the nature of traditional knowledge, followed by sections on cultural knowledge and use of plants (ethnobotany), animals (ethnozoology) and ecology (ethnoecology and traditional resource management), ending with an examination of contemporary issues (traditional versus commercial intellectual property rights to genetic and ecological diversity and medicinal plants, conservation and traditional societies, and sustainable development). ANTH 591 covers substantially the same material and can be taken as a graduate course in the Master of Arts—Interdisciplinary Studies program.
Outline
Part 1: Introduction and Classification
Unit 1: Introduction to Ethnobiology
Unit 2: Ethnobiological Classification
Part 2: Ethnobotany
Unit 3: Ethnobotany and Plants as Foods
Unit 4: Plants as Medicines
Unit 5: Plants for Technology
Part 3: Ethnozoology
Unit 6: Ethnozoology
Unit 7: Animals and World View: Canadian First Nations and Native Alaskans
Part 4: Ecological Knowledge and Contemporary Issues
Unit 8: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Traditional Environmental Management
Unit 9: Contemporary Issues: Traditional Cultures, Resource Management and Conservation, and Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property
Evaluation
To receive credit for ANTH 491, you must achieve a grade of at least 50 percent on the research paper or final essay, and D (50 percent) for the overall course mark.
Activity
Weight
Journal, Parts 1-4
20%
Assignment 1 Quiz
5%
Assignment 2 Short Paper
20%
Assignment 3 Short Paper
20%
Assignment 4 Research Paper or Final Essay
35%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Materials
Balick, Michael J., and Paul Alan Cox. 1997. Plants, People, and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany. New York: Scientific American Library. (Print)
Hunn, Eugene S., with James Selam and Family. 1990. Nch'i-Wána “The Big River”: Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. Seattle: University of Washington Press. (Print)
Nelson, Richard K. 1983. Make Prayers to the Raven: A Koyukon View of the Northern Forest. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Print)
ANTH 491 Selected Ethnobiology Bibliography: a list of articles, booklets, and texts organized by topics. (Print)
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 5, June 25, 2019
Updated February 2, 2022, by Student & Academic Services