Course Description: HST 421 will be an exploration into the historical relationship between human society and the Earth in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Themes to be explored include human ecology in history, nature and state power, traditional versus modern land use, human culture and environment, industrial transformation, capitalist development, conservation and environmentalism, religion and nature, and historians and the environment. This will be a combination lecture and discussion course.

The course has been designed for upper-division students of all majors. Freshmen should see the instructor before remaining in the class. Students with weak backgrounds in world history would benefit from keeping a few survey textbooks available for consultation. 

Course Materials:

• Environmental History Review articles packet. These articles will acquaint you with environmental history around the world. The professor will announce the reading schedule each week in class.

• Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology, 3 Vols., Ref. QH540.4.E52
• Environmental Encyclopedia (Ref. GE10.E57)
• Harper Collins Dictionary of Environmental Science
• The Environmentalists: A Biographical Encyclopedia from the 17th Century to the Present (Ref. S926.A2A94)
• Chronology of World History (Ref. D11.F75 1975b)
• Hutchison Dictionary of World History (Ref. D9H87x 1993)
• The Times Atlas of World History (Ref. G1030.T54 1979)
• Dictionary of American History (8 Vols, 1978) (Ref. E174.D52)
• Encyclopedia of American History, ed. Richard B. Morris (1982) (Ref. E174.5.E52)
• The National Atlas (1973) (Ref. atlas case)

Monograph and Interpretive Book Review: Each student will select a substantive monographic book in environmental history from a list to be distributed later, read it, and write a 1500 - 2000 word interpretive review (the meaning of this will be explained in detail). Papers must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides. Two copies of each paper must be submitted as one will be placed on library reserve (without instructor comments or grades) for other class members to read.

All papers must be properly spell-checked and proof-read. Papers with more than three spelling or typographical errors will be returned, ungraded, for correction. 100 points.

Exams: There will be one midterm examination and a final. Both will be of the take-home essay type. Because of the nature of the subject, the final examination will be comprehensive.

Attendance: Since class meetings will often deal with material not found in assigned materials, and since discussion sessions will be frequent, attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to arrive prepared for discussions or other class activity as scheduled. Participation will count for 10% of your total grade.

Grading: Final letter grades will be based on a percentage of the total points possible. No curve will be used, but overall class scores will be considered in determining final letter grades.

Please keep in mind the meaning of those letters as indicated in the Class Schedule :

• A = Exceptional accomplishment
• B = Superior
• C = Average
• D = Inferior
• F = Failed

Office Hours: Office hour times are listed at the top of the first page of this syllabus. If you cannot meet during posted times, see the instructor for an appointment. Please note: In order to avoid interrupting students who come during office hours, the instructor will not receive phone calls during those times. You can leave a message at any time by phoning and waiting for the voice mail system to activate. Be sure to leave your phone number so your call may be returned if necessary. 

Other Items of Note:

• 1. Lectures and other course meetings are open only to students who are properly registered in Hst 421. It is the responsibility of each student to verify such registration. No unregistered person will be allowed to attend lectures or other course meetings without the consent or invitation of the instructor.
• 2. Lectures are provided for instructional purposes only and remain the intellectual property of the instructor. Other uses are prohibited. Lecture material is covered by copyright (Title 17 U.S. Code).
• 3. Lectures and other course meetings may not be tape recorded without the instructor's written consent. Consent will be granted only in cases where the student is physically unable to take notes by hand.
• 4. Students are expected to adhere to all the rules and regulations of Southern Oregon University regarding conduct and academic honesty.
• 5. The professor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus that will become effective when announced in class meetings.

Conceptualizing Nature, Culture, and History

• Braudel, The Mediterranean, Preface and Table of Contents.

• McKean, "The Japanese Experience with Scarcity: Management of Traditional Common Lands."
• Hughes, "Mencius' Prescriptions for Ancient Chinese Environmental Problems."
• Hou, "The Environmental Crisis in China and the Case for Environmental History Studies."
• Pyne, "Nataraja: India's Cycle of Fire."
• Hill, "Riparian Legislation and Agrarian Control in Colonial Bengal."

• Dunlap, "Australian Nature, European Culture."
• Crosby, "Biotic Change in Nineteenth-Century New Zealand."
• Olson, "Environments as Shock Absorbers, Examples from Madagascar."
• Hackel and Carruthers, "Swaziland's Twentieth Century Wildlife Preservation Efforts."
• Somma, "Ecological Flight: Explaining the Move From Country to City in Developing Nations."

• Vest, "Wilderness Among Primal Indo-Europeans."
• Rubner, "Greek Thought and Forest Science."
• TeBrake, "Land Drainage and Public Environmental Policy in Medieval Holland."

• Crosby, "A Renaissance Change in European Cognition."
• Crosby, "An Ecohistory of the Canary Islands."
• Steinberg, "An Ecological Perspective on the Origins of Industrialization."
• Bruggemeier, "The Environmental History of the Ruhr Basin."
• Simmons, "The Earliest Cultural Landscapes of England."
• Merchant, "Hydraulic Technologies and the Agricultural Transformation of the English Fens."

• McNeill, "Agriculture, Forests, and Ecological History: Brazil, 1500-1984."
• MacCameron, "Environmental Change in Colonial New Mexico."