For the next eight weeks, you will be working with the theme, "environment." The content of this course is based on environmental issues, many of which you may be familiar with.. We will start by focusing on local issues occuring in the Pacific Northwest and the West of the United States and move on to examine issues that affect the global community. I hope that this course will give you insight into the local culture and the human as well as non-human environment which will make your experience in the United States more meaningful. In addition, I hope that throughout the course you will notice similarities or differences between the issues dealt with in this course and issues facing the environment in your own countries, and gain a new perspective on the global environmental situation.
There are several important reasons for gaining an awareness of environmental issues. The global community currently faces a variety of extremely challenging situations in which human lifestyles and needs conflict with the health and survival of non-human nature. In turn, humans' own health and survival are threatened. Many people feel that humans are at a critical point in which they must renegotiate their relationship with non-human nature into something that is more benefical to the entire biosphere. In order to do this, it is important to examine the attitudes and assumptions that govern our view of what nature is and how we are related to it.
In response to this need, many university departments and courses are incorporating environmental components into their curricula. Historians study "environmental history" and literary critics study "ecocriticism." At some universities you can get a degree in "environmental studies," and environmental engineering is a growing field. During your pursuit of a university graduate or undergraduate degree in the United States, it is very likely that you will encounter courses in which environmental studies is somehow incorporated into your required course material, and I hope that the level 6 environment theme will introduce you to some of the common themes and vocabulary necessary for dealing with this material.
Finally, the environment has been a meaningful actor in U.S. history. The wilderness and national park system is closely tied to this country's national identity. By examining the relationship between people from the U.S. and their non-human environment, you will come to a greater understanding of this culture, and by comparison, hopefully you will be able to make new insights into your own culture.
First, page through the module completely so that you know what is here. There are three main sections with assignments for this learning module. I will give you the dates that these assignments are due in class. When you are completing an assignment, read the written information carefully. Vocabulary that may be difficult are colored. By clicking on these words, you wil be taken to a list of definitions. These will be good words to know for the remainder of the theme. For each of the three sections of the site, there is a list of other useful websites on the same topic to explore. Spend some time looking through these sites on your own time. They will help to make this theme more meaningful to you.
This page created by Tami Adam for the American Studies Cultures and Enviornments project at Washington State University.
Please report problems to the following address: tadam@wsu.edu