This course introduces students to the power of writing as a means of communication and a process of thinking and understanding. As students complete a series of writing assignments, they will engage in a process of reading, drafting, reviewing and revising, working in peer groups and individually with their instructors.
How do we define our relationship with animals: which we keep as livestock, which we keep as pets, and which we keep in zoos? Human-animal interactions have developed over hundreds of thousands of years; in that time, animals have had a significant impact on human behavior and on the development of human societies. In this class, we will explore the deep history of the relationship between humans and animals. We will consider such topics as how different subsistence strategies cultivate different interspecies dynamics, how domestication impacts both humans and animals, and how humans have transplanted animals across the world. We will investigate these questions by engaging with scientific data ranging from statistical and chemical analyses of faunal remains to analyses of other artifacts and animal products. Students will have the opportunity to research and write about the relationship between humans and animals in a wide variety of ancient and modern cultures.
Catherine Scott