Objectives of Programme's Learning Outcomes

• Understand the fundamentals (theories and tools) in human and social sciences
• Identify and explain the basic theoretical trends in various fields of human sciences (law, economics, management, history, psychology, etc.) and their applications.
• Understand the social environment and the way it works, as well as the role played by different social, economic and political agents
• Sociology and Anthropology option : Understand the fundamentals in the field of sociology and anthropology
• Have a critical view of theories, concepts and methods specific to sociology and anthropology.
• Describe and analyse contemporary, minority or distant human societies; decipher speeches and social and cultural representations.
• Avoid the pitfalls of ethnocentrism, sociocentrism and chronocentrisme.
• Put English language skills and skills of at least one other language other than French into practice.
• Read and understand the overall meaning of non-specialised texts, listen and understand the overall meaning of audio documents.

Learning Outcomes of UE

At the end of the class, students will dispose of a knowledge basis on perceptions built by human societies about their natural surroundings as well as on the behaviours which stem from them. They will be apt measuring how important social approaches of the natural world are, locally as well as globally, while the taking into account of environmental stakes is now on top of the scientific agenda. Doing so, students will be encouraged adopting a critical and nuanced look towards environmental policies which are currently implemented. This class will allow them later to benefit efficiently from the teachings provided in the frame of the Master "Societies in Transition and Social Innovations"
 

Content of UE

The class "Anthropology of Nature" provides students with a global view of the various ontologies of the natural world as well as on past and current approaches built by Human Sciences in that field. It familiarizes students with the environmental policies, seeking them to adopting a critical stance wit reference to their actual impact on man and the environment.

The class is divided into three lessons: 

Lesson 1:      Ontologies of Nature: How has the idea of Nature been thought of by human societies? 
Lesson 2:      Interface Society/ Environment, interactions and respective influences, theoretical approaches: Ecological and mental determinism (Cultural Ecology, Structuralism) ; homologies between man and its environment (Ethnobiology), Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Ethnoecology)
Lesson 3:      Anthropology of Environmental Policies: how do Human Sciences understand and assess public policies (Political Ecology, Green Ecology)? How do social scientists advocate for respecting the ‘having rights' in terms of access to land and resources while those can be hardly impacted by the implementation of such policies? 

Pedagogical approach combines pure transmission with analysis of emblematic texts, conferences (of PhD students from CAC-ULB on their research) and readings (articles or abstracts).     
 

Prior Experience

Not applicable

Type of Assessment for UE in Q1

• Oral examination

Q1 UE Assessment Comments

None

Type of Assessment for UE in Q3

• Oral examination

Q3 UE Assessment Comments

None

Type of Resit Assessment for UE in Q1 (BAB1)

• N/A

Q1 UE Resit Assessment Comments (BAB1)

Not applicable