An Ecological History of Humanity

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

An Ecological History of Humanity or "How we got to where we are", journeys through 150,000 years of human experience: climate change, the great migrations, health and disease, famine and plenty, war and peace, scientific and technological advance - to conclude in our own times. This story concentrates on the deep history of human societies and their needs for food, shelter and reproduction, and of our quests for love, meaning and power. It explores key transitions: the emergence of farming and complex societies, the rise and fall of empires, calamities such as the Black Death and the micro and macro-biological conquests of the Americas and Australia, El Nino holocausts and the long cycles of global cooling and warming, the fossil fuel revolution and the urbanization of the world. Taught by a geographer, a zoologist, a microbiologist and an historian, it is an interdisciplinary exploration of our complex relationships with the environment past and present, with other organisms, and with each other.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• identify, synthesise and analyse relevant materials across a wide range of disciplines, including history, geography, medicine and biology;
• develop critical and analytical skills, including the ability to form effective arguments;
• demonstrate the ability to confront and solve unfamiliar problems;
• develop important life and academic skills, including the ability to precis and undertake analytic note-taking, communication in both written work and tutorials, organisation (including the timely submission of work) and collaboration in the classroom;
• engage ethically with significant issues in relation to the development human societies and their impact upon the environment.

• Ten 150-word journals, submitted weekly from weeks 3 -12 (37.5%)
• A 500 word class paper, due the Friday before the relevant tutorial (12.5%)
• A 2000 word research report, due during the examination period (50%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Clive Ponting: A New Green History of the World (Penguin Books or Viking)

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

This subject together with UNIB20013 (Body Mind and Medicine) and UNIB30005 (Living Longer, a global diagnosis) form a recommended medical humanities stream for Medical students.