Critical Social Inquiry 0232 - Rivers of Life and Death

Rivers are sites of contention surrounding how they can best serve the people living along them and the nations through which they flow. For some, they provide cultural meanings and livelihoods; for others, they represent progress in how they are developed and used. We will critically examine several case studies to unpack the cultural, environmental, economic, and identity conflicts that arise worldwide as people's concepts of rivers collide. Issues explored will include colonization and trade, indigenous histories and rights, economic development and dams, water rights, environmental debates, and transnationalism. Rivers we will look at include the Connecticut, the Mekong, the Amazon, the Yamuna, and the Nile, each holding different stories of meaning, conflict, development, and environmentalism. Students will research a river of their choice throughout the semester. Theories from anthropology, history, human rights and agrarian studies will inform our explorations of these rivers and their controversies.

Power, Community and Social Justice Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.