Critical Social Inquiry 0119 - Wilderness and Social Justice

In defense of the Wilderness Act of 1964, American novelist Wallace Stegner described wild spaces "a part of the geography of hope." But during the more than fifty years since, scholars, activists, and scientists have criticized wilderness policy from various perspectives-as utopian, ahistorical, unsustainable, socially unjust, and environmentally irresponsible. The New York Times declared that the Act was having a "midlife crisis." Still, in recent years wilderness has come to be seen as our best tool for mitigating climate change. Why does the wilderness idea persist, how does it affect imagination, and what exactly is its place in the dynamics of what it means to be alive today? We will examine the history of American wilderness; the role of photography in the creation and maintenance of wilderness; critiques of wilderness conservation focused on racial justice, environmental justice, and access; Indigenous conservation methods; and our affective comportments towards wild animals. Keywords: Indigenous, biodiversity, public lands, conservation

Environments and Change Students in this course should expect to spend 8-10 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.