Indiana University East

Spring 2025-Study Abroad Course

Rainforest Sustainability Program in Guyana

SOC S382 Environmental Sociology/ANTH E-328: Ecological Anthropology/INTL I220: Global Connections

Online Course with 10-day Study Abroad component to Guyana (Air travel 2 days, 8 days in Guyana/the Guiana Shield and the Amazon Rainforest-March 12-22, 2025)

Course Instructors and Study Abroad Supervisors

Wazir Mohamed                                                                                      

Professor of Sociology                                                   

Office: TR 266                                                                                      

Telephone: (765) 973-8250                                                            

Email: wmohamed@iu.edu                                                         

 

Course Description

The course will provide an immersive opportunity for students to research, examine, observe, and understand the Social and Ecological Systems that sustains the Guyana Shield, an important part of the Amazonian Rainforest. From the backdrop of the importance of this area of the world to the health of the planet, this course will examine the symbiotic relationship between the practices and livelihoods of the indigenous communities, with the quest for sustainability and conservation. The class will take a 10-day educational trip to Guyana and the Amazonian region to observe life in the rainforest, and evaluate the role of the indigenous communities, and government and non-governmental organization in the on-going quest in the global battle for rainforest conversation. Integral to the course are tours in the rainforest, and service-learning cultural immersion in one Indigenous Community. Students will register for either courses. This course will focus on the Social, Environmental, and Ecological systems of the Guyana Shield: Essentially on Sustainability and Indigenous Livelihoods in the Rainforest. In this course students will be exposed to combination of on-campus synchronous online instruction and with a 10-day travel abroad component to Guyana (Air travel 2 days, 8 days in Guyana/the Guiana Shield and the Amazon Rainforest).

This course is intended to attract students with interest in Environmental Sociology, Ecological Anthropology, Sustainability Studies, Biological Sciences, and other fields that prepare students to understand the relationship between peoples and the environment.

Environmental Sociology

Environmental sociology is the study of how societies interact with their natural environment. It's a field that covers a wide range of issues, including environmentalism, the economy, population, culture, health, politics, and law. 

Environmental sociology is important because it helps us: Identify environmental problems, find appropriate solutions, and engage people in discussions about the environment. It also from that standpoint helps s to recognize our role as human in protecting the environment.

Environmental sociology is closely related to human ecology, which focuses on the relationship between people and their built and natural environments.

Ecological Anthropology

Ecological anthropology is a sub-discipline of anthropology that studies the relationship between humans and their environment. It examines how humans adapt to their environment, and how these adaptations impact their social, economic, and political life.

Ecological anthropology incorporates both biological and cultural perspectives. For example, a population of hunter-gatherers would have a different relationship with the environment than a population of farmers. Hunter-gatherers would be nomadic, while farmers would remain in one area for extended periods of time.

• Pre-requisite: SOC S100 (Sociology BA and BS Students)
•   ANTH A104 (Anthropology Track Students)
• INTL (BA Students)
• Minimum GPA: 3 (or consent of instructors)

 

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. identify and describe fundamentals of the history, economy, and people of the Guyana Shield.
2. analyze contemporary ecological solutions and the role of forest dwellers and interested parties in sustainability and conservation.
3. describe and interpret contemporary the immersive systems of sustainable living and conservation practice from the direct observation of communities and people.
4. appraise Guyana’s position in the global struggle for preservation and sustainability of the rainforest.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY EAST LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The Indiana University East Campus Learning Objectives (CLO) are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge, skills and attitudes for a productive life. IU East’s faculty seeks to guide students to become lifelong learners, effective communicators, and critical thinkers. Graduates will be able to…

1.  Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral forms

 

Effective communication includes the ability to read, write, listen, speak, and use appropriate resources in delivering and responding to a message. A competent communicator is able to compose a clear message, relate purposeful and relevant ideas suitable to the intended audience, and select appropriate written, verbal and nonverbal strategies to effectively communicate or respond to an intended message.

2.  Access, use, and critically evaluate a variety of relevant information sources

University educated individuals have the skills to efficiently and effectively locate, retrieve and evaluate information in order to use academically valid source material. Educated individuals have the ability to assess the accuracy, credibility, objectivity and timeliness of information and use that information ethically through appropriate documentation methods.

3.  Apply principles of inquiry to define and analyze complex problems through reasoning and discovery

Reasoning, inquiry, discovery, and creativity are the processes by which individuals utilize resources and methods to understand and answer complex problems, and to form and revise beliefs. University educated individuals raise important questions and formulate them in a comprehensible way, developing and defending their conclusions based upon reliable evidence. These individuals demonstrate understanding of the ethical standards of doing their work and communicating the results and findings.

4. Demonstrate the ability to relate within a multicultural and digitally connected world University educated individuals possess the knowledge and attitudes necessary to effectively relate to and collaborate with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, beliefs and Our graduates have the ability to perform effectively in a virtual setting and accomplish tasks individually or collaboratively in both online and traditional environments.

5.  Demonstrate a deep understanding of a field of study

Specialists in a field of study have sufficient knowledge to apply the basic principles of the discipline in their work environment, or for subsequent learning experiences. University educated individuals demonstrate knowledge of the ethical standards in their field of study.

 

SOCIOLOGY PROGRAM GOALS

Learning Objectives and Outcomes for Sociology:

The Sociology Degree has two principal foci: Social Inequality and Human Agency. Students graduating with this concentration/degree should be able to demonstrate the following outcomes tied to the five key learning objectives:

1. An understanding of how social inequalities and hierarchies of difference and power are created and maintained in social, interactional, and structural arrangements in (CLO 4 and 5)
2. An ability to critically differentiate and apply dominant theoretical frames of analysis to substantive structural, cultural, and interactional (CLO 2 and 3)
3. An understanding of the relationship between social structure, human agency, and culture and how both individual and collective action affect social change. (CLO 3 and 5)
4. Development of sociological imagination—the ability to see how social forces affect private (CLO 3)
5. An ability to recognize and relate themselves, their culture & nation within a global (CLO 3 and 4)

 

Course Components

The course has several major components:

(1) Lectures and workshops before the trip (Spring 2025): Students will attend lectures on related topics and essential travel guides for the visit to Guyana. Class meetings: instruction and study on life and environment in the Guyana Shield (Online instruction). This will include crash course on history, culture, people, geographical and geopolitical complexity of Guyana, and the environment.

 

(2) Field study during the trip abroad (March 12-March 22, 2025): During the visit to Guyana, students will visit Georgetown (the capital city) and its environs, eco-tourism resorts, Iwokrama rainforest and conservation project, the Bina Hill Institute for students of the Indigenous Communities, and the rainforest. Students will also visit significant cultural and historical sites and experience many aspects of local life.

(3) Upon returning home:

• students develop comprehensive paper on a topic that integrates, reflects upon, and analyzes what you see and learn in Guyana and how that relates to our course topics regarding Sustainable livelihoods and conservation in the Guyana Shield.
• This will be preceded by initial video presentation to be peer-reviewed by colleagues.
• The entire team make a joint Zoom Presentation to the class and the IU East Community

These activities are designed to give students the opportunity to understand the cultural and ethnic divides, the richness of the biodiversity and social life, the rainforest and the relevance of sustainable resource extraction, and the complex relationship between life of forest dwellers and the glitz of modern life. Throughout the course, students will be instructed, evaluated, and tested to measure their growth as socially conscious global citizens.

 

Required Text

There is no required text. Readings will consist of required book chapters, journal articles and other materials-these will be posted to the Canvas site for the course. The Two IU East Instructors joined by resource persons from the Iwokrama Rainforest Center will deliver lectures with handouts and PowerPoint slides. Students are encouraged to read information either from public library or web site browsing about Guyana, the Guyana Shield, the Iwokrama Rainforest Center, and the Indigenous Peoples of the region, etc. Some recommended resources include:

1. The Guiana Shield, Lujan and Armbruster - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279724458
2. Learning From One Another: Evaluating the Impact of Horizontal Knowledge, exchange, management and Environmental Governance - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303957506_Learning_from_one_another_Evaluating_the_impact_of_horizontal_knowledge_exchange_for_environmental_management_and_governance/figures?lo=1
3. Land-use and climate change risks in the Amazon and the need of a novel sustainable development paradigm - https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/113/39/10759.full.pdf
4. The Guiana Shield: One of the last wild places on Earth- https://www.amazonteam.org/maps/guiana-shield/

Resource Personnel

In this class, we will take advantage of access to resource personnel with expertise in the rainforest, in sustainable livelihoods, and in conservation.

Dr. Raquel Thomas Caesar (Biologist and Director Iwokrama International Conservation Rainforest Center)

Dr. Patrick Chesney

https://www.intechopen.com/profiles/94750

Dr. Lesley De Souza

https://www.lesleydesouza.com/about#bio

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

 OVERVIEW OF IU EAST GRADING POLICIES:

 The following includes highlights paraphrased from several campus or university policies pertaining to grades and grading. For more information, see the IUE Grading Policies site.

• Dropping courses

During the first week of classes, you may drop a class with no grade recorded on your transcript. From the second week of classes through the ninth week (the ‘auto W’ period), you may withdraw from a class with an automatic grade of ‘W’. This will be recorded on your transcript, but not included in your GPA.

After the ninth week (and before the final exam period), a student wishing to withdraw with a grade of ‘W’ must be passing the course at that time. You must complete a ‘Drop Only’ form and contact the offices listed for signatures before giving the form to the instructor. The instructor will confirm on the form that you are passing at that time for a ‘W’ grade or that your grade is an ‘F’. This ‘F’ grade WILL be included in calculation of your GPA. The last day to drop with an automatic W is March 13. Drops after March 13 must be approved by the instructor and the academic dean.

Faculty members are required to report any student who stops attending a class and does not withdraw (with a grade of ‘W’ or ‘F’). Failure of a course due to non-attendance may affect financial aid award amounts.

• Incomplete

The grade of "I" (Incomplete) may be given to a student whose work in a course is satisfactory except that some terminal aspects of the course requirements have not been completed. The grade of "I" will only be given if the instructor has sufficient reason to believe that failure to complete the requirements of the course was beyond the student's control and that it would be unjust to hold the student to the time limits normally fixed for completion of the required work.

• Grade Appeal

If you believe the grade received in a course is incorrect, you should follow the Grade Appeal Policy. The initial appeals process states “[s]students who are dissatisfied with the grade received in a course should contact the instructor and attempt to resolve the matter amicably and informally. If the matter cannot be resolved, the student should consult the IU East Grade Appeal Policy and follow the procedures stated therein.”

ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES:

 Indiana University East strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, learning, chronic health, physical, hearing, vision or neurological, etc.) Please contact the Office of Accessibility Services immediately at 765-973-8675 or by email at asiue@iue.edu. Note that services are confidential, may take time to put into place and are not retroactive; Captions and alternate media for print materials may take three or more weeks to get produced. The Office of Accessibility Services is located in Springwood Hall, room 202L. Walk-ins are welcome 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

BASIC NEEDS SECURITY:

 Any students who face challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course should contact the Dean of Students Amy Jarecki (phone

number: 765-973-8525) for support. Additionally, IU East employs a student advocate (phone

number: 765-973-8395), to help. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable me to provide any resources that I may possess.

TITLE IX AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT:

 As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to create a positive learning environment for all students. Title IX and IU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy prohibit sexual misconduct in any form, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, and dating and domestic violence. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. If you are seeking help and would like to speak to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with the Director of Behavioral Health at 765-973-8646.

It is also important that you know that Title IX and University policy require me to share any information brought to my attention about potential sexual misconduct, with the campus Deputy Title IX Coordinator or IU’s Title IX Coordinator. In that event, those individuals will work to ensure that appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available. Protecting student privacy is of utmost concern, and information will only be shared with those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist. I encourage you to visit stopsexualviolence.iu.edu to learn more.

TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPORT:

 You will participate in this course using the IU Canvas platform. Once you are in the platform you can learn how to use Canvas effectively by clicking the “Help” link on the top right of the course page on Canvas. In addition, the IU Knowledge Base is a good resource for any technical questions you may have.

Technical Difficulties: Contact the IT Help Desk at iueitsup@indiana.edu or by calling 765-973- 8375. Most problems can be resolved in less than 24 hours. If there is a system-wide service problem, you will receive email notices regarding the problems and its resolution.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND STUDENT SERVICES:

 IU East offers a variety of services to assist you in your academic endeavors. This includes everything from advising for your courses to student counseling support. A list of the academic support and student services offered for our students can be found at the Student Success Hub. You can either click on the link or click on the tab named "Student Success Hub" found to your left in Canvas.

HONESTY STATEMENT:

 Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of this university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. All submitted written work is to be done by the student her/himself. The academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from reduction in grade, probation to expulsion. Using someone else’s work as if it is your own— plagiarism— is a serious university offense and will be dealt with following university guidelines. You must cite borrowed ideas or text, including lecture material, regardless of whether it is a direct quote or a paraphrasing. When in doubt— cite. (See section III, Student Misconduct, of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, available on the “Campus Course Policies” link, available on the left tab of your courses in Canvas).

My Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy on teaching is based on a simple maxim: no one knows everything about anything in the complex, diverse and challenging universe of knowledge. Everyone is a hewer and maker of ideas. Hence my teaching approach revolves around the belief that what goes on in a classroom consist of an exchange of ideas and views between students and instructors. I view the classroom and the college atmosphere as market places of views and ideas; where we exchange, test and defend our positions and responses through a sound, respectful, creative, and harmonious atmosphere, even if at times contentious. This, in essence means that there are no outlooks or ideas that are inherently right or wrong.

It is my belief that no one has the final say on any subject. Consequently, my philosophy of teaching is a reflection of my philosophy of life: that in the classroom I am both teacher and learner. I view the classroom as an equal space between teacher and students, where I play the role as facilitator in the learning process. I view the learning process as a two way stream, as an adventure which brings out the best qualities of teachers and students.