BIOL 134
The Tropics: Biology and Social Issues Spring 2010
Division III Exploring Diversity Initiative
Cross-listed ENVI 134
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

Intended for the non-scientist, this course explores the biological dimensions of social issues in tropical societies, and focuses specifically on the peoples and cultures of tropical regions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceanea, and the Caribbean. Tropical issues have become prominent on a global scale, and many social issues in the tropics are inextricably bound to human ecology, evolution, and physiology. The course begins with a survey of the tropical environment of humans, including major climatic and habitat features. The next section focuses on human population biology, and emphasizes demography and the role of disease particularly malaria and AIDS. The final part of the course covers the place of human societies in local and global ecosystems including the challenges of tropical food production, the importance of organic diversity, and the interaction of humans with their supporting ecological environment.
This course fulfills the EDI requirement. Through lectures, debates and readings, students confront social issues in the tropics from the perspective of biologist. This builds a framework for life long exploration of human diversity.
The Class: Format: lecture/debate, three hours per week
Limit: 60
Expected: 60
Class#: 3308
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on two hour exams, a short paper, panel preparation, and a final exam
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: seniors, juniors, sophomores, and first-year students--in that order
Unit Notes: does not count for major credit in Biology
Distributions: Division III Exploring Diversity Initiative
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
ENVI 134 Division III BIOL 134 Division III
Attributes: ENVI Natural World Electives
INST African Studies Electives
PHLH Science and Medicine
SCST Elective Courses

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