GE299: Environmental Stewardship

Class overview

1. Understand and apply sociological and social psychological theories such as identity, social norms, social capital, and social movement theory as they relate to environmental stewardship

2. Understand best practices for community engagement

3. Apply systems thinking to social-ecological challenges in the local Worcester area

4. Engage in respectful and reciprocal stewardship activities with a local community partner

5. Engage in critical self-reflection about one’s role in social-ecological systems

In this class, you will develop an in-depth understanding of how and why people work together to restore places through environmental stewardship and what impacts that stewardship has on social-ecological systems. You will spend the first third of the semester learning about social science theories, social-ecological systems theory, and learning best practices for community engagement. The second two-thirds of the semester will be devoted to 1) continuing to build out your theoretical knowledge and 2) working directly with a community partner in the Worcester area to participate in environmental stewardship. This class will include one mandatory Saturday field trip.