Description

Advanced studies of plant uses in cultural contexts focusing upon impacts of plant-culture interactions in development of cultures, cultivars, medicinals, ethnoecologies, ethics, and intellectual property. Lecture/discussion, term paper. Pre: BOT 105 & BOT 461 & ANTH 200).

The purpose of this course is to provide each student with advanced training in the range of topics explored by ethnobotanists. Students learn basic tools for gathering data and are expected to document and learn about ethnobotanical knowledge in a variety of ways that follow the ethical guidelines of the major Ethnobotany scientific organizations.

A student taking this course will not become a functional ethnobotanist, but will become aware of the range of research that ethnobotanists do and the kinds of skills that ethnobotanists need to bring to bear to address a range of modern scientific hypotheses about human interactions with plants.