Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and Wildlife Conservation
FANR(WILD) 4820/6820
3 hours
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and Wildlife Conservation
Course Description
Course covers major concepts, theories, and disciplinary perspectives in human dimensions of natural resources, wildlife, and fisheries conservation. You will learn how to identify underlying causes of stakeholder conflicts and conservation problems, possible solutions to conflicts, and reasons why policies or management actions may or may not resolve conflicts.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be required to read more extensively and to integrate the materials more thoroughly into their written assignments. Specifically, graduate students will be required to demonstrate that they are able to apply the theories and methods learned in class to a conservation issue of their choosing (in consultation with the instructor). They will demonstrate mastery of the materials through written essays that are beyond the requirements for undergraduate students. Graduate students will be graded with higher standards and expectations than undergraduate students.
Athena Title
Human Dimensions
Prerequisite
WILD(FISH) 3001
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify and explain key concepts and theories from psychology, sociology and economics that are applied in human dimensions research.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to use human dimensions concepts and theories to understand the drivers of conservation conflicts.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to evaluate potential solutions to conservation conflicts that take into account multiple, differing perspectives of key stakeholders.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify and appraise the psychological, sociological, and economic determinants of stakeholders’ behaviors through active listening.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to increase stakeholder engagement in conservation solutions through interpersonal communication.
Topical Outline
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources: Introduction and Overview
The Public Trust Doctrine and Legal Trends in Wildlife Management
Stakeholder Engagement in Decision Making
Structured Decision-Making and Stakeholder Engagement
Attitudes, Beliefs, Values, and Emotion: The Social Psychology of Conservation
Social Psychology Models: Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm Model, Theory of Reasoned Action
Using Facts and Knowledge to Resolve Conservation Problems
Applying Sociology to Conservation Problems
Environmental and Ecological Economics
Conservation Criminology
Designing a Human Dimensions Study
Quantitative Research Techniques
Writing Survey Questions and Designing Surveys
Designing and Pretesting Survey Questions to Test Psychological and Sociological Constructs
