This syllabus is designed to show the crossover in theories of cultural and ecological of conservation. Section one is meant to provide the students with a basis in historical ideas about conservation and ideas about the history of conservation. The background should give them varying ways to think about the material themselves. My aim is to assist the students in having the opportunity to read important social theory as well as showing them that there are many ways to think about the issues at hand.

Section two deals specifically with approaches to material culture in light of the urge to conserve. Since most folklore classes deal primarily with literate or performance variations of conservation (myths, folktales, even folksongs), I hope to add more weight to the side of material culture. This fits with the position I take in my third exam statement concerning the over-emphasis on linguistically-based analysis and subjects of analysis.

The third section brings us into the realm of the environment, an area not often studied by folklorists. This section helps bridge the gap between cultural and environmental conservation.

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• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. London: Deutsch. 1966.

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"A central task of the cultural (and environmental) conservationist is to lay bare the presuppositions underlying cultural (and environmental) advocacy and to reveal the interests of served by such presuppositions. The argument that any conservation program should be carried out for generations to come should be mounted with caution, for this is the way hereditary elites and imperialists traditionally have argued." Roger Abrahams

"Conserving" is an activity which immediately and dramatically draws us into the realm of theory and practice. Conserving artifacts, music, stories, land, animals and people has a long history which continues to play out in very real political, economic and social relations of the present. These ideologies and their corresponding practices of conservation will lead us into topics which move across disciplinary boundaries (of folklore, anthropology, history, philosophy, geography and environmental science) as well as through politically constituted geographic boundaries. By beginning with the rational foundations of the Enlightenment, we will work towards an understanding of the philosophical, economic, political and social roots of the practices of conservation. From there we will look into the power dynamics inherent in its development and current practices. Some of the questions we will be asking are "what are the objects of conservation?"; "who makes the decisions and finances the projects?"; "what are the power structures involved?"; "what kind of local, national, global relationships are at play?" Our readings and discussions will cover significant ground and provoke each of us to further our understanding of the political significance of the act of "conserving."

As a subtext to the material of the course, this class should also serve as an opportunity to increase our capacities to think critically and learn. I have suggested a set of keywords for each week's readings. We will briefly discuss the keywords for the next week's readings at the end of the class the week before. At the same time, for each reading I hope that you will seek to:

1. comprehend

2. doubt/question

3. formulate alternate ways to think about the issues and research

4. come up with keywords/concepts of your own.

In order to better accomplish these goals, you are expected to write a short reflection of each weeks readings (please read all the footnotes!) and a list of questions which should total one page. I will not accept weekly assignments with frayed notebook edges, but will accept assignments written/printed on paper on which the other side has already been printed (i.e. - reused/recycled). Active and lively class discussions should be our aim. We should set up an e-mail distribution list so that you can send your papers to one another by the evening before class.

There will be two papers for the course. These are expected to be 12-15 pages each in length, typewritten, double-spaced, with typeface no larger than 12 pitch. The paper topics should be well thought out and then discussed in meetings with me. Please note the due dates for the paper proposals and plan to meet with me accordingly. I will not meet with all of you in the last week before these proposals are due in class so please your appointment before this. If you would like to write two papers which are connected in subject and/or build upon one another, I am highly in favor this approach.

This papers are meant first and foremost to be of interest to you. As you see from the topics and readings, there is a huge span of topics and approaches. Your papers can be theoretical, topical, or based in your own field work. Writing two papers which are linked, (the first theoretical, the second a case study, for instance) is a great way to develop a firm basis in a particular area. On the other hand, having the opportunity to work on two separate also has its benefits. I do expect each paper to include primary and secondary source materials. The purpose of this requirement is to make sure that you can read a primary source (say Horkheimer and Adorno), read what others say about this source (say Martin Jay's book on Horkheimer and Adorno) and how you put these ideas together with your own in organized written form.

Paper 1: 30%

Paper 2: 30%

Weekly Assignments: 20%

Weekly class discussion: 20%

No doubt we will have a few things we have gotten behind on and this will be our week to catch-up.