Geology 100: Ethnogeology

Course Overview

Block 3

 

What is Ethnogeology?

           

Ethnogeology is a study of the Earth that blends Western science investigations of earth processes with the understandings of the earth derived from the experience of ethnic minorities, within the United States and aboriginal peoples elsewhere in the world. It is a fairly new idea that suggests traditional knowledge may have value that has been ignored by those using the Western scientific paradigm.

           

The Approach to this Class

           

This is a Geology class, meeting the Natural Science (non-lab) distribution requirement. Thus, it will be centered on geological issues. However, this is also a class dealing with concerns of communities of ethnic communities (African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic or Latino-Americans, and Native Americans) within America. This class will seek to include some pre-colonial knowledge of the Earth from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Native North America. We will also try to explore how these groups came to understand and develop knowledge of the earth in America.

           

I view this class as having three major components. First is the selection of relevant geological topics for study. This is not a course to introduce you to all of geology, but rather one in which I have selected topics that seem to have had or currently have the greatest impact on the lives of ethnic minorities in the U.S. For example, we will not be studying plate tectonics or oceanic processes of the Earth System. Rather, we will focus on resources, water and soil issues, pollution and waste concerns, etc. Many of these issues led to the development of the concept of Environmental Racism over the last 10-15 years and of Environmental Justice as a hot topic today. Second is a brief review of historical ideas in geology related to these topics, as they were understood in the centuries preceding colonialism. It should be no surprise that much of this knowledge has either been lost or is unavailable to outsiders today. Thus, I will appreciate any assistance in locating and expanding this aspect of the class. Third is the study of how understanding the Earth (either in traditional or “Western” ways) can benefit ethnic minorities in the U.S. today.

 

Community-Based Learning in Geology

           

Many geologists have presented papers on their experiences working with a variety of ethnic communities over the past decade or so. One common theme that has emerged from these experiences is the need for the geology to be immediately relevant to the lives of the people living in that community. This has meant, in some cases, dropping elitist vocabulary and speaking plainly to a community about how ground water flows effect the quality of their water supply, for example. It has meant listening to the elders of the community to gain the wisdom of their perspectives and then re-thinking the Western geological models to fit the wisdom of the community. A variety of approaches have been tried, but they all contain the common theme of improving communication about earth processes to improve the lives of the community. Thus, this class will fundamentally be about community-based learning from a geological perspective.

           

We will accomplish this lofty goal in three ways. First is the selection of geological topics (and the texts) that seem to me to be most relevant to community living. I do not expect students to become an expert on any of these topics in this class. However, all of these topics are issues that effect our lives daily and in some cases are essential to survival. Thus, I do expect that students will be willing and able to question authorities (developers, engineers, city planners, government bureaucrats,…) about proposals that effect community resources, water and soil rights, land uses,… I expect students to become aware of who is being impacted by such decisions and whether the decisions are especially harmful to any one group of people! Second is to share the stories of how communities from around the world have used these concepts in the past. We will pay particular attention (as much as possible) to those places that were homelands for the ethnic minorities in America today. This will also include the ways in which minority groups used the land after their arrival in the U.S. (as defined today). We include within this goal the seeking of the wisdom of the elders of various communities. Third is the integration of this wisdom and the western geological principles to understand environmental geology issues in minority communities today. What can you do with this knowledge now to improve life within your own (or another's) community?

 

The Challenge of this Class

           

Students will be asked to research and present a home-turf poster explaining the geology, environmental issues and current concerns about their home community as the mid-block grade. The final paper/project will be research in the Colorado Springs community or one close enough that a student can talk to leaders about the issue under consideration.

           

None of us is truly an expert in all of these areas. Yet, each of us is daily impacted by decisions made by our government about the Earth. I hope this course will challenge you to seek out and listen to the stories of the elders who have experienced the changes Western science has produced. Perhaps, then, you may find strength and knowledge to evaluate these changes and challenge those that seem to you to be unjust or racist in nature. Perhaps, you will even go on to study ways in which you can use Western principles of geology to preserve native traditional concepts!

 

 

Course Expectations

           

Texts:

Murck, Skinner, Porter, Environmental Geology (EG in syllabus)

Bullard ed., Confronting Environmental Racism (CER)

Readings Packet

 

           

Grading:

 

Class Participation	5%
Discussion	20%
Journal	10%
Journal Summary	5%
Home-Turf project	25%
Final Project	35%
	100%

                                                           

Class Meeting Times: We will meet from 9:15-~11:45 daily and from 1:15 to ~2:30 on many afternoons; notice the one all-day field trip. 

     

Class Participation- I include your active questions (about geology or other topics), your work in group exercises and presentations to the class, participation in discussions, etc. in this. This includes as well, as your ability to listen and learn from each other (i.e. not all participation is loud and frequent!). Obviously, if you are not present for a class or have not done the reading (which includes thinking about the author's arguments!) you cannot be participating. I usually assume everyone starts with an 'A' in this category and goes down when unprepared to be a part of the class.

 

Journal- I am asking you to participate in a class e-journal of reactions, thoughts, and feelings to class discussions, particularly any questions I pose. You are to make an entry in the class folder each night the syllabus is marked with a ‘J’. Each entry should start with a statement of the issue or reading to which you are responding, then include personal experiences that shed light on your perspective, then pose larger questions or thoughts about the issue. Your entry is due in the folder by 9 pm after the day’s discussion. Then, you must respond to at least two of your fellow student’s entries before class the next morning. Responses may be short or long, but must be relevant and constructive. I expect us to use civil language, though writing style and grammar may be somewhat loose. Keep track of each other’s ideas and especially of how they connect to the readings. These will assist you in preparing your own position paper at the end of the class.

          

A good journal is not an impersonal summary of the readings or class notes. Rather, it is a very personal, carefully thought out reflection on the author's or classes' arguments. How do they effect your life? Can you start with a personal story that is related to the topic and move to a more general critique/reflection? I have included a few possible questions within the syllabus. Feel free to work with these or to address a question you find more useful. Keep in mind the class goals concerning community impact of various ways of looking at the Earth

 

On Leading Discussions- The class will be divided into groups who are in charge of leading discussions on certain topics. It is recommended that the group members divide the material on which they will specifically lead discussions. However, for the discussions to be coherent, the group members must read the material carefully and discuss it with each other. It is recommended that the group meet with the instructor for a few minutes to make sure they know the key points to highlight in the discussion. Once you start discussing the material as a group, you will realize that you need to do a more in-depth analysis of the material as a group. You will also develop clearer vision of the questions it raises for you.

 

Discussion Leader: As a discussion leader, you should know the material well. You may not understand everything (even people with all the experience in the field do not) but you should be well prepared. Read the relevant material that you are responsible for a few times VERY carefully. Think of the overall organization of topics and the key concepts that should be covered. You are encouraged to discuss this aspect of the material with the instructor before the class. Outline the main ideas for yourself (this should be a bulleted list, preferably) and should fit on an index card. Try to establish how the material being covered connects with the previously discussed material. Involve your group members as much as possible in this process.

 

Your role is to LEAD the discussion, and NOT to lecture. To accomplish this:

 

a)     Ask the class questions about the background material.

b)    Have a clear sense of which order you are going to cover the topics and what questions you are going to ask to lead the discussion. These do not have to be profound. For example, ask someone in the class to define one of the key points of the paper, ask the next person to add another main point or to illustrate the point by using a specific example from the paper. You can designate a third person to make it visual by putting the main points on the board. Use of chalkboard should be encouraged.

c)     You can ask the class to help you in developing the key points on your sections before proceeding with directed questions on the material.

d)    It is best to develop a system when asking questions. Go around the table and ask everyone one question. This way you are not putting any particular person on spot and you (and the class) don’t have to think about whom the next question is directed towards. Similarly, when discussing multiple things at once, delegate the task. Ask different people to put different aspects on the board. Or ask multiple people to put their opinion on the board simultaneously.

e)     Give the class a reasonable amount of time to think about the question. If the person being asked needs help in understanding the question, ask it differently. Engage the class in providing hints or leading questions (“who wants to help”) or open up the question to the whole class before answering the question yourself. The key here is to not spend too much time on a question but to allow the class a fair chance to answer the question.

f)     Feel free to ask questions that you do not (may not) know the answer to.

g)    It is OK to speculate on what may be potential ways of using the information or possible answers to a question. Do not rule out an answer because the authors do not say so. Does the answer seem logical based on the given information? If not, ask a question that would lead to the correct logic.

h)    Try not to ask questions that have yes or no answers.

i)      Don’t hesitate to put some one on the spot by specifically asking them the question. It does not reflect on that person’s abilities, you are giving them a chance to get some participation points.

j)      Try not to rush through the material or go too slow. Finding this balance is important and difficult. I will help you in establishing this in the earlier part of the class.

k)    It is important to ask everyone to participate. This allows for quieter people to participate in the class and talkative once from taking over the discussion. Remember you want everyone to get the points for class discussion.

l)      It is OK for someone to not have an answer once-in-a-while.

m)   Ask the class to summarize the key point after the discussion.

n)    Use the instructor as a resource as and when you need to.

o)    Finally, we will do enough of this in the class that you won’t have to think about it, so don’t be nervous!!

 

Home-Turf Project- This is your mid-block exam! You are to prepare a poster (I will offer examples in class) that you will present to the class on geological issues in your community! First, define the place you call home (the earth is too big; most students select their home-towns, although odd variations have proven acceptable over the years). Then, start to identify the knowledgeable elders of your home. These might be individuals you know (parents, teachers,…), government agencies (Chamber of Commerce, city planners, web-sites (who created them and why?)), developers, geological engineers (yellow pages), universities and so on. The poster should include a basic overview of the geology of your home (rock types, ages, how did they get there?), resources of the area (energy, mineral- you might need to expand your conception of home to do this), water supply, soil information, sources of energy supply for the town, waste disposal issues, natural disaster potential (flood, faults, landslides,…). Whatever information you can locate, then needs to be integrated with a sense of where people live. Are there sites of potential environmental racism/ justice issues in your community (not all communities have such)? How are people using the land? Does this make sense with the wisdom of any elders you found in your community (note that sometimes that wisdom is found in dusty biographies in libraries)? Your poster should convey your discoveries about the geological underpinnings of your community and the environmental issues the community faces today. Be sure to include a good critique of land-use (pro or con) and conclusions about how to address issues facing the community. The poster must be self-explanatory, easy-to-read (good pictures, graphs…). You will have just one minute to present the most interesting findings you uncovered (i.e. do NOT summarize each panel of the poster), before we examine and ask questions of each poster as a group!

 

Final Project- Your final paper should convince me that you have integrated basic ideas of geology with the needs and concerns of ethnic communities. Select a place you want to examine early in the class (remember library loan can be slow); identify community leaders to interview (in person or by phone or email…); resources that are available; and share your plans with me during the first week of the class!!!

           

I am open to traditional final papers as well as more creative field-based projects in the community you have selected. Some projects may be done with partners (ask me). The paper should include a geological overview of the issue and whatever social or political or economic issues arise for your community from that geology. Explore the historical roots of any injustice. Focus on the issue as it stands today and what you can do. Critique the approaches (pro and con) people have used and offer the best approach you can for resolution of the issue. Issues within the Colorado Springs region include flooding, landslides, mining (coal and gold), pollution and waste disposal problems. They have the advantage of teaching you how to locate and talk with local developers, homeowners, neighborhood associations, city planners, geological engineers, etc., but generally seem to lack any ethnic concerns. These are acceptable topics for people who wish to develop some experience in activism locally. Topics that might have more of an ethnogeology aspect include issues in the San Luis Valley (water rights, land use, gold mining, traditional uses-see the chapter in CER for some ideas), issues in the Four-Corners area (Peabody coal mine and Navajo-Hopi disputes, Uranium mining and current ground water issues, large dam projects and water rights), issues in inner city settings (LA and lead poisoning- see the chapter in CER), toxic waste disposal in minority communities and so on. Poke around on the web for ideas, just be sure there is good documentation beyond web sources for a great paper!

           

Note- I am picky about spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so on in formal papers (Home-Turf and Final, but less so in a journal). Organization should be clear. Sentence structure and paragraph divisions should be perfect. Generally, I take off letter grades for poorly constructed work. Use the Writing Center! Introductions are critical. They should be interesting (why should I care about this topic?) and set up your organization. Use subheadings to separate major ideas and allow me to follow your paper even after I've read 20 others. Your arguments should incorporate good data to support your conclusions. Good conclusions will acknowledge the limits of your understanding, including other perspectives you considered thoughtfully, while reaching the particular conclusion you did.