HIST1505 · Complex Problems and Enduring Questions
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
This is a Complex Problem course and is open to FRESHMEN only. You must take SOCY1509 with this course. The 21st century opened with crises of climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. In this course, we address ecological overshoot from the perspectives of sociology and history, emphasizing the role of inequality, the state, and power. The course combines contemporary analyses with a long historical record of human impact, considering both the familiar and the novel in the realm of ecological challenges. We devote substantial attention not only to causes but also to solutions. Topics to be covered include the Columbian exchange, forests, agriculture, water, climate change, toxics, and population. Solutions include state policy, social movements, individual action, and social innovation.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
4.6 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.4 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.0 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
4.5 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~4.5
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Fall 2024
5 sectionsSpring 2023
7 sections