In this free online course, learn about the ecology of human societies, and human interaction with the environment.

This diploma course in Ecology and Society explains the need for society to work together to protect Earth’s fragile ecosystems. Unlike other species inhabiting the planet, human societies are not driven by instinct. Instead, human behaviour is learned as we interact with our environment. During this course, you will first learn about the environmental movement that flourished during the 1960s and which gave birth to modern-day environmentalism. It was this early movement that pushed world governments to start creating laws that protect the environment.

Next, you will learn about the meaning of ‘culture’ and you will be introduced to the concept of ‘cultural ecology’, which is the study of human adaptations to both social and physical environments. As you study how human societies and their cultural relationship with the environment has evolved throughout history, you will be introduced to the concept of ‘human ecology’, which emerged as scientists became more and more aware of the negative impact the activities of modern societies have on the environment.

You will be taught about ecological anthropology, a field of study that developed from the approach of cultural ecology, and provided a conceptual framework more suitable for scientific inquiry than the cultural-ecological approach. You will also learn about the concept of nature as you study the nature-culture divide, a debate that tries to determine if culture is a product of nature, or if nature is a construct of culture. Finally, you will learn about cosmology or the way native communities have conceptualized and interact with Nature in order to understand how modern societies can develop solutions that lead to a sustainable use of our natural resources. If you are passionate about the environment and are fervent in wanting to see a change, this course will interest you.