2019-20 Academic Catalog

This course introduces students to the study of commons (common pool resources and common property), particularly natural resources commons. The dilemmas of commons governance often reveal links between "governments" and "governance" as well as the global stakes of bettering local livelihoods. Our focus is on social and ecological systems (SES) linked directly with climate change, including local forest and prairie management sites. Students are strongly encouraged to take the five-week accompanying lab, POSC 224 Measuring and Evaluating Social and Ecological Systems, which extends our course content through research in field settings.