Courses

Summer 2008:

• ASB 394: Urban Life and Politics (York) In Urban Life and Politics, we will evaluate American urban institutions from European settlement to today. Students will gain an understanding of how cities work with an emphasis on the Phoenix region. Students are exposed to urban life and politics over the past three centuries in the American context. We explore difficult issues such as poverty, housing, economic development, corruption and conservation of natural resources. We will spend time investigating American cities' ability to balance growth with natural resource constraints exploring the interaction between technological advancements, such as the automobile and increased capacity for water pumping, and the local environment, particularly within the Phoenix valley. Students evaluate several local political issues in the Phoenix metropolitan area through readings and viewing public hearings.

Fall 2008:

• ASM 494/591; SOS 494/591: Dynamic Modeling Soc & Ecol Systems (Anderies) Mathematical modeling of populations, communities, and ecosystems, including case studies and student-designed projects. This course will help students develop a mathematical way of thinking as a perspective on social-ecological systems. The development of this perspective is intended to provide students the capacity to read research literature in which formal mathematical models are used, and the capacity to develop their own models. The course will provide students with the skills they need to analyze simple models as well as a set of qualitative and numerical solution techniques to explore more complex models. Simple discrete models, ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, and stochastic processes will be covered. Finally, the course will provide an arena for students to practice applying the skills they are developing to build a model of a social- ecological system of their choice and explore its dynamical behavior.

• BIO 424/591: Mathematical Models in Ecology (Anderies) Mathematical modeling of populations, communities, and ecosystems, including case studies and student-designed projects.

• ASM 591/MAT 598: Agent-Based Modeling (Janssen) Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods. Website: http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/edu/abm08.htm.

• ASB 500: Research Methods (Wutich) This course provides an overview of ethnographic research methods for social science graduate students, particularly those in the Cultural Anthropology, Social Science and Health, and Environmental Social Science programs. The course is designed to give students an understanding of the link between theory and method, including research objectives, study design, and data collection. Students will be exposed to a range of techniques including surveys, cognitive methods, text analysis, and social network analysis. Lecture/discussion; readings; homework assignments; hands-on exercises.

• ASB 494/591: Institutional Research Methods (York) Students in Institutional Research Methods will utilize a mix of methods including categorical data analysis, ethnographic methods, and spatial analysis to address a specific question about the interactions between the local community and institutions. In Fall 2008, the class will use cases and existing data related to health and/or the environment in the Phoenix Valley to explore interactions between people, their communities, and institutions. The class will work together to formulate a specific research question that requires additional field work in the local community. Students will use a mix of appropriate methods to address their question. In order to facilitate this work, the class will meet during the first third of the semester at regular class times to explore the data, theory, and methods and formulate a specific research question together with the instructor. Next the class will collect appropriate data to address their question. Field work will be an important component during this period. Finally the class will work together to analyze the data and write an academic paper. There are no prerequisites for the course, but classes in statistics, field methods, or spatial analysis and/or the institutional theory classes ASB 591: Institutions, Society, and the Environment or ASB 394: Rules, Games, and Society would be helpful for students. Students will work together with their unique skill sets and perspectives to facilitate group learning in and outside the classroom. Graduate students will take leadership roles during the class

Graduate Programs

New graduate program: Environmental Social Science within the School of Human Evolution and Social Change starts in Fall 2008. You can apply via https://sec.was.asu.edu/dgsadmissions/Index.jsp

Ph.D. in Environmental Social Sciences

As environmental issues ranging from climate change to air pollution to resource shortages increasingly take center stage, there is also a growing understanding that these issues involve complex interactions of human and environmental systems. Many people care deeply about the environment and the world that they are leaving for future generations, yet they continue to engage in harmful practices that degrade environments and produce an increasingly unsustainable way of life. If we are to address these contradictions, we must understand the social dynamics that are at the root of human-environmental interactions. The PhD in Environmental Social Science explores these social dynamics from a transdisciplinary perspective to identify and advance innovative approaches to universal problems that will shape our collective future.

What is Environmental Social Science?

Environmental Social Science addresses environmental issues from a multidisciplinary social science perspective. The ASU program is organized around theoretically based conceptual domains (political ecology, culture and the environment, environmental justice, science and technology studies, environmental hazards and vulnerability, and human environmental impacts), which become the basis for addressing various topical foci (including urban environments, technologies and their consequences, landscapes, institutions, and health and the environment). Participating faculty have expertise in a broad range of fields including human and physical geography, cultural and medical anthropology, archaeology community resources, demography, geographic information systems, environmental history, planning, public affairs, sociology, and science and technology studies.

Is it for me?

Graduates are trained to be ready for teaching and research positions, or leadership roles in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government, or industry. Coursework for the degree is focused on developing real-world skills and a solid grasp of complex concepts. Students work closely with their committee to develop a curriculum appropriate to their chosen interests and career goals. The degree is designed to be completed in four to five years post-MA.

Am I eligible? How do I apply?

Applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.2 (4.0 scale) or better in the last two years of coursework. A Master’s degree in any relevant field is advantageous, or students can earn an MA-in-passing as part of the Environmental Social Science graduate program.

Is there funding?

Competitive funding is available, including assistantships and some multiyear packages. ESS faculty, in various units across ASU, are involved in multiple large-scale research initiatives that provide significant training and support for students.

How do I apply?

Information on the application process can be found at https://sec.was.asu.edu/dgsadmissions/Index.jsp For more information contact the program director Bob Bolin (bob.bolin@asu.edu)