Difference between revisions of "South Africa - IRES 2010"

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'''Faculty:'''
 
'''Faculty:'''
  
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John A. Silander  
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John Silander, Carl Schlichting, Cindi Jones and Kent Holsinger
  
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Summary here
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'''Meeting time:''' Wednesdays 4 - 6:30 p.m.
  
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'''Meeting time:''' Thursdays 2 - 3 p.m.
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'''Location:''' Bamford Room TLS 171B.
  
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'''Location:''' NOTE THAT THE ROOM HAS CHANGED (again, but hopefully for the last time) to TLS 263.
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== Background Information ==
 +
'''Science, conservation, and social conflict in South Africa'''
  
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== Required Reading: ==
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The University of Connecticut Academic Plan “emphasizes the need to build on our strengths in human rights, education, and environmental research and to prepare our students for work and personal success as participants in an internationalized economy and an increasingly diverse society.” A faculty/student study group focused on the relationships between conservation and human rights in South Africa will serve these needs particularly well. The natural biological communities of the Western Cape region of South Africa are as diverse as those of tropical rainforests, but they face threats from climate change and economic development. The legacy of apartheid has left the equally diverse human society of South Africa with great inequality, which can lead to conflicts between conservation and human rights.
  
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You should arrive every week having read the preceding Tuesday’s Science Section in the New York Times, and ready to discuss it.
+
“At Greenmarket Square in the center of [Cape Town], an old man exclaimed: “They are very quick to put out the fire when the mountain is burning, but when our shacks burn you never see them. They care about the birds and the tortoises and the antelopes more than they care about human beings.” Two flower sellers in voluminous Cape Malay robes quickly admonished him, “They’ve got to protect our proteas, old man!”” (
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You have several options for access to the NYT: You can use the order form to order a personal subscription '''OR''' You can pick up a FREE copy of the paper at selected locations on campus, as long as you arrive before the free copies are all gone ''' OR ''' You can read the paper FREE [http://www.nytimes.com online].  
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Zakes Mda, “South Africa’s Fire Kingdom”, New York Times, 29 November 2009; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/opinion/29mda.html)
  
 +
'''Purpose'''
 +
The study group will explore how efforts to conserve biodiversity in South Africa intersect with efforts to promote human rights and economic development. Its purpose is to introduce students to South Africa as a case study in the intersection of scientific, conservation, and human rights issues. Its conservation focus will be on plants and habitats, reflecting the ecological expertise of the faculty involved. Its human rights focus will focus on the social and political development of South Africa from the Anglo-Boer war at the turn of the 20th century to the present.
  
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== Expectations for Students ==
 
  
 +
== Required Reading/Preparation: ==
  
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READING: We would like you to read the articles in the Science section critically, assessing the quality of articles from the point of view of:
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You should arrive every week having read what ever information has been starred(*) and linked to the meeting dates below, and be ready to discuss this.
  
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''Accuracy:'' does the article say things you know or suspect to be wrong?
 
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''Evidence:'' is there sufficient evidence presented for you to believe the conclusions drawn by the reporter?
 
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''Balance:'' does the reporter consider alternative explanations? Are experts from all sides of an issue interviewed and quoted?
 
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''Clarity:'' how hard is it to understand the article? Pretend to be your grandmother while thinking about this one!
 
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''Newsworthiness:'' why did the reporter decide to focus on this story? Why did the editor run it? How likely it that the information presented will change policy/technology/behavior/the world?
 
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PRESENTATIONS: Every student will be expected to present an analysis of a news article to the rest of the group at least once. Students should pick an article, read it, then investigate the background of the story in the primary scientific literature. Read the technical paper that prompted the story, at least. Reconsider all issues listed above; your presentation should address how good a job the reporter did achieving accuracy, balance, and clarity. Your presentation should also address what the scientist did, or could have done, to increase the chances that the reporter would produce an accurate, clear, engaging story.
 
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Given the level of enrollment, and the limited number of weeks for presentation, ''at least some students will have to present in pairs''. '''Presentation partners should consist of graduate/undergraduate pairs'''; NO undergrad/undergrad or grad/grad pairs. Talk to Margaret if you would like to present with a partner and you aren't sure how to secure one.
 
  
 
== Discussion Schedule ==
 
== Discussion Schedule ==
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
 
!width="75"|Week of:
 
!width="75"|Week of:
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!width="150"|Who
 
 
!width="400"|Topic
 
!width="400"|Topic
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!width="400"|Notes
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!width="400"|Information/Readings
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| 28 Aug || M.Rubega || Class intro: organization. || :{{pdf|https://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/scicomm/WyssJournalistPerspectiveIntroOptimized.pdf}} Some paper
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| 20 January ||Introduction and Logistics plus film: ''Breaker Morant'' || (*)Overview {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/e/ee/IRES_Orientation_2010l.pdf}} (*)Breaker Morant Notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/9/9d/Breaker_Morant.pdf}}
 +
South African History Time-Line {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/6/61/South_African_History_time_line.pdf}}
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Abbreviated Time-Line for European-African conflicts {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/0/00/Abbr_Time_line_Euro-African_Wars.pdf}}
 +
 
 
|-  
 
|-  
 +
| 27 January || film: ''Power of One'' || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/9/92/Power_of_One.pdf}}
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|-
  
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+
|-
−
 
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| 3 February || film: ''Cry Freedom'' || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/3/39/Cry_Freedom.pdf}}
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The two main scientific articles referenced in the NYT piece are [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2219763 here] and [http://www.springerlink.com/content/pg12587263076803/ here], but feel free to read them casually as they are a bit technical.
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|-
 +
|-
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| 10 February || film: ''Bopha!''  || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/48/Bopha.pdf}}
 +
|-
 +
|-
 +
| 17 February || film: ''Red Dust''  || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/5/51/Red_Dust.pdf}}
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|-
 +
|-
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| 24 February || film: ''Tsotsi''  || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/6/6c/Tsotsi.pdf}}
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|-
 +
|-
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| 3 March || film: ''Invictus'' || (*)film notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/47/Invictus.pdf}} Some other South African films: {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/1/12/Other_South_African_films_to_see.pdf}}
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 17 March || book discussion: 2 novellas by JM Coetzee: ''Dusklands: The Narrative of Jacobus Coetzee'' and ''Boyhood: Scenes from a Provincial Life''  || (*)notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/2/20/Works_by_J_M_Coetzee.pdf}}
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 24 March || Biomes Geography and History of South Africa || (*) notes {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/8/81/ZA_Biomes.pdf}} For PowerPoints shown in class, see email for eDropbox links to download files converted to .pdfs
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 31 March || TBD ||
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|-
 +
|-
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| 7 April || TBD ||
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 14 April|| TBD ||
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 21 April || TBD ||
 +
|-
 +
|-
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| 28 April || TBD ||
 +
|-
 
|-   
 
|-   
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Related Reading ==
 
== Related Reading ==
−
 
  
 
[[Category:EEB Seminars]]
 
[[Category:EEB Seminars]]

Latest revision as of 20:28, 28 March 2010

SAFLag.gif

South Africa IRES 2010

Faculty:

John Silander, Carl Schlichting, Cindi Jones and Kent Holsinger

Meeting time: Wednesdays 4 - 6:30 p.m.

Location: Bamford Room TLS 171B.

Background Information

Science, conservation, and social conflict in South Africa

The University of Connecticut Academic Plan “emphasizes the need to build on our strengths in human rights, education, and environmental research and to prepare our students for work and personal success as participants in an internationalized economy and an increasingly diverse society.” A faculty/student study group focused on the relationships between conservation and human rights in South Africa will serve these needs particularly well. The natural biological communities of the Western Cape region of South Africa are as diverse as those of tropical rainforests, but they face threats from climate change and economic development. The legacy of apartheid has left the equally diverse human society of South Africa with great inequality, which can lead to conflicts between conservation and human rights.

“At Greenmarket Square in the center of [Cape Town], an old man exclaimed: “They are very quick to put out the fire when the mountain is burning, but when our shacks burn you never see them. They care about the birds and the tortoises and the antelopes more than they care about human beings.” Two flower sellers in voluminous Cape Malay robes quickly admonished him, “They’ve got to protect our proteas, old man!”” ( Zakes Mda, “South Africa’s Fire Kingdom”, New York Times, 29 November 2009; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/opinion/29mda.html)

Purpose The study group will explore how efforts to conserve biodiversity in South Africa intersect with efforts to promote human rights and economic development. Its purpose is to introduce students to South Africa as a case study in the intersection of scientific, conservation, and human rights issues. Its conservation focus will be on plants and habitats, reflecting the ecological expertise of the faculty involved. Its human rights focus will focus on the social and political development of South Africa from the Anglo-Boer war at the turn of the 20th century to the present.


Required Reading/Preparation:

You should arrive every week having read what ever information has been starred(*) and linked to the meeting dates below, and be ready to discuss this.


Discussion Schedule

Week of: Topic Information/Readings
20 January Introduction and Logistics plus film: Breaker Morant (*)Overview Pdficon small.gif (*)Breaker Morant Notes Pdficon small.gif

South African History Time-Line Pdficon small.gif Abbreviated Time-Line for European-African conflicts Pdficon small.gif

27 January film: Power of One (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif
3 February film: Cry Freedom (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif
10 February film: Bopha! (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif
17 February film: Red Dust (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif
24 February film: Tsotsi (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif
3 March film: Invictus (*)film notes Pdficon small.gif Some other South African films: Pdficon small.gif
17 March book discussion: 2 novellas by JM Coetzee: Dusklands: The Narrative of Jacobus Coetzee and Boyhood: Scenes from a Provincial Life (*)notes Pdficon small.gif
24 March Biomes Geography and History of South Africa (*) notes Pdficon small.gif For PowerPoints shown in class, see email for eDropbox links to download files converted to .pdfs
31 March TBD
7 April TBD
14 April TBD
21 April TBD
28 April TBD

Related Reading

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