Connecticut College was founded in 1911 and now enrolls about 1,900 students. The campus is located in New London, Connecticut.

Courses

Course Catalog

Introduction to Ethnobotany (Anthropology/Botany 117)
An examination of the relationship between human beings and the plant world, along with the corresponding impact on human existence. Specific focus on how plants serve as sources of medicine or food, as well as providing technological and ecological resources. The course considers issues relating to culture and geography in the context of prehistorical and historical data, as well as other relevant topics of current interest.

Indigenous Use of Tropical Rainforests (Botany/Environmental Studies 207)
Emphasis on the uses of rainforest plants and animals by indigenous peoples and their potential ecological and economic applications. Discussion on the readings of recent research will provide a rich array of data and insights into these resources and their application in community development, rainforest conservation and western economies.

Methods and Theories of Ethnobotany (Anthropology/Botany/Environmental Studies 308)
An advanced perspective of methods and theories in the science of ethnobotany. The course introduces students to a wide variety of approaches, including cognitive, ecological, and economic. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be studied.

Ethnobotany of Southern New England (Anthropology/Botany/Environmental Studies 311)
An introduction to Native American plant uses in southern New England. Field work in the Arboretum and elsewhere will introduce students to ethno-botanical field methods in addition to historical and other ethnographical materials. Class projects will require collection, analysis and presentation of field and other data.

Environmental Anthropology (Anthropology 307)
An examination of the relationship between human beings and the environment, with emphasis on the variations between different time periods and ecoregions.  Specific focus on how adaptations relating to subsistence patterns and diversity of diet can lead to the current crises of biodiversity, global warming, and environmental sustainability.

Worlds of Food (Anthropology 350)
An examination of food from a holistic and comparative perspective. Topics include the symbolism of food; culinary prohibitions and preferences; commensality; gender relations; drink and drinking places; food production, exchange, and consumption; food and status, class, and identity; and the politics and practices of fast, slow, and health food.

Other Links

Connecticut College Arboretum

Faculty

Manuel Lizarralde (Anthropology and Botany Departments)
Catherine Benoit (Anthropology)
Rachel Spicer (Botany)
Anthony Graesh (Anthropology)
Peter Siver (Botany; Director of Environmental Studies Program)