The Nature of Human Nature, Spring 2001

Matt did a terrific job as Captain of the Zodiak in the Bahamas

WCP 222 Natural Systems II Spring 2001

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DESCRIPTION:

Where do friendship, romance, racism, sibling rivalry come from? What are the evolutionary implications of sex and gender? Where do our ethics come from? Darwin helped begin a controversy that thrives to this day on the nature of who we are. The controversy was inflamed in 1975 with the publication of E. O. Wilson's Sociobiology, a conceptual marriage of evolution and human behavior. Politically loaded and regarded as anathema to many, the word sociobiology has been stricken from journals and professional usage.

Syllabus NAVIGATION: Table of Contents

Specifc Course Topics, Assignments and Due Dates	Research Projects and Lab Reports	Other Resources
Grading Scale& Assignments	Human Nature Project & Natural Systems Database	Library Resources
SYLLABUS: Module 1-EVOLUTIONARY EXPLANATIONS	Human Nature Research Categories	WWW Search Engines
SYLLABUS:Module2-Culture	Enter Research Idea, Proposal Final Report	"In-House" Ecology Database Search Engine
SYLLABUS: Modules 3-Understanding Ourselves	WWW Posting Help Sheet	Newspaper Editorials

INSTRUCTORS:

In this course we will critically explore the cherished perceptions we hold of ourselves and the research that has sought to lend new insights into the fundamental basis of human behavior. This will include interpretations of such issues as criminal behavior, honor, sacrifice, parental manipulation, and intelligence.

We will further examine new uses of evolutionary theory to address our place in nature, using a comparative approach that combines careful readings of primary and secondary literature in evolutionary biology, ecology, philosophy, psychology, and religion, with empirical investigations (including fieldwork) of the central tenants of the course.

COURSE GOALS:

• To develop tools necessary to assess claims of "natural" human behavior
• A fundamental knowledge of evolutionary theory and its applications
• A better understanding of core principles in quantitative genetics
• A detailed introduction to the study of human/nature relationships

INTERDISCIPLINARITY: We will mainly draw on subdisciplines in biology (evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology), psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and sociology. We will be following the tracks of a recent, controversial paradigm (sociobiology), to examine how its central tenants are denied, incorporated, and transformed in other disciplines.

WRITING AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING: Writing assignments will include professional writing within a discipline, creative writing, essay, and autobiography. Quantitative components include basic statistics; collecting, presenting, and interpreting data; simple mathematical models in quantitative genetics.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Course Reader (pick up from the Oxford Copy Shop)
Jane Goodall 1990. Through a Window. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 268pp.
Leslie Stevenson and David Haberman. 1998. Ten Theories of Human Nature. Oxford Univ. Press. 239pp.
Robert Wright. 1994. The Moral Animal. Vintage Books, New York, 466pp.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Miami has 100s of acres of beautiful Natural Areas which lend themselves to experiencing nature!

(Quicktime movie~4 mb).On the same walk, a garter snake makes her presence known!

ATTENDANCE POLICY: attendance is essential for serious class discussion and learning. Three percent of the final grade will be subtracted for each unexcused absence. All students should submit end-of-the-semester course evaluations. WCP students must complete their Statement of Educational Objectives in order to receive a grade for second-year Western courses.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: All students should carefully read Part V, Sections 501 507 of The Miami Student Handbook which deals with academic misconduct. If you have any questions about this material, please ask your instructor for interpretation.

HUMAN NATURE POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES: Poster sessions are effective for communicating research and are commonly employed in academic meetings of all disciplines. Each team (typically two people) should plan to lead class on the day of the poster session: