Ethnobiology

Richard Stepp

This workshop will acquaint participants with the approaches, methods and analyses used by ethnobiologists who are researching the relationship between humans and their biophysical environments. A particular focus will be on the role of language and the cognized environment. The approaches include co-evolution of cultural diversity, linguistic diversity and biological diversity, general principles of ethnobiological classification, field techniques for documenting ethnobiological knowledge, and transmission of traditional ecological knowledge. The course will draw on the instructor’s field research in North America, Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia, and on case studies of researchers who are active in other parts of the world. We will explore a variety of approaches that guide data collection. Participants will learn techniques for collecting and analyzing ethnobiological data, along with an introduction to various software packages.