MSCI 523 - Human Dimensions of Marine Science

Fall, even years (3) Michaelis

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction and overview of the human dimensions of marine science, with the additional intent to inspire students to consider the human dimensions of their own research and areas of interest. The course is separated into a combination of seminars and workshops. Seminars feature guest speakers from a range of sub-disciplines and career types whose work focuses on or integrates human dimensions into marine science. As part of seminars, students will also read a selection of human dimensions-centered papers to further introduce the consideration of human dimensions across a variety of marine science topics. Some speakers and authors will be social scientists, others will be non-social marine scientists who have built human dimensions into their research or other work.

Workshops will complement seminars by providing opportunities to “dig in” to some of the research methods featured in seminar readings and discussions. Workshops will involve a series of methods-centered activities in which students will have the opportunity to develop skills in a range of social science research methods and better understand some of the related benefits and challenges. Throughout the semester, students will also build and workshop components for a research proposal an aspect of human dimensions related to their own interests.