NATURE AND CULTURE - Bachelor of Arts

The Nature and Culture degree at Paul Smith's College consists of eight traditional semesters, including a Practicum Experience. The Nature and Culture degree focuses on the interaction of humans with the natural world using nature as a subject for intellectual inquiry. Students of Nature and Culture will learn how different cultures view themselves in relation to the natural world and explore how those views impact the living world. The program employs a three-fold thematic approach to build and focus student understanding of the relationship between nature and culture and of the importance of stewardship.

The Nature and Culture degree program is built upon the College's already well-established strengths in environmental and cultural stewardship and in the Liberal Arts and takes full advantage of its setting in the 6 million acre Adirondack Park. This location serves as a solid reminder of our responsibility to be stewards of our world community and of those we teach to enter that community. Professor Eric Holmlund describes stewardship as implying:

"that we are... the voice, hands and decision makers for an inheritance that we are obligated to cherish for the future. The stewards are not the kings, but are the holders of the kingdom for the king in absentia. It removes us from the egoistic notions of control and dominance and substitutes a more nurturing, long-range point of view - it goes beyond community to imply an ethic of conservation, planning, caring, etc."

The design of the program is flexible enough to allow students to pursue their individual interests while they are also developing a solid foundational experience in the Liberal Arts. Upon graduation a wide range of career opportunities are open to the Paul Smith's Nature and Culture B.A. student. Careers in environmental writing, human resources management, and business are all available. In addition, the students may choose concentration electives that prepare them for further academic study. The requirements for masters programs in environmental studies, environmental education, sociology, environmental MBA programs and other graduate opportunities can all be met within the standard curriculum.

Nature and Culture program focus:
The Nature and Culture program uses the tools of the social sciences and humanities to assess the historical and cultural connections between people and the environment.

Nature and Culture program values:

1. The Nature and Culture program will strive to combine the practical and the theoretical in academic experiences, in keeping with the hallmark of a Paul Smith's College education.
2. The Nature and Culture program will encourage students to explore their personal sense of place from a regional and global perspective.
3. The Nature and Culture program will emphasize community-based learning and experiences alongside traditional academic programming.

Nature and Culture program outcomes:

1. Environmental History Knowledge Area
   Students will analyze how different cultures' patterns of relating to and valuing the natural world have shaped the ecosystems around them.
2. Humanities Knowledge Area
   Students will creatively and critically interpret the influence of religion, philosophy, literature and the arts in developing environmental policies and perspectives.
3. Social Science Knowledge Area
   Students will creatively and critically interpret the influence of psychology, sociology, economics and geography in developing environmental policies and perspectives.
4. Natural Science Knowledge Area
   Students will explain how ecosystems function in conjunction with the mechanisms of human influence on nature.
5. Adirondack Setting Knowledge Area
   Students will describe how Adirondack history, art, traditional culture, and economic activity have influenced environmental and social policy.