Arctic Encounters: Humans and Other Sentient Beings in the North and Siberia

Over the last two decades, the Arctic, North and Siberia have collectively emerged as a region of dramatic environmental and socioeconomic change.

This vast part of the planet, once seen as a wild, empty and remote area, is now understood and represented increasingly as a vulnerable and fragile place. This course aims to provide a general introduction to contemporary issues in the circumpolar North and Siberia with a focus on interactions between humans, non-human sentient beings (animals and spirits), and landscape.

Students are examining some of the most critical issues facing the peoples and environments of the Arctic today, including: sustainable livelihoods; natural resource use; interactions between Arctic residents; human – animal relations; environmental, social, cultural and political changes in the region. The course encourages students to relate anthropological ideas, perspectives and information to a range of contemporary social, cultural, political and environmental issues in the modern regions of the North and Siberia.