Understanding Human Ecology

Geetha Devi T. V. is Project Coordinator (Honorary), Institute for Social and Ecological Studies (ISES), an NGO based in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, and an independent researcher. She began her academic career in the sciences and completed her postgraduate degree in botany. Subsequently, she moved into the field of human ecology and completed both her MPhil and PhD degrees from the School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. She was Lecturer (temporary) of Human Ecology in the Social Sciences department for postgraduate and MPhil programmes. She became an affiliated scholar at the Interuniversity Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE), M. G. University for one and half years and submitted a working paper titled Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy Making: A Review. She gained insights in Geo-spatial technology from the Dr. R. Satheesh Centre for Remote Sensing and GIS at the School of Environmental Sciences, M. G. University and continued research to examine the role of GIS tools in environmental studies and completed training programmes at the National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad. Her research interests include natural resource management, environmental studies, human ecology, environment–development interface, sustainable development and political ecology. Her other interests include music and Indian philosophy.

Part I Human ecology: the domain and its dimensionsIntroduction

Part II Ethics.1 Environmental scenario of the twentieth century: a historical sketch2 ‘Value’ dynamics in the environmental thought systems

Part III Politics
3 ‘Environment’ in the ‘development’ context: a historical inquiry
4 The question of ‘political’ in environmental thought systems, movements and as a political process

Part IV Knowledge
5 The making of human ecology: a historical perspective6 ‘Human ecology’ as a discipline: methodological reflections

Part V Ethics, politics, knowledge: a multidimensional approach
Conclusion

Bibliography
Index