Brazil and Nature Protection: Conservation in a Tropical Giant

This course offers an introduction to the evolution of ideas and practices of conservation in Brazil. The course will trace the historical evolution of conservation, in the country, from the colonial era to the twentieth century. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the colonial roots of conservation in tropical Brazil, the rise of the Brazilian nation-state and the diffusion of the national park model in the country in the 1930s, and the conflicts between indigenous peoples, settlers, farmers, and policymakers over natural resources in the Amazonian rainforest. The course will also present the contested rise of important key concepts in conservation, such as resource scarcity and management, biodiversity, and sustainable development.