ideasofnatureh

4. Synthesis and extensions
 * It is very easy to slip from interpreting "nature" (ideas about nature) back into discussion about un-interpreted nature as the actual material or living world, pointing to the importance of the latter as, for example, a source of ideas for new products (http://www.wired.com/2011/08/biomimicry-gallery/). The following schema helps to keep nature and "nature" distinct: [[file:ideas of nature II.pdf|schema]]
 * [[file:WilliamsTimeline2.pdf|Time line]] for Williams (1980)
 * Extended trialogue (http://www.faculty.umb.edu/pjt/naturetrialogue.html)
 * There are many dualisms in our thinking in which a natural or universal characteristic is in opposition or tension with one that is cultural, artificial, or particular. The impact of such dualisms draws in part from the assumption that natural is the way things are supposed to be: [|Set of Nature-Culture dualisms].

5. Connections and resources > annotation TBA > annotation TBA
 * Berger, J. (1980). "Why Look at Animals?". Pp. 1-26 in About Looking. New York: Pantheon Books
 * Worster, D. (1977). "Science in Arcadia & The empire of reason". Pp. 2-55 in Nature's Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

5b. [|Add to this blog post] to make contributions to the revision of the chapter above or to an annotated collection of readings and other resources related to the chapter.

5c. Adaptation of themes from the chapter to students' own projects of engaging others in learning or critical thinking about biology in its social context. Suggestions: i. Locate a series of images related to your project and guide others in interpreting what is implicit. ii. Identify texts related to your project in which nature or natural is used to support ideas about what is right or what is the way things should be or what is hard to overcome even if one wanted to. iii. Get you audience involved in extending your own multi-person conversation that explores different views on a topic. Make sure you build in the idea that what is literally said is open to interpretation in terms of what is implied. Aim to expose and explore the tensions or contradictions in what people say. iv. Brainstorm with instructor.