Living with the Urban Ocean

FAIN: AKB-260531-18

University of Massachusetts, Boston (Boston, MA 02125-3300)
Rajini Srikanth (Project Director: October 2017 to present)

A three-course sequence in environmental humanities focused on Boston Harbor and surrounding areas.

"Living with the Urban Ocean: Inquiring, Imagining, Embracing" brings together the humanities and environmental sciences with a focus on Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, and the surrounding coastal communities that many of our students call home. The three-course cluster, the core of an Environmental Humanities minor, incorporates humanities approaches and experiential learning, with the goal of increasing students' appreciation for and engagement with the harbor ecosystem, and awareness of the role of humanities in addressing environmental issues. Courses, co-taught by humanities and environmental science faculty, will begin with a survey that considers the relationship between humans and nature through diverse cultural and historical lenses; continue with a focus on the history, sociocultural context, and environmental significance of Boston Harbor and its islands; and end with a capstone driven by engagement with environmental challenges faced by coastal communities.

Associated Products

"The Urban Ocean" -- First Year Seminar (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: "The Urban Ocean" -- First Year Seminar
Author: Kelly Luis
Abstract: This newly created first-year seminar is an interdisciplinary exploration of the Boston Harbor and its islands. "The Urban Ocean" will take full advantage of UMass-Boston’s location on the waterfront to introduce first-year students to socio-environmental factors shaping Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands. Students will reflect on their evolving relationship with water through archival research, scientific experiments, and roundtable discussions with UMB’s research groups, indigenous communities, and environmental organizations around Boston Harbor. The experience, knowledge, and community gained during this course will help students navigate the rest of their undergraduate education at UMass-Boston. With the Atlantic Ocean on UMass-Boston’s doorstep, this place-based course immerses students in the history, culture, and science of Boston Harbor and its Islands to understand the natural and anthropogenic factors shaping our waterfront. The impacts of anthropogenic development and climate change extend from the bustling city of Boston to the outer reaches of Boston Harbor Islands and the consequences of these impacts are shared across UMass-Boston’s neighboring communities (e.g. Quincy, Dorchester, and South and East Boston) and abiotic and biotic communities. Throughout the course, students will reflect on their own relationships with water and their surroundings and the role they want to play as stewards
Year: 2020
Audience: Undergraduate

Humanities for All: Living with the Urban Ocean (Blog Post)
Title: Humanities for All: Living with the Urban Ocean
Author: Rajini Srikanth
Abstract: The "Living with the Urban Ocean" NEH-funded project demonstrates how the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) can infuse enthusiasm for the Boston Harbor and its 34 islands with the campus' students of color (who constitute a majority) so that they can be inspired to be the harbor's and islands' climate stewards of the future. The project also brings together the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences in a vibrant collaborative curricular development and pedagogical endeavor. Furthermore, the project's partnership with the National Park Service shows how government agencies and universities can strengthen urban communities' capacities for climate stewardship.
Date: 10/05/2021
Primary URL: https://humanitiesforall.org/blog/living-with-the-urban-ocean
Primary URL Description: Blogsite of the National Humanities Alliance. This particular blog post is about the University of Massachusetts NEH-funded project "Living with the Urban Ocean."
Blog Title: "Humanities for All: Living with the Urban Ocean"
Website: Humanities for All

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