A Critical Analysis of Human Ecology

Abstract

This thesis proposes that a dynamical systems approach is a valuable means of understanding complex situations of human and ecological interrelationships. Such an approach forms a useful addition to the conceptual framework of human ecology because it enables understanding the dynamics of change in humanecological situations in ways that are simple and yet powerful. The thesis undertakes a historical review of the both the Australian National University’s Human Ecology program and the institutional context in which it developed. It finds in that review explanations for why the conceptual foundations of the program have not been articulated in this way, despite finding that much of the teaching and research practice of the Human Ecology program has been conducted in a manner conducive to such an approach. The thesis reviews some of the basic principles that the ANU Human Ecology program adopts and then, after detailing a particular approach to understanding systems dynamics, shows how this can extend the existing conceptual framework to provide a powerful explanation of change processes in humanecological situations. The value of this extended approach is demonstrated through application to a range of different situations found in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.