Taking Human Ecology into the World By Rich Borden, Rachel Carson Chair in Human Ecology As Karen, Don and Dave have said, teaching at COA is different. Before I came here, I taught at Ohio State and Purdue universities. Departmental majors completely defined those institutions—academically, architecturally and culturally. At COA, I discovered students didn’t want the “inside story” of psychology, as did undergraduate majors or graduate students elsewhere. Rather than me defining the subject matter and delivering it to the class, COA students, each in their own way, challenged me to teach to their interests. One was there to learn about the evolution of consciousness, another was working on group dynamics and cooperation, the next searching for the meaning of dreams. I felt like a sock being turned inside out. It was then that I appreciated the intersection of self-directed and interdisciplinary education. Another way the college is distinctive is in our human ecology mission. The college’s founding documents are some of the most inspiring pieces of educational philosophy I’ve seen. Ed Kaelber, COA’s founding president, got it right early on: human ecology is best understood as a perspective—a way of looking at the world. I came to COA to join a dedicated community of scholars. I relish its experimental pedagogy and collaborative inquiry about the place of humans in the living world. It feels open, creative and important. I’ve always believed our aim is to build on those founding principles. By developing individual perspectives, we create fresh combinations and contribute—in a collective effort—to a richer way of seeing the world.
When fire destroyed the original Kaelber Hall in 1983, we were backed into a re-founding situation. Later, as academic dean, I wanted to know more about the origins and uses of human ecology. I began to look for other individuals and organizations using it as an approach to education. Since then I’ve visited numerous institutions and gotten to know hundreds of human ecology colleagues. There are people all over the world who understand and appreciate COA’s educational vision. Many have visited COA. A substantial literature of human ecology exists and is growing. I think this is what some people mean by human ecology as “content.” Well—yes—I do integrate it into my human ecology seminar and throughout my teaching. Other COA faculty members use some of this content in their classes as well. Many COA professors have written their own human ecology essays. They have presented their ideas at conferences and published them in books and articles. These contributions are often referenced in published work by others elsewhere. They appear on course syllabi at other institutions and are read by non-COA students. I concur with Dave’s concern about waving the human ecology term as an empty reification. That which means anything, frequently means nothing. But an opposite danger is reticence. If COA were a polytechnic institute or an art school, “being good” would mean different things. As a college of human ecology, it should mean something else. It is our place to articulate that, for ourselves and others. I hope we continue to talk about it, write about it, and contribute to making it as meaningful and world-changing as the college’s founders envisioned. There is a wide road between solipsism and silence. It is the path on which we began and remains, I believe, the right course.
“For me, studying human ecology meant that I learned to stop arguing passionately and start listening to other viewpoints. It didn’t mean that I changed mine, only that I needed to think about other people’s vantages before I could pursue a course of action. I learned that I would be a more effective agent of change if I could have a meaningful discussion with the other side. I’ve never seen anyone change their mind during a heated argument, but I have seen people think hard after a long conversation.” ~ Sonja Johanson ’95
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