James Fortuna - Humanities in State Parks
James Fortuna | May 2023 Faculty Spotlight Video Links to an external site. |
Educational backgroundMaster's in classics (Trinity College Dublin), master's in modern history (University of Cambridge). Currently completing a Ph.D. in history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland – the defense is (finally) scheduled for this summer!Innovations in the classroomIf I've done much innovating it's only because I've had some really great teachers and colleagues who have modeled plenty of new approaches to familiar questions along the way. Like any instructor, my goal is to get students asking as many questions as possible about the world around them so that they leave me more confident, more willing to engage, and more prepared to go make their mark. As the final assignment of term, the Florida Parks Project invites students to map the abstract ideas and concepts they've learned in historical contexts throughout the course onto a site they've likely not considered in terms of material culture, identity or heritage. About meLong before I ever imagined I'd have something to offer academia, I made my first trip to Gainesville as a scuba instructor with Ancora Scuba Links to an external site.. I was hired to teach a few certification classes in the freshwater springs all around north-central Florida and it was pretty much love at first sight for me – I did not want to leave the area! As I neared the end of my master's program, I was lucky to have the chance to contribute to the Department of Humanities here at Santa Fe by teaching a few sections of our intro survey course. I've been doing this in an adjunct role for the past five years while working toward the doctorate. You can read a bit more about my research interests and background here Links to an external site., here Links to an external site., or here Links to an external site.! |
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The Blue & Green Humanities |
What are 'blue' and 'green' humanities?I break the Humanities 2020 course into six thematic units. During the nature unit, I make a point of introducing students to the burgeoning field of environmental humanities. To keep things as straightforward as possible, I break things down even further and we discuss both the 'blue' and the 'green' humanities. In other words, we look for examples of how people and cultures over time have interacted with the natural world either on land (green) or water (blue). So, while we might read an excerpt from Throeau's Walden, discuss the cultural implications of Turner's Frontier Thesis, or ponder the landscapes of the Hudson River School one week, we'll try and figure out what Melville's Moby Dick has to do with our understanding of the American dream and watch clips from an old Jacques Cousteu episode the next. The idea is to clue students into the fact that while so much has changed about our world over time, the natural world has been something of a constant. People, regardless of where they're from, what they look like, how they pray, or what language they speak, have been interacting with mountains, rivers, seas, and weather patterns from the very beginning. I find that getting my students to identify that thread of continuity early on helps them look at some of the past societies and cultures we look at later in the course in a more immediate, relatable way. "Sing for our time, too"It might sound a bit theatrical, but I start and end my HUM 2020 course with the invocation of the muses in the first few lines of Homer's Odyssey. In Fagle's translation, the narrator begs the muses to "sing for our time too" (1.12). I start here because it helps students appreciate that every time somebody writes a poem, sings a song, performs a dance, builds a building, sculpts a vase, paints a picture, or, leaves something... anything... behind for future generations, they are leaving behind proof of the fact that they once walked the very same earth as you and I. Material culture is nothing less than a testament to the very existence of previous generations. Our job, as students of the humanities, is to 'sing for their time, too,' so that we can better understand our own time and how we got here.
*** Not only is the Odyssey is one of the oldest stories in the western literary canon, but given that it revolves around an epic sea journey, it also fits neatly under the 'blue humanities' umbrella! |
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About the projectIf you have the time, the best way to learn about the Florida Parks Project would be to watch the following intro presentation I give at the start of each module. In brief, it's important to note that as the most decorated state park system in the United States, any study of Florida’s state parks is, almost by default, a study in successful conservation and sustainability practices. Since 2020, the Florida Parks Project has placed HUM2020 students in direct contact with the places, spaces, structures, and, in some cases people, that have earned Florida’s state parks consistent praise and global recognition. But this submodule doesn't focus on the side of park maintenance directly concerned with environmental sciences – instead, it compels students to think about the connection between responsible environmental practices and the conservation of cultural heritage sites. For example, as part of the module, students are able to consult the 'Historic American Landscape and Building Surveys' Links to an external site. that are available online through the Library of Congress – these surveys, conducted by field-leading historians and geographers, allow us to appreciate the socio-cultural significance of several of the oldest Florida State Parks that were created during the 1930s by the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps. After being exposed to a bit of Florida's natural history and the origin of the state park system in the introductory presentation, these surveys make a lot more sense to students and provides them with a sort of roadmap for the creation of their own (scaled down, of course) survey of a state park of their choice. Their presentations are being catalogued and will eventually be included on a Florida Parks Project website. Building out the website has been a long and tedious process, but essentially, what we're doing is creating a completely Santa Fe College-authored guide to the Florida State Park system! Exciting times! |
Sustainability at Santa Fe College |
Join us!It seems that the closer I get to submitting the dissertation, the less time I've had to contribute to the Sustainability Committee meetings. I plan to attend as many meetings as possible in the coming academic year and I would encourage you to join us if you believe in the cause! You can read a bit more about the role of sustainability at Santa Fe College here.
If you'd like to contribute to the efforts of the Sustainabilty Committee, please contact Dr. Vilma Fuentes vilma.fuentes@sfcollege.edu. |
If you're curious about how the blue and green humanities make it into my own research, here are a few of my recent publications! |
Journal Articles
Chapters in Edited Volumes
Book Review |