This is an open-note, open-book take home exam but it is also an individual exam- this is not a group exam! UA plagiarism and code of ethics apply.
You will submit this via TurnItIn which includes a plagiarism checker. Anyone plagiarizing sources or their peers will receive a midterm grade of 0 as well as be reported through the UA student code of ethics review process. Your response should not include lengthy direct quotes. Responses and ideas should be phrased in your own words.
Answers that merely string together direct quotes from your readings, etc. will only receive partial credit (at best). You do not need to include formal referencing or in-text citations (e.g. APA formatting) in your responses, but you should still explain in your responses where/who your answers are supported or derived from.
Example: “As Professor Wyatt explain in her chapter on wildlife trafficking actors, the perpetrators of wildlife poaching who are seen to hold the least responsibility compared to other actors are subsistence poachers. This is because…”
My goal here is to make sure you are understanding key concepts and ideas from our readings and class lectures and discussions. Consider this an opportunity to reflect on some major ideas and topics we have encountered! Do not spend more than a couple hours developing these responses- I am therefore not expecting formal, polished essays, but they should still be sufficiently thorough, and you are still expected to write in complete sentences largely absent of grammatical and spelling errors. Each question is worth 50 points. Quality is more important than quantity! Take note of how long your responses should be. I would encourage you to write your answers in a word document/word processor and save them regularly before finally submitting them.
Midterm Questions:
1) In 2-3 short paragraphs, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using Wyatt’s hierarchy of victimization chart to understand the prioritization of victims within the illegal wildlife trade. To receive full credit for your response, your answer must:
#1: draw on 1-2 concrete examples from class discussions;
#2 include your personal opinion (with justifications) for why or why not plants should be understood as victims in illegal wildlife trade;
#3 in responding to the above, include an explanation of how your opinion is informed by an anthropocentric, biocentric, or ecocentric approach to understanding victimization in wildlife trafficking.
2) In 2-3 short paragraphs, explain why western conservation organizations fail to understand Rosewood demand in China, according to Dr. Annah Lake Zhu. How
could attention to Chinese culture and history inform more responsible, sustainable, as well as effective forms of conservation to ensure rosewood species do not go extinct in the near future? For full credit, give concrete examples from your reading of Dr. Zhu’s book, Rosewood, as well as discussions from class.
3) In 1-2 paragraphs, make an argument about who and/or what Dr. Rosaleen Duffy holds most responsible for the ongoing militarization and securitization of
conservation in relationship to wildlife trafficking. Do you agree or disagree with her arguments? Use concrete examples from the book and class discussions to support your response. If scholars recognize the militarization of conservation and responses to wildlife trafficking as doing more harm than good, why does militarization and securitization of conservation persist? Again, reference examples from class and our readings in crafting your response.
4) In 1-2 paragraph, and in your opinion, what major ideas/topics related to wildlife trafficking do you believe Professors Duffy and Wyatt would most agree on AND ALSO most disagree on based on your readings? Who do you think you agree most with and why? For full credit, you must give examples of both sites of agreement and disagreement. Use examples and concepts from your readings and class to support your argument.
Sources:
Wildlife Trafficking by Tanya Wyatt
Security and Conservation by Rosaleen Duffy
Animal Traffic by Rosemary-Claire Collard
Rosewood: endangered species conservation and the rise of global China – by Annah Lake Zhu
