ISSUES AND THEORIES IN ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: A CONSIDERATION FOR AFROECOLOGISM

Abstract

The study aims to examine theories that impact global ecology. Theories have been raised in ecology and their valuable contributions and limitations in academic studies have been discussed, however, none of these has an Afrocentric focus. In addition, previous studies have not considered the anthropological implications of environmental crises. The study aims to fill this knowledge gap. This study uses a polymethodic approach which involves ethnography, literary reviews, and critical functionalist analysis. Functionalism reveals the underlying mental principles of the theories. These approaches were chosen because they offered wider sources of data and are useful for in-depth analysis. The result findings revealed that the world is inundated with cataclysmic ecological crises and that some of the major causes come from cultural and religious beliefs which play important parts in how human beings relate with the planet. The study calls for the application of anthropological paradigms in the search for understanding the multifarious causes of ecological problems. One limitation of the study is that it does not include quantitative analysis. This study is significant as it offers fresh anthropological perspectives on ongoing global ecological crises. In conclusion, it argues for the adoption of afroecologism as a viable model in ecological discourse, because it is a workable response to numerous ecological challenges bedeviling the world due to its cultural elasticity, earth-friendliness, and practicality.