Bloody Ivory: Africa’s white gold

About this course

This course traces the ivory trade from European expansion and empire through to modern conservation efforts. It examines ivory’s uses as a luxury commodity, the effects of changing demand on African elephant populations, and the relationship between global trade, environmental change and international politics. Teaching combines maps, historical images, statistics and contemporary case studies. Questions, discussion and debate are used to assess evidence about legal and illegal trade, conservation policy and the disagreement over whether regulated trade could help or harm elephant survival.

What you'll learn

• Explain how the ivory trade has affected African elephants in the past and present
• Identify the current distribution and population status of African elephants
• Describe the legal and illegal ivory trade and efforts to control it
• Evaluate arguments for and against a regulated legal ivory trade

Is this course right for you?

The course is open to everyone and requires no prior knowledge or specialist expertise. It is taught as an illustrated lecture with opportunities to ask questions, discuss evidence and debate differing views on a contested conservation issue.

• Suitable for learners approaching history, environmental issues, Africa, wildlife conservation or global trade
• Includes discussion and debate about competing interpretations of conservation evidence