ENS114 Introduction to Environmental Humanities

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2017
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Vojtěch Pelikán, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Karel Stibral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Zbyněk Ulčák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Veronika Išová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 13:30–15:00 P51 Posluchárna V. Čermáka
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Povinný kurz určený pro první ročník, bez limitu zapsaných. Kurz je doporučený i ostatním studentům Katedry environmentálních studií.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course is an introduction to environmental studies. It explains how specific courses of the program correspond with complex environmental issues. It clarifies the relationship of the field to ecology, ecologism, and nature conservancy. The course explores the extent to which the human relationship with nature is determined biologically and through socio-cultural influence.
It further examines the anthropological/evolutionary, demographic, economic, technological, moral and legal dimensions, which we investigate for possible causes of and solutions for environmental issues.
Students become acquainted with the structure of the environmental studies, which allows them to choose an appropriate curriculum for their study, especially in terms of the optional courses.
Syllabus
  • I. Introduction
  • 1. Why ‘environmental humanities’?
  • 2. Relevance of ecology for understanding the human relationship with nature. Biomorphism and sociomorphism, its interpretive help and limitations.
  • II.Influence of nature on humans and society
  • 3. Evolutionary theory, etology, sociobiology
  • III.Human impacts on nature – roots of the ecological crisis and potential solutions
  • 4. Evolutionary psychology. Biologically and anthropologically-based evolutionary psychological determinants of the human relationship to nature.
  • 5. Demographic context
  • 6. Relationship between economics and ecological issues
  • 7. Environmentally oriented legal interventions
  • 8. Environmental issues and politics
  • 9. Potential and limitations of technological solutions
  • 10. ‘Moral’ solutions to ecological problems
Literature
  • KELLER, Jan. Až na dno blahobytu : (ke společenským kořenům ekologické krize). 1. vyd. Brno: Hnutí Duha, 1993, 127 s. URL info
  • KOMÁREK, Stanislav. Příroda a kultura : svět jevů a svět interpretací, aneb, Jak je to doopravdy. 1. vyd. Praha: Vesmír, 2000, 180 s. ISBN 8085977338. info
  • LIBROVÁ, Hana. Pestří a zelení :(kapitoly o dobrovolné skromnosti). Vyd. 1. Brno: Veronica, 1994, 218 s. ISBN 80-85368-18-8. info
  • TEILHARD DE CHARDIN, Pierre. Místo člověka v přírodě : výbor studií. 2. vyd. Praha: Nakladatelství Svoboda-Libertas, 1993, 163 s. ISBN 8020503099. info
  • VAVROUŠEK. Josef.: Závod s časem: hledání hodnot slučitelných s trvale udržitelným způsobem života. Literární noviny 49, 9. prosince 1993, str. 1 a 3.
  • WEIZSÄCKER, Ernst Ulrich von, Amory B. LOVINS and L. Hunter LOVINS. Faktor čtyři : dvojnásobný blahobyt - poloviční spotřeba přírodních zdrojů : nová zpráva Římskému klubu. Praha: Ministerstvo životního prostředí ČR, 1996, 331 s. ISBN 8085368854. info
Teaching methods
lectures on scheduled themes
students´ individual work - reading of required and recommended literature
discussions during the lectures
Assessment methods
Lectures and required and recommended literature.
The exam contains questions on lectured material as well as the required literature.
Students are expected to read the assigned literature. Each student's final evaluation (A-F) for the semester is based on a written exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Kurz se otevírá při 5 a více přihlášených studentech.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2017, recent)
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