Z7893 Social and Regional Geography of Central Europe

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Petr Daněk, Ph.D. (lecturer)
RNDr. Mgr. Pavel Doboš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Milan Jeřábek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Milan Jeřábek, Ph.D.
Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Milan Jeřábek, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Learning outcomes of the course unit The aim of the subject is to acquaint students with the human-geographic aspects of Central European countries. At first the emphasis is placed on the possible definition of the term "Central Europe" and the historical context, followed by selected chapters from some sub-disciplines of human geography dealing with economy, transport, population or cross-border cooperation.
Learning outcomes
Graduate of the course will acquire basic knowledge from the regional geography of states that are spatially, historically, culturally, politically or economically close to the Czech Republic.
Syllabus
  • 1) Where is Central Europe? Alternative approaches to the definition of the region.
  • 2) Formation of national identity and the emergence of states in Central Europe.
  • 3) Alternative geopolitical visions of Central Europe.
  • 4) Population development in Central Europe (identical versus different features, impacts, perspective)
  • 5) The Central European Economy - transformation after 1989, characteristics of the current state
  • 6) Territorial-administrative breakdown of Central European countries, political system and election results
  • 7) Regional Policy of Central European States, European Agenda (ESI Funds, Relationship to the EU)
  • 8) Traffic characteristics of Central European states - global, continental, national and regional accessibility, interconnection
  • 9) Current transport and geographic processes in Central European countries - different roles of individual and collective mobility, approaches to liberalization of rail transport, transport and leisure / tourism
  • 10) Regions, regionalization and regional processes in Central Europe
  • 11) European Territorial Cooperation in Central Europe (transnational, interregional, cross-border)
  • 12) The position of the Central European region in Europe and the EU (meaning, interests, ties)
  • 13) Euroregions and Cross-Border Cooperation (Development, Current Situation, Perspective)
Literature
  • O`Loughlin, J. (2001) Geopolitical Visions of Central Europe. In M. Antonsich, V. Kolossov, and M. P. Pagnini (eds.): Europe between Geopolitics and Political Geography. Rome: Societa Geografica Italiana, pp. 607 - 628.
  • SEIDENGLANZ, Daniel, Filip CHVÁTAL and Kateřina NEDVĚDOVÁ. Comparison of Urban and Suburban Rail Transport in Germany and in the Czech Republic. Národohospodářský obzor. Masarykova univerzita; De Gruyter Open Ltd, 2014, vol. 14, No 2, p. 165-194. ISSN 1213-2446. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2014-0009. URL info
  • MYANT, M. R. and Jan DRAHOKOUPIL. Tranzitivní ekonomiky : politická ekonomie Ruska, východní Evropy a střední Asie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2013, 577 s. ISBN 9788020022684. info
  • TURLEY, Gerard and Peter J. LUKE. Transition economics : two decades on. New York: Routledge, 2011, xv, 483. ISBN 9780415438827. info
  • Regional diversity and local development in the new member states. Edited by Paul Blokker - Bruno Dallago. 1st pub. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, xvii, 299. ISBN 9780230218192. info
  • COMTOIS, Claude and Brian SLACK. The geography of transport systems. Edited by Jean-Paul Rodrigue. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2009, xv, 352. ISBN 9780203884157. URL info
  • Transport geographies : mobilities, flows, and spaces. Edited by R. D. Knowles - Jon Shaw - Iain Docherty. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2008, xxi, 293. ISBN 9781405153232. URL info
  • THIESSE, Anne-Marie. Vytváření národních identit v Evropě 18. až 20. století. Translated by Pavla Doležalová. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury (CDK), 2007, 263 s. ISBN 9788073251185. info
  • KŘEN, Jan. Dvě století střední Evropy. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2005, 1109 s. ISBN 8072036122. info
  • ŘEZNÍK, Miloš. Formování moderního národa : (evropské "dlouhé" 19. století). Vyd. 1. Praha: Triton, 2003, 183 s. ISBN 8072544063. info
  • HROCH, Miroslav. Pohledy na národ a nacionalismus : čítanka textů. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2003, 451 s. ISBN 8086429202. info
  • KREJČÍ, Oskar. Geopolitika středoevropského prostoru : horizonty zahraniční politiky České republiky a Slovenské republiky. 1. vyd. Praha: Ekopress, 2000, 318 s. ISBN 8086119297. info
  • ŠATAVA, Leoš. Národnostní menšiny v Evropě : encyklopedická příručka. Vyd. 1. Praha: Ivo Železný, 1994, 385 s. ISBN 8071163759. info
Teaching methods
The course is taught in the form of an hourly lecture and an hourly exercises which extend the knowledge gained during the lectures. Part of the course is also the individual work of the students on assigned tasks in exercises.
Assessment methods
The course is finished with a credit, which the students receive for attending the exercises and the assignment and recognition of all assigned tasks.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011 - acreditation, spring 2012 - acreditation, spring 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2025/Z7893