ENS106 Ecological Economics

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2014
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Naděžda Vlašín Johanisová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Bc. Petra Burišková
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Thu 11:30–13:00 exP52
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/100, only registered: 0/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
Name and critically discuss some unacknowledged assumptions and contentions of mainstream economic theory; Explain selected alternative economic concepts, models and approaches; Improve his/her knowledge of mainstream and alternative economic historic streams; Apply the knowledege gained in concrete environmental and social settings and context; Improve her/his skills of critical thinking as well as social competences and ability to evaluate problems, analyse issues and come up with arguments in the sphere of ecological economics.
Syllabus
  • Introduction of lecturer, students and course topic and evaluation. Some concepts and an introductory activity.
  • Basic classical economic postulates and their critique.
  • Neoclassical economics and Keynes. Critique of perfect competition theory.
  • Simulation game: Bangladesh- two approaches to development.
  • Nature in mainstream economic thinking.
  • Critiques of GDP and economic growth.
  • Money, its creation, the issue of interest and implications for nature and society. Discounting the future.
  • Critiques of free trade and of the theory of comparative advantage.
  • Economies that mainstream economics has forgotten about, economic localisation, social enterprise.
  • Discussion with invited guest.
  • Economic alternatives in practice.
  • Note: This syllabus is approximate and subject to change, updated detailed yearly syllabi will be available to students during courses (including a detailed description of the evaluation of students´ work in the course).
Literature
  • SCHUMACHER, E. F. Malé je milé : aneb ekonomie, která by počítala i s člověkem. 1. vyd. Brno: Doplněk, 2000, 284 s. ISBN 807239035X. info
  • KORTEN, David C. When corporations rule the world. 2nd ed. San Francisco, Calif.: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2001, xix, 384. ISBN 1887208046. info
  • JOHANISOVÁ, Naděžda. Kde peníze jsou služebníkem, nikoli pánem. Výpravy za ekonomikou přátelskou přírodě a člověku (Where money is a servant not a master. Looking for an economy friendly to nature and people.). Volary: Nakladatelství Stehlík, 2008, 125 pp. Jiná ekonomie, sv. 2. ISBN 978-80-86913-05-6. info
Teaching methods
The teaching methods entail lectures supported by overhead projections and interactive student activities. The latter include brainstorming in class, work with texts and systems and other diagrams, discussion in pairs and small groups, class discussions, group and class work with texts and a simulation game. A guest will share her/his expertise with the students in one of the sessions. Students are assigned compulsory reading and write a review of a selected book - See Evaluation methods.
Assessment methods
The final evaluation involves a book review (the book si chosen by the student from a recommended reading list updated yearly)and a quiz. In the quiz students also display their knowledge of compulsory as opposed to recommended readings. Students are guided by a detailed course syllabus and are given additional teaching materials during the course. The course is evaluated on a fail-pass basis (i.e. no grading is involved).
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 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2014, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2014/ENS106