ENSn4672 Sociology of Degrowth

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Eva Fraňková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Arnošt Novák (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Müllerová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
TYP_STUDIA ( N )
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
The aim of the course is that after completing it, the students will gain:
- an overview of the basic definition, principles and arguments of the degrowth movement, its brief history and intelectual roots;
- overview of the main points of critique of the current socio-economic system from a degrowth perspective, including the empirical basis for this critique;
- knowledge of the arguments for and against degrowth;
- knowledge of selected degrowth policies, strategies and examples of degrowth in practice ('nowtopias');
- an overview of both the academic and activist strands of the degrowth movement, i.e. the current degrowth academic literature and its development, as well as the development of the degrowth movement.
Learning outcomes
During the course, the learners will develop - their ability to think critically about economy and economics, and their ability to argue critically about economic growth and degrowth; - the ability to read and present academic texts (both in Czech and English), and the ability to distinguish and articulate own ideas and ideas adopted from the literature; - their understanding of the importance of economy and economics within environmental and social studies.
Syllabus
  • Basic definition of degrowth
  • overview of degrowth principles and reasoning
  • history of the growth dependence, systemic pressures on economic growth
  • negative impacts and limits of economic growth (environmental, social, political, psychological, ..)
  • overview of degrowth policies
  • degrowth alternatives and strategies
  • history and present of the degrowth movement
  • overview of the current academic debate on degrowth.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • FRAŇKOVÁ, Eva a Naděžda JOHANISOVÁ. Udržitelný nerůst. Nový zastřešující koncept v environmentální argumentaci? Sociální studia. Brno: Fakulta sociálních studií MU v Brně, 2013, roč. 10, č. 1, s. 13-34.
    not specified
  • Giorgos Kallis. Na obranu nerůstu. Praha: Neklid, 2022.
  • Timothée Parrique. The political economy of degrowth. Economics and Finance. Université Clermont Auvergne [2017-2020]; Stockholms universitet, 2019. English.
Teaching methods
The course will combine frontal and interactive learning formats, with activities by the students, being an integral part of the course. Its success will therefore depend to a large extent on you: your active participation, your willingness to think, to listen, to ask questions to yourself and others and to communicate your opinions, including critical ones. As everywhere, the more you put into the course the more you get out of it.
Assessment methods
The evaluation has three parts:
1. active participation in the class, for each time you participate in the class and related activities you will receive 2 points (a maximum of 24 points can be earned in total in this part, the minimum required to pass the course is 12 points).
2. In-class presentation of the content of the assigned text, an introduction to a group discussion in which you briefly reproduce the content of the assigned reading (or other source - video, web, etc.) and place it in the context of an existing degrowth debate. A maximum of 12 points can be earned for the presentation; the minimum required for successful completion of the course is 6 points. (Dates for presentations will be arranged together at the beginning of the semester).
3. Submission of a short case study of a degrowth alternative (policy or initiative) in the assigned format. A maximum of 12 points can be earned for the case study; the minimum required for successful completion of the course is 6 points. Due in the second half of the semester.
Therefore, a maximum of 48 points can be earned in total, the overall minimum required for successful completion of the course is 26 points.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/ENSn4672