HEN653 Environmental History

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Lubor Kysučan, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Péter Szabó, Ph.D. M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Karel Stibral, 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
Mon 14:00–15:40 U41
Prerequisites
basic knowledge in the field of environment and world history
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 main goal of the course is to familiarize students with environmental history, that is, with the study of the interactions that have played out between humans and the environment over the course of our history as a species. In doing so, students should gain a good understanding of how the past has affected the environment we live in and depend on today. Students will be able to understand and explain various topics currently popular within the field of environmental history. They will also gain an idea of the various methods used in this interdisciplinary field. The course will include a fieldtrip to a nearby location to learn how to ‘read’ cultural landscapes.
Learning outcomes
Student will be familiar with the basic contexts of history of human society, civilization and environment and will be able to interpretate them.
Syllabus
  • (lectures by P. Szabó, except when indicated otherwise. LK=Lubor Kysučan) 17.9.: Introduction to environmental history – definition, methodology, sources, main topics 24.9.: After the ice: connections between humans and the environment in prehistory 1.10.: Environmental disasters and collapses in the ancient Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Far East and Pre-Columbian America. Climatic changes and environmental migrations in ancient history (LK) 8.10.: The cultural landscape of the ancient world. Attitudes toward the nature in the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome (LK) 15.10.: Environmental problems of the ancient Mediterranean. Deforestation. The globalization of the economy and the globalization of the economic problems. Ancient agriculture in a socio-economic and environmental context. 22. 10.: Care about environment in the antiquity – administration and legislation (LK) 29. 10.: Attitudes towards nature vs working nature in the Middle Ages. The environmental aspects of medieval agricultural expansion 29. října: ????????? 5.11.: Black Death, Great Famine and the ‘crisis’ of the 14th century 12. 11.: Columbian exchange – the expansion of Europe into the New Worlds and how environmental factors played a key role 19. 11.: Science, the Enlightenment and the environment. New attitudes and practices in the Early Modern Period. The birth of ‘sustainability’ 26. 11.: Something new under the sun – the industrial revolution and its long-term environmental consequences. 3. prosince: guest lecture 10. prosince: Conclusion, written test + field trip, date to be determined by agreement
Literature
    required literature
  • DANIEL, Jan, Jindřich FRAJER and Pavel KLAPKA. Environmental history of the Czech Republic. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2013, 198 s. ISBN 9788021066632. info
    recommended literature
  • HUGHES, J. Donald. Environmental problems of the Greeks and Romans : ecology in the ancient Mediterranean. Second edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014, x, 306. ISBN 9781421412115. info
  • SVOBODA, Jiří. Předkové. Evoluce člověka. 1. vyd. Praha: Academia, 2014, 480 pp. ISBN 978-80-200-2324-7. info
  • THOMMEN, Lukas. An environmental history of ancient Greece and Rome. Translated by Philip Hill. Rev. English ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, xi, 186. ISBN 9780521174657. info
  • DARWIN, Charles. On the origin of species. Edited by David Quammen. Illustrated ed., 1st pbk. ed. New York: Sterling signature, 2011, xii, 544. ISBN 9781402789595. info
  • SVOBODA, Jiří. Počátky umění (Origins of Art). 1st ed. Praha, Česká republika: Academia, 2011, 335 pp. ISBN 978-80-200-1925-7. info
  • KYSUČAN, Lubor. Oni a my : dvanáct neodbytných otázek mezi antikou a postmodernou. První vydání. Brno: Lipka - školské zařízení pro environmentální vzdělávání, 2010, 240 stran. ISBN 9788090480704. info
  • DUNBAR, R. I. M. Příběh rodu Homo : nové dějiny evoluce člověka. Translated by Jana Enderlová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2009, 222 s. ISBN 9788020017154. info
  • DIAMOND, Jared M. Kolaps : proč společnosti zanikají a přežívají. Translated by Zdeněk Urban. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 751 s. ISBN 9788020015891. info
  • LEWIS-WILLIAMS, J. David and D. G. PEARCE. Uvnitř neolitické mysli : vědomí, vesmír a říše bohů. Translated by Alena Faltýsková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 398 s. ISBN 9788020016447. info
  • RIDLEY, Matt. Červená královna : [sexualita a vývoj lidské přirozenosti]. Translated by Martin Konvička. Vyd. 2., v Portálu 1. Praha: Portál, 2007, 315 s. ISBN 9788073671358. info
  • LEWIS-WILLIAMS, David. Mysl v jeskyni. Praha: Akademia, 2007, 402 pp. ISBN 978-80-200-1518-1. info
  • SÁDLO, Jiří, Petr POKORNÝ, Pavel HÁJEK, Dagmar DRESLEROVÁ and Václav CÍLEK. Krajina a revoluce : významné přelomy ve vývoji kulturní krajiny českých zemí. Vyd. 1. Praha: Malá Skála, 2005, 247 stran. ISBN 8086776026. info
  • HUGHES, J. Donald. An environmental history of the world : humankind's changing role in the community of life. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2001, xiv, 264. ISBN 0415136180. info
  • BROWN, Neville. History and climate change : a eurocentric perspective. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2001, xiii, 391. ISBN 0415019591. info
  • WILSON, Edward O. O lidské přirozenosti :máme svobodnou vůli, nebo je naše chování řízeno genetickým kódem? Praha: Lidové noviny, 1993, 247 s. ISBN 80-7106-076-3. info
  • JELÍNEK, Jan. Velký obrazový atlas pravěkého člověka. Praha: Artia, 1977, 557 s. URL info
  • MORRIS, Desmond. Nahá opice : zoolog studuje lidského živočicha. 1. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1971, 154 s. info
    not specified
  • HOFFMANN, Richard C. An environmental history of medieval Europe. First published. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014, xvii, 409. ISBN 9780521876964. info
  • CROSBY, Alfred W. Ecological imperialism : the biological expansion of Europe, 900-1900. Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge university press, 2004, xxii, 368. ISBN 9781107569874. info
  • MCNEILL, John Robert. Something new under the sun : an environmental history of the twentieth-century world. London: Penguin Books, 2000, xxiv, 421. ISBN 0140295097. info
Teaching methods
Lecture, excursion.
Assessment methods
In order to successfully complete the course, students are exspected to attend lectures, to take part in classroom discussions, to prepare paper and must pass a written test.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
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