FSS:ENSb1114 Intro to Environmental Studies - Course Information

ENSb1114 Introduction to Environmental Studies

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

Ing. Zbyněk Ulčák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Karel Stibral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Vojtěch Pelikán, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lucie Galčanová Batista, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Ing. Zbyněk Ulčák, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Klára Dubinová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies

Timetable

Wed 14:00–15:40 P21a

Prerequisites

!ENSb1334 Introduction to Environmental Studies && !NOW(ENSb1334 Introduction to Environmental Studies) && TYP_STUDIA(B)

A compulsory course for first-year students.

This course is intended for students enrolled no further than the 2025/2026 academic year (including those starting in spring 2026). Students starting later must take the course with code ENSb1334. When registering for courses, please follow your Monitoring and registration templates.

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

there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Abstract

This course provides an overview of the environmental studies curriculum; it explains how the program's courses relate to environmental issues. It clarifies the field’s relationship to ecology, environmentalism, and nature conservation. We will examine anthropological/evolutionary, economic, technological, value-based, and legal contexts. Within these dimensions, we will attempt to identify likely causes and possible solutions.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Learning outcomes

At the end the students should be able to:
- understand the structure of the Environmental studies programme;
- choose the best study strategy;
- identify and describe the basic principles of environmental studies.

Key topics

Preliminary list of topics. The detailed syllabus is published in the Course Materials:

1. Environmental Studies – Environmental Humanities – Ecology
2. The importance of ecology for understanding the relationship between humans and nature
3. The relationship between nature and culture
4. History of nature conservation
5. Possibilities and limits of technological solutions
6. Organic farming
7. Connections between the economy and the ecological situation
8. Law and nature conservation
9. Environmental issues and policy
10. Environmental sociology
11. Environmental issues and lifestyle

Study resources and literature

• MOLDAN, Bedřich. Podmaněná planeta. Druhé, rozšířené a upra. Praha: Karolinum, 2015, 511 stran. ISBN 9788024629995. info
• KOHÁK, Erazim; Rudolf KOLÁŘSKÝ and Igor MÍCHAL. Závod s časem : texty z morální ekologie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Torst, 1996, 228 s. ISBN 80-85639-70-X. 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
• KELLER, Jan. Až na dno blahobytu : (ke společenským kořenům ekologické krize). 1. vyd. Brno: Hnutí Duha, 1993, 127 s. URL info

Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching

Lectures on scheduled themes, individual work - reading of required and recommended literature discussions during the lectures

Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements

• Midterm reading test
• Final written exam combining multiple-choice and open-ended questions on the course material and required reading

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 prerequisites of other courses

• ENSb1334 Introduction to Environmental Studies
  !ENSb1114 && !NOW(ENSb1114) && TYP_STUDIA(B)  

• Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2026/ENSb1114