Human Ecology

Code: PAO11475L

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Environment and Ecology Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

Transdisciplinary reflection on the Man-Nature relationship on its multiple dimensions

Sustainable Development Goals

Erradicação da pobreza - Acabar com a pobreza em todas as suas formas, em todos os lugares

Fome zero e agricultura sustentável - Acabar com a fome, alcançar a segurança alimentar e melhoria da nutrição e promover a agricultura sustentável.

Saúde e bem-estar - Assegurar uma vida saudável e promover o bem-estar para todos, em todas as idades.

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Cidades e comunidades sustentáveis - Tornar as cidades e os assentamentos humanos inclusivos, seguros, resilientes e sustentáveis.

Ação contra a mudança global do clima - Tomar medidas urgentes para combater a mudança climática e seus impactos (*).

Learning Goals

Transdisciplinary reflection on the Man-Nature relationship.

Humans, Environment and Society - Auto-ecology and ecological-evolutionary models. Pressures and adaptations. Selection and counter-selection. Human population ecology. Parameters and rates. Demographic explosion and implosion and their impacts. Demographic transition. World population prospects. Valuing Nature: criteria for setting value; tangible and intangible, economic and non-economic values. Ecological services. Ecological Economics. Valuation methods.
Looking at and attitudes towards Nature - paradigms. Development vs. environment - evolution of paradigms: from unrestricted to sustainable development.
Arguments for Nature conservation. Levels of the experience of Nature. Symbolism and anthropology of landscapes. Arcadia revisited
Biophilia. Environmental ethics, liberacionism, ecocentrism, specism. Leopold and Land Ethic, Naess and Deep Ecology. Environmentalism and radicalism. Nature and the sacred. Religion and environmental ethics: despotism and custodian.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and promotion of discussions regarding contemporary issues and daily life situations; teaching methodologies, identifying issues and the contradictory nature of every topic try, to encourage students participation and the expression of personal perspectives. On-line communication and share of literature and other resources are made through MOODLE.

Students assessment is based on written examinations and presentation and discussion of essays.
The weights of each evaluation component are discussed and accorded with the students; the written examinations weights in the student classification is at least 50%. The student has the possibility to be evaluated through a final written examination.