Environment and Society

Base Knowledge

Students should be familiar with the basic concepts of ecology necessary for an elementary understanding of the soil and climate conditions required for agricultural activity. Elementary knowledge of history and geography will also be useful.

Teaching Methodologies

The Curricular Unit (CU) will be divided into two modules, comprising Module 1 the programmatic contents 1-4 and Module 2 the programmatic contents 5-8.

In classes the following methodologies will be followed

1) Oral exposition of the subjects;

2) Exploration of particular cases by the students, with the support of the teacher;

3) Preparation, presentation and discussion of practical work.

Learning Results

This curricular unit aims to provide students with the basis to interpret the rural landscape and territory from a diachronic perspective both in terms of natural history and human history, being able to understand

1. The general climatic, geological, hydrological and biogeographical factors that limit the distribution of the main agricultural and forestry crops;

2. The scientific and technological discoveries that throughout history have changed the agroforestry landscape;

3. The environmental and landscape impacts of human activity since the retreat of the last glaciations until today

4. The way in which systems of family and political organization of ancient societies influenced the land structure of rural areas, and how this historical legacy persists in the contemporary landscape

5. The space and the current rural society as a tourist resource.

 

Program

1. mesological and ecological zoning of agriculture and forestry;

2. Main lines of historical evolution of agriculture and rural landscape

3. Historical evolution of environmental variables (biodiversity, pollution, demography)

4. Social and economic organization of the pre-industrial world and its implications on the rural land structure

5. Recent changes in technological processes with impact on productive organization and rural society

6. The organization of space and society in the current rural world and its articulation with the urban world

7. Influence of anthropological factors in the structuring of rural space and its persistence in the landscape and contemporary society;

8. Anthropology and tourism.

 

Curricular Unit Teachers

Grading Methods

Continuous evaluation
  • - Oral presentation - 50.0%
  • - Written test - 50.0%
Exam
  • - Written test - 100.0%

Internship(s)

NAO

Bibliography

Castro Caldas, E.1998. A Agricultura na História de Portugal. Empresa de Publicações Nacionais

Domingo Santos, J & A. Calzado Carretero. ‪2016. Los Montes y sua Historia: Una perspectiva política, social y económica. Universidad de Huelva

Ember, CR & MR Ember. 2014. Cultural Anthropology. Pearson

Hancock, JF. 2004. Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species. CABI Publishing

Pedrega, AM Nogués. 2015. Etnografía bajo un espacio turístico: Sus procesos de configuración. Pasos, 13

Platt, RH. 2005. Land Use and Society: Geography, Law and Public Policy. Island Press

Radich, MC. 2000. Dois Séculos de Floresta em Portugal. Celpa

Ribeiro, O. 1945. Portugal, o Mediterrâneo e o Atlântico

Roberts, N. 2013. The Holocene: An Environmental History. Willey-Blackwell

Ruddiman, W. 2005. Plows, Plagues and Petroleum. Princeton University Press

Smil, V. 2002. Global Catastrophes and Trends. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Todd, E. 2011. L’origine des systèmes familiaux . Gallimard