PT|EN
Environment, Health & Wellness
Courses Degree in Social Sciences
Cod: 41104
Department: DCSG
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Sociology
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

This course evidences the complexity of environment and health fields and the importance of understanding them as social constructions. The environmental crisis, the degradation of ecosystems and their impact on health and wellbeing of populations, resulting from the current demographic transition as well as from the increasing depletion of 'natural resources' (whose access is unequal), losses of biodiversity and aggressions on geodiversity and climate change, challenge societies in their organization and ways of life. To understand its configuration, causes, and deal with the consequences it is necessary to consider the multiple dimensions established between the environment, social structures and agents. Its complexity requires an holistic approach.

Environment and Society
Health and Society
Environment Interactions, Human Health & Wellbeing

- Discuss the environment, health and well-being as social constructions;
- Know, analyse and understand the impacts of environmental crisis in social organization in general, and in human health and well-being, in particular;
 - Critical analysis of the environmental field governance in order to identify the underlying concepts of policies, programs, and professional organizations that implement them;
- Identify and discuss the economic dimension of 'environmental phenomena' (turning knowledge and goods in resources);
- Identify and critically analyse the societal challenges that the environmental problem introduces in a multiscale global context;
- Know and discuss the plurality of knowledge and socio-cultural practices around the environment and the challenges to the social sciences;
- Deconstruct the forms of social participation incorporated in the overall management of environment and their importance for social change and transformation;
- Analyse contexts and develop local action plans, of intervention in the prevention and promotion of environmental and health crisis.

 

1. Environment, Health and Wellbeing as social constructions;
2. Environmental crisis, social organization, lifestyles and socio-environmental inequalities;
3. Governance of the environment and health: between the state, the market and the community;
4. Societal Challenges in the Age of Globalization: science, economics, society, plural knowledge, interculturalities and environment;
5. Case Study: Adapting to Climate Change in its biodiversity, food security and health dimensions.

Schmidt, Luísa (1999), Sociologia do ambiente: genealogia de uma dupla emergência in Análise Social, vol. XXXIV (150), 175-210 http://analisesocial.ics.ul.pt/documentos/1218798852Q3dEI9rp2Qp57RC7.pdf
GIDDENS, A. (2010), A politica da mudança climática, Zahar Editores
Alves, Fátima (2015), Racionalidades Leigas e Produção Local de Saberes em Saúde, in Carapinheiro, Graça; Correia, Tiago (Org), Novos Temas da Saúde, Novas Questões Sociais, Lisboa: Mundos Sociais

Viegas, Vanda; Ulisses M. Azeiteiro; João Alveirinho Dias; Fátima Alves (2014). Alterações Climáticas, Perceções e Racionalidades. In Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada / Journal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, 14(3):347-363, disponivel online em http://www.aprh.pt/rgci/pdf/rgci-456_Viegas.pdf DOI:10.5894/rgci456
 
ALVES, Fátima; ARAÚJO, M. José; AZEITEIRO, Ulisses, (2012). “Cidadania ambiental e participação: o diálogo e articulação entre distintos saberes-poderes” in Revista Saúde em Debate, Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Saúde, CEBES. Rio de Janeiro, v. 36, (n. especial de Junho Desenvolvimento e Sustentabilidade:desafios da Rio+20): 46-54. ISSN 0103-1104, Disponivel em: http://www.cebes.org.br/media/File/Revista_Saúde_em_Debate%20-%20Rio+20.pdf

See furder bibliography in virtual classes.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).

I tis mandatory that students enter on:
http://elearning.uab.pt