Human Ecology WB-BI-36-07

The course of Human Ecology (HE) covers two main topics: (1) the sensitivity of the human organism to environmental factors and appropriate adaptive biological changes and (2) evolutionary processes and biocultural adjustments. The first topic is superior with respect to the second one. In addition to human ecology issues in relation to the general ecology, and history of EC, very important is the methodology used, including monitoring and modeling of the HC phenomena. The most important part concerns the biological adaptational changes (reactivity of the organism, biological strategy towards the environment, types of these changes). Against this background, diversity and geographical distribution of Homo sapiens are considered as well as the environmental physiology phenomena are also considered. The second topic covers issues related to the creation of Homo sapiens and socio-cultural forms of its existence. Detailed analysis concerns the cultural and bio-cultural adaptations.
During the lectures the main methods of monitoring and modeling of the described phenomena based on the equipment and scientific apparatus will be described and shown. Lectures of this type are the basis for conducting tutorials, which include students’ presentations concerning the different ways of biological, bio-cultural and cultural adaptation to various climatic zones of the globe.
These elaborations refer to the problems of the first settlements (the largest cultural centers in the world), to material and immaterial culture, cultural change, migration and nutrition.
Tutorials are based on information provided during lectures. Tutorials take place after completed lectures
Subjects of lectures which are the base for tutorials
• What is human ecology (HE)
• Area of interest in Human Ecology
• Methodology in Human Ecology -the equipment and apparatus for testing in EC
• Organism reactivity – equipment for reactivity assessment
• Adaptation to environment – the way of monitoring, apparatus display
• Ecological problems of human development – display of bones with pathological changes
• Anthropogeography and environmental physiology – methods assessing this phenomenon
• Human differentiation as result of adaptive changes - what study we can lead and what research we cannot do - research equipment that serves this purpose
• Region, human settlement and family as environment of human development - assessment of rural and urban populations - how we measure and assess the differences associated with the chest shape, deformities of lower extremities and spine flexibility.
• Cultural adjustments – methods of assessment using different scientific equipment (1)
• Cultural adjustments to various biomes - methods of assessment using different scientific equipment (2)
• Civilization as adaptive strategy - methods of assessment
• City-industrial civilization and environmental problems – environmental pollution assessment – what kind of studies can be provided.
• Ecology of nutrition, health and disease
• Preparation for tutorials
Exam