Abstract
We present contemporary cultural and social ecology in the form taught at Department of Cultural Studies (Culturology), Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague. It is inspired by Julian Steward's cultural ecology, which focused mainly on human adaptation to environment.
In the conception of contemporary cultural and social ecology, culture is a specifically human approach towards environment and nature. The discipline stresses transdisciplinarity, reflection of human-environment relationship (including global environmental problems) and the dialogue between human and nature.
Nature, landscape and their cultural and social reflection are very important in the teaching of cultural and social ecology. On one hand, landscape can be interpreted as a textbook, where students can read the story of human and nature relationship.
On the other hand, students deepen their knowledge of sustainable use of landscape and the possibilities of human-nature co-existence.