Another Exciting Winter Course Offering!

Class meeting asynchronously online, Winter 2022

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the political and policy dimensions of disaster. The two key questions we ask here are (a) How does disaster affect the social/political landscape, and (b) How does the social and political landscape affect the ability to deal with disaster?

We begin by defining disaster and analyzing disaster from a structural perspective, looking at how disasters have changed the modern state.

Next, we examine the personal and psychological reactions to disaster on the part of victims and community (local and national), placing a special emphasis on vulnerability of select populations. Finally, we study various political aspects of disaster, from determinants of policy learning to the political opportunities that emerge from disasters. Our analysis includes both domestic and foreign policy considerations.

This course is designed to introduce students to the political and policy dimensions of disaster. The course will explore how disaster affects the social/political landscape, as well as how that social/political landscape affects the state's ability to deal with disaster.

Topics covered include state institutional adaptation and policy learning; special cases of vulnerability; the impact of disaster on local and international conflicts; and humanitarian assistance. Recommended Course Preparation: POLI 250, POLI 260