GDEV 6340

Risk and Disaster

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

In this course, students will gain a grasp of social science and perspectives on risk and disaster, with a focus on environmental domains. We will work through various ways scholars have worked to understand risk and social responses to it. We will then conceptualize disasters and examine how both scholars and practitioners address disaster risk management. We will draw from disciplines including geography, psychology, anthropology, political science, economics, and emergency management, and we will address a variety of natural and technical hazards. Prior coursework in social science theory, qualitative methods, and statistics is recommended for success in this course.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2022SP

Learning Outcomes

• Explain key social science concepts surrounding risk and disaster.
• Analyze and compare concrete cases of risk and disaster using empirical evidence and theoretical reasoning.
• Present well-reasoned evaluations of arguments and evidence.
• Additionally, graduate students will be able to: Formulate and defend scholarly arguments about the current state of understanding of an issue in risk and disaster studies, demonstrating advanced reasoning and research skills.

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