This course offers an in-depth exploration of the sociology of disasters. Though disasters are often thought of as being either natural or technological in nature, they are fundamentally social in nature, and their impacts are unequally distributed. This course will examine a number of specific disaster cases, including weather-related disasters, technological hazards, terrorism, and the impacts of climate change. It will also focus on social science theories of disaster response and social vulnerability. The course will pay specific attention to topics including community vulnerability, response, and resilience; disaster risk perception and preparation; impacts of disasters on vulnerable social groups; community disruption and social change after disasters occur; and the geographic and temporal scales at which disasters occur. This course involves group work, oral presentations, independent research projects, exams and quizzes, written papers, and classroom discussion.
At least two credits of prior coursework in Sociology; or consent of instructor.