07:20 PM to 10:00 PM MW
Innovation Hall 330
Section Information for Summer 2016
What constitutes a “disaster”? What do changing explanations of the causes and costs of disasters, and differing responses to them, tell us about the larger contours of history? This readings-based seminar will examine disasters, in America and elsewhere, as lived experiences and cultural constructions from the seventeenth century to the industrial era.
Our discussions will proceed from three assumptions informed by the inter-disciplinary field of Disaster Studies: that even so-called natural disasters are never entirely “natural” and are to some extent the result of human agency; that storms, fires, volcanic eruptions and other unfortunate events become “disasters” only when they intersect with human lives; and that case studies of disasters provide compelling insights into their larger cultural and social contexts
Readings will be scaled to accommodate the summer format. The final written project for this course will be a research proposal prepared according to the format required by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Credits: 3
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.