07:20 PM to 10:00 PM W
Research Hall 201
Section Information for Fall 2022
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 the U.S. and elsewhere, as lived experiences and cultural constructions from the medieval plagues to the hurricanes, wild fires, and industrial disasters of the modern 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;” that storms, flood, 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.
Credits: 3
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
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.