Global Histories of Risk and Disaster

Catalog description

Why do humans fear death, fire, and disease? What roles do humans play in the creation of risk and disaster? How have past societies responded to risk? The course tackles these questions by studying the history of risk from global and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students will learn that the perception of what is 'risky' and 'safe enough' varied across time and space. The course shows how so-called 'natural' disasters were in fact also the products of human decision-making. Today, disaster experts seek local solutions for global challenges. Students will answer this call by producing a brief case study on risk mitigation. 002237