Admission requirements
This course is part of the minor Security, Safety and Justice, taught at The Hague by a lecturer from Leiden University. The course can only be taken within the framework of participation in the minor SSJ.
Description
The real consequences of climate change are gradually emerging, especially since the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is increasing. This will make our societies more prone to disaster. While disasters are often thought of as occurring randomly, their impacts are strongly influenced by human activity. The impact of natural hazards is not random and interacts with gender, racial and socio-economic inequality. People often live in zones prone to hazards, which makes them vulnerable to disasters. Vulnerability is the human dimension of disaster, and is the result of the range of economic, social, cultural, institutional, political and psychological factors that shape people’s lives and the environment that they live in. These dynamic pressures force people to live in unsafe locations and conditions, which makes them vulnerable to disaster. We can understand the vulnerability of various groups to disaster through an environmental justice lens. Environmental justice deals with the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to environmental laws, regulations, and policies. In other words, environmental justice deals with the equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits. The current geological era, named ‘anthropocene’, puts attention directly on the significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. Environmental justice and disasters politics are crucial processes in this era to understand how societies safeguard themselves against impending hazards.
This course examines how disasters and environmental justice are governed before, during and after hazardous events. The course draws on case studies of both particular disasters including hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, as well as disaster response systems such as in Puerto Rico and Mexico. Some of the main questions this course addresses are: how and why disasters are political? Can we unveil the practices maintaining social injustices? How do gender, socioeconomic status and race influence disaster impact and response? What is the role of local communities, national and local governments, and international actors in disaster response?
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
Identify the central tension between environmental justice and disaster politics in a theoretical way.
Identify and compare key challenges in disaster governance in countries across the world.
Apply concepts and theory to real world policy questions
Analyze how political, social, and economic factors influence disaster impact and governance and identify the relationship between disaster impacts and inequalities.
Analyze a concrete example of the tension between disaster politics and environmental justice
Develop and present policy guidance to different audiences.
Timetable
Schedule 2023-2024 to be announced.
The timetable will be displayed with a link on the website and on the front page of this minor programme.
Mode of Instruction
The course will consist of seven sessions dedicated to lectures, including guest lectures, workgroups and general debates.
The total study load for this course is 140 hours, consisting of: a) contact: 14 hrs b) self-study: 126 hrs.
Assessment method
Group paper
30% of total grade
Resit not possible
Grade can be compensated
Final Exam
70% of total grade
Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
Resit possible
Resit will take the same form
Late hand in penalty: 1 point minus per day, and after five days we do not accept papers any longer.
In the case of written assessment methods, the examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
The Course and Examination Regulation Security Studies and the Rules and Regulation of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs apply.
Reading list
Will be made available via Brightspace
Registration
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. Important information about the course is posted here.
After enrolment for the course in uSis you are also enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
Contact
Dedicated email address: ssj@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
All sessions and communications will be in English.
Group and individual assignments need to be written in English.
Please note resits will be organised in January.