Admission requirements
- Only students of the MSc Crisis and Security Management, enrolled in the specialisation ‘Governance of Crisis’, can take this course.
Description
Environmental disasters, technological catastrophes, climate disruptions, epidemics, terrorist attacks: crises are everywhere and regularly take centre stage of media and politics. Many aspects of our complex, interconnected, global and yet fragile world have the potential to turn into a full-blown crisis with devastating consequences. This course focuses on what causes crises and what societies do to prevent and prepare for them. It is relevant for students interested in working in risk management or crisis prevention/preparedness. It has two interrelated goals.
Firstly, the course analyses the causes of crises, and what actions societies and organisations take to avoid them and their disastrous consequences. Students will learn to critically analyse and discuss the various processes that lead to crises and the policies and actions that seek to prevent and mitigate them. The course will examine key concepts such as risk and vulnerability and discuss related social science theories. Students will learn about the different ways to identify and assess vulnerabilities and risks. They will learn about the various concepts and professional methods to prevent and prepare for crises (prevention, mitigation, preparedness).
Secondly, in line with the CSM approach, the course focuses on one research skill: data collection. It instructs students how to use research methods to collect, generate and analyse data. It discusses how to ensure data’s quality and validity. These are transferrable skills that are useful and needed in many professional contexts. Students will focus on gathering data in relation to the theme of the course. Finally, students will learn to present and communicate research results to a professional audience.
Course Objectives
After finalising the course, students will be able to:
Academic skills:
1. Understand and critically analyse the various concepts of risk, vulnerability, prevention, mitigation, and preparedness; identify and discuss the main theories explaining the causes of crises and disasters.
2. Apply theories and concepts to specific empirical cases; empirically identify the different policies and approaches used to prevent and prepare for crisis; assess how dynamics of risk and vulnerability lead to disasters; discuss the benefits and pitfalls of each kind of policy (risk management, vulnerability reduction, preparedness).
Research skills:
3. Learn how to collect good data: ask a relevant research question and design accordingly a (small) research project using appropriate research methods; reflect on the limits and ethics of their research project.
4. Seek evidence and identify relevant empirical material; rigorously perform data collection and reflect on the validity and reliability of data.
5. Analyse data by identifying empirical patterns and perform elementary analysis linking back their results to academic concepts and theories.
Professional skills
6. Work in a team, collaborate to produce knowledge and confront their viewpoints to develop collaborative solutions.
7. Communicate their research results in an appropriate format to a professional audience and draw conclusions, make judgments and/or provide solutions to real-life problems or societal issues based on empirical data.
8. Self-evaluate and reflect after interactive in-class work and individual assignments
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Brightspace.
Mode of Instruction
The course combines interactive lectures and workgroups. It offers 14 sessions (2 per week).
In the workgroups, students will apply key research skills, concepts and methodologies discussed in the lectures. Workgroups also feature compulsory formative (non-graded) assignments to prepare students for the summative (graded) assignments. Attending the workgroup is essential as students will have to work together on their group assignment.
Depending on the COVID-19 situation and the government’s regulations, we are planning on-site meetings with digital attendance. Further information will be available in due time.
Course load
Total study load: 280h
contact hours: 42h (sessions and consultations)
self-study (reading, preparing lectures, assignments, etc.): 238h
Assessment method
Group data collection portfolio
30% of the final grade
Grade must be compensated in case of a fail (5.5 or lower)
Resit not possible
Individual final paper
60% of the final grade
Grade cannot be compensated; a 5.5 is required to pass the course
Resit possible
Resit will take the same form
Group research poster
10% of the final grade
Grade must be compensated in case of a fail (5.5 or lower)
Resit not possible
Students will be permitted to resit the 60% individual paper if they have a calculated overall course grade lower than 5.50 or with permission of the Board of Examiners. The group assignments must be compensated.
Reading list
A selection of books and articles, to be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. Registration for courses in uSis is possible from 16 July, 13.00h. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in uSis you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
Contact
Dr. Lydie Cabane l.d.cabane@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
dr. Honorata Mazepus h.mazepus@fgga.leidenuniv.nl