Instructor: Jeremy Pais

This Honors section of SOCI 1251 will have a special focus on disasters.

Disasters provide us with a window into the human condition. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, plagues, industrial accidents, and terrorist attacks affect individuals and communities all over the world. To fully understand the ramifications these disasters pose for our world we need to learn about the social dimensions of catastrophe using sociological theories about human behavior and social organization. The primary objective of this course is to examine the ways in which disasters are social events, focusing on human vulnerabilities before, during and after disaster strikes.  This focus will emphasize social, economic, and political forces that put groups at risk. We will also explore how people experience and cope with hazardous, and often times unimaginable, conditions. The course will be driven by student participation and group projects.

(CA 2)

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