SOC405

041569

Disasters can be triggered by all sorts of causes: from forces of nature, such as viruses, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes; to technological accidents, such as plane crashes, oil spills, and chemical releases; or terrorism and acts of violence. Disasters may be slow-moving in their onset or sudden and unexpected. But what all types of disasters have in common is the potential to cause widespread community disruption, displacement, economic loss, property damage, death and injury, and profound emotional suffering. What is also clear is that disaster risk is on the rise in the United States and around the world. At the same time, disasters reveal a great deal about the social world in which we live. Disasters peel back layers of complexity that normally obscure our vision of social relations. After a disaster occurs, we can see society for what it really is. Disasters therefore provide us with a unique opportunity to refine and reassess our ideas and assumptions about social life.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate

CE - CL (Cross Listed)