Social Vulnerability in Disasters
Sociology 467-010 – Fall 2005
SYLLABUS TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important note regarding syllabus
General course information and instructor contact information
Course objectives
Required text
Final grade calculation
Proposal
Participation and attendance
Mid-term exam
Video project
Final paper
Class communication and email
Class cancellation policy due to weather
Adjustments to the schedule
Academic integrity
Disabilities
Class schedule
Other important dates
IMPORTANT NOTE
I will be going through the syllabus in great detail on the first day of classes; however, you are
responsible for knowing the information provided in this syllabus.
If you do not understand any of the expectations laid out below, please see me immediately and I will
be more than happy to clarify. If you added the course after the first day, you must make an
appointment to meet with me or the TA and go over the expectations outlined below.
Office Phone:
Email:
DRC Homepage:
Office Hours:
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION
Dr. Tricia Wachtendorf
Disaster Research Center; Rm. 208, 87 E. Main Street; Newark, DE 19716
The building is near Main & Academy. Use the side door. Faculty offices are
upstairs on your left.
302-831-1254 (DRC office number is 302-831-6618)
twachten@udel.edu
www.udel.edu/DRC
Wednesday 9-12 or by appointment
Teaching Assistant:
TA Office Hours:
TA Office Phone:
TA Email:
TA Office Location:
Jenny Froemming
TBA
831-4420
froem@udel.edu
25 Amstel (directly across from Smith Hall)
Professor:
Office Location:
Class Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:45pm
Class Location:
Purnell 229
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course introduces students to an approach to understanding disasters grounded in social
vulnerability analysis. Students will examine social, geographical, and cultural factors that put people
differentially at risk before, during, and after disasters. In particular, the course will focus on global,
national, regional, and local patterns of development. Students will explore how vulnerable social
groups are affected by and cope with hazardous conditions and events, as well as study the capacities
of these groups that foster resiliency. This semester’s course pays particular attention to the social
impacts and implications of the December 26th, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
REQURIED TEXT
Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development, & People, by Bankoff, Frerks, and Hilhorst
At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability, and Disasters 2nd edition, by Blaikie, Cannon, Davis,
and Wisner
Additional readings will be handed out in class or available at the DRC library as necessary.
FINAL GRADES
A plus/minus grading policy will be followed for your final grade in the course.
Final grades for the course will be based on:
Proposal
10%
Participation 10%
Mid term
20%
Video project 20%
Final paper 40%
PROPOSAL: 10% of grade
An assignment sheet and instructions will be handed out in class on Thursday, September 15. Topics
will be picked and assigned in class on Thursday, September 15. Proposals are due in electronic (via
email in a word document) AND hard-copy form (in class) on Thursday, September 29 at 3:30pm. You
can make arrangements to drop your proposal off earlier, but late proposals will be deducted 1/3 of a
letter grade for each 24 hour period that it is late.
PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE: 10% of grade
Remember, attendance and full participation in class discussion are required. You should always
come prepared to raise issues and actively discuss the class readings. In this component of the class,
your active participation is critical to the success of the course and it will be important in completing
your final paper and portion of the video project. Students have a great deal to learn from each other
and your contribution to the course through participation and attendance is both essential and valued.
This type of class may not be for every student. If you miss classes and/or do not actively and regularly
participate, you will not do well in this class. Said another way, poor attendance and not contributing to
class discussion will resulting in a failing grade for this portion of your overall assessment. Extra-credit
opportunities will not be provided.
MID-TERM: 20% of grade
An in-class mid-term will be administered on Tuesday October 18th. The mid-term will consist of case
study problems based on material covered in the first half of the class.
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VIDEO PROJECT: 20% of grade
Students will be assigned into project groups. Each group will produce a video segment on social
vulnerability and resilience during the Indian Ocean tsunami. The project groups will relate to the
student’s final paper topics. This requirement necessitates group collaboration and time spent on using
and producing video footage and/or photographs. Additional instructions will be distributed in class.
Clips may be used for educational purposes and only distributed for other’s use the course instructor. If
students do not have access to a video camera, the instructor can film students at a pre-arranged time,
however, accommodations and structuring of the video must take the instructor’s schedule into
account. If the instructor’s camera will be used, a writable mini-DVD must be provided.
Students must submit a signed form by October 4 indicating that their group knows how to edit the
footage they will use. A multi-media workstation is available in the basement of Morris Library and a
tutorial is available as well. Roxio is the beginner version. Call 831-1475 to reserve the workstation.
You may also already have a movie-editing program on your computer, such as Windows Movie
Maker.
Editing videos may take longer than you assume, and remember that there is only one workstation at
Morris Library. Other students from this class or other classes may be using the workstation for their
own assignments. In other words, do not wait until the last minute and assume that you’ll be able to get
on the workstation.
Project videos are due Thursday November 17 for Groups 1 & 2 and Tuesday November 29 for
Groups 3 & 4. Screenings will take place on December 1 and 6. Part of each student’s grade for this
video project will be based on a peer review of group members’ contributions to the project. Students
will be asked to asses their peers’ attendance at group working meetings, submission of work as agreed
upon, and useful insights or suggestions. Late videos will be deducted 1/3 of a letter grade for each 24
hour period that it is late.
FINAL PAPER: 40% of grade
Each student will write a final paper, including a critical literature review and research on
documents/newspaper articles related to their assigned project on the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Instructions will be handed out in class. Papers should be a minimum of 15 pages in length –
excluding references – based on 12pt Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and 1 inch margins (or
17 pages with 1.25 left/right margins). Submission of both an electronic and hard copy are required.
References must be properly cited using ASA or APA format in the body of the paper and in a
reference section at the end of the paper. The final paper is due in class on Tuesday, December 6. Late
papers will be deducted 1/3 of a letter grade for each 24 hour period that it is late.
CLASS COMMUNICATION
Students are required to have a University of Delaware email account and to check it regularly as I
may need to send notices electronically to the class list between class meeting times. If you use another
account, be sure to check your UD account or have emails from the UD address forwarded to your
regular email address.
CLASS CANCELATION POLICY
Please see the University of Delaware’s policy on the canceling of classes due to bad weather.
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ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SCHEUDLE
I reserve the right to make adjustments to the course schedule as I determine appropriate. Students are
still required to have completed all assigned readings and assignments by the dates specified in the
syllabus unless I specify otherwise.
ACADEMIC INTEGRETY
I take the issues of academic honesty and dishonesty very seriously.
The University’s rules on academic honesty and dishonesty are described in the official student
handbook, available on the web (http://www.udel.edu/judicialaffairs/ai.html) or through the Dean of
Students Office. At minimum, if you are found cheating or plagiarizing (or facilitating cheating or
plagiarism by another student) you will receive a zero for that assignment. Following University
policy, all cases of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, or other forms of academic misconduct will be
reported to the Dean of Students Office for disciplinary action. If there is sufficient proof of academic
dishonesty, I will not hesitate to fail the student from the course and even move forward with charges
of academic dishonesty. In other words, write your own paper and give credit where credit is do.
DISABILITIES
Students are encouraged to meet with the Office of the ADA and inform me at the beginning of the
course if adaptations/accommodations are believed to be necessary due to a disability. You are also
encouraged to notify me of the need for special assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Aug 30,
Sept 1,
Sept 6,
Sept 8,
Sept 13,
Sept 15,
Sept 20,
Sept 22,
Sept 27,
Sept 29,
Introduction
Lecture:
Disasters & development;
Readings:
At Risk Chpt 1, 2;
Lecture:
DRC’s fieldwork on the Indian Ocean tsunami,
Video project instructions
Readings:
Mapping Chpt 1, 2
Discussion: Assessing vulnerability
Readings:
Mapping Chpt 13;
Case studies At Risk Chpt 4-8
Lecture:
Social Vulnerability and Capacities
Readings:
Mapping Chpt 9
Anderson/Woodrow;
At Risk Chpt 3
Work groups Pick topics,
Proposal assignment handout;
Work group on Anderson/Woodrow assignment with case study
Lecture:
Literature reviews
Age
DRC Library Library introduction: meet at 87 E. Main Street
Lecture
Gender
Readings:
Mapping Chpt 12;
Enarson
Small group Instructions for final papers
Proposals due
Small group work to discuss video plan
4
Oct 4,
Discussion,
Race/ethnicity,
Signed form due indicating you know how to edit video footage
Readings:
Fothergill’s Race, Ethnicity & Disasters
http://www.blackwellsynergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/14677717.00111?cookieSet=1
Oct 6,
Oct 11,
Film
Lecture
Transient populations; language
Oct 13,
Discussion
Ability
Readings:
Parr, Arnold. 1997. “Disasters And
Human Rights Of Persons With
Disabilities: A Case For An Ethical
Disaster Mitigation Policy.” Australian
Journal of Emergency Management
(Summer): 2-4 (handout)
Wisner, Ben. 2002. ”Disability And
Disaster: Victimhood And Agency In
Earthquake Risk Reduction.” In C.
Rodrigue and E. Rovai (eds.),
Earthquakes. London: Routledge.
Available on-line through RADIX:
http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/geography
_research/radix/resources/disability_and_d
isaster_wisner.doc
Oct 18,
Oct 20,
Exam
Lecture
Oct 25,
Lecture
Oct 27,
Discussion
Nov 1,
Nov 3,
Small group
Discussion
Class, livelihood, business, industries
Readings
(ITDG)
Development
Readings
Fred Cuny
Development:
Readings:
Dyne’s Exploring the Horizons of Disaster
Research
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/mar04/
mar04a.html
Mapping Chpt 3, 4, 7
Development
Readings:
Handout Social Vulnerability in the City
5
Nov 8,
Lecture
Social Capital, Social networks
Readings:
Mapping Chpt10
"Demographics and emergency
management: knowing your stakeholders"
Norman Ferrier
http://www.ema.gov.au/agd/ema/emaInter
net.nsf/Page/RWP04A6267272F72D84CA
256C75007F2F06?OpenDocument
Nov 10,
Discussion
Nov 15,
Nov 17,
Small group
Lecture
Nov 22,
Discussion
Nov 29,
Discussion
Dec 1,
Dec 6,
Screening
Screenings
Action for Reduction
Readings:
At Risk; Part III
Sustainable livelihoods;
Community based participation
Video projects due for Groups 1 & 2
Sustainable livelihoods
Readings:
Mapping Chpt8
Policy Implications: Local, National, Regional, and Global
Video projects due for Groups 3 & 4
Final papers due (but will be accepted earlier)
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:
August 30:
September 13:
September 15:
September 22
September 29:
October 4:
October 18:
October 25:
November 17:
November 29:
December 6:
First Class
Last day to register or to add course for Spring 2005. After this date there is a
tuition and change-fee charge, and a grade of "W" is recorded for course
withdrawal. Last day for textbook refunds.
Proposal instructions handed out, Paper topics picked
DRC library tour 87 E. Main Street.
Proposals due
Signed form due indicating you know how to edit video footage
Exam
Last day to change registration or withdraw from a course without academic
penalty and dean’s approval. This includes changing registration to a pass/fail.
Video projects due for Groups 1 & 2
Video projects due for Groups 3 & 4
Last class, Final papers due
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