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PL50982: The politics of risk

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Assessment detail for this unit will be available shortly. (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Description: Aims:
The unit aims to:
* provide students with a comprehensive overview of the Risk Society
* examine how this emerged in the context of the aftermath of the Cold War
* explore intellectual antecedents relating to the Enlightenment view of progress
* engage with debates regarding the role of human agency and subjectivity
* introduce the standard tools of risk assessment and risk management
* identify the limitations inherent to this approach
* cover specific case studies pertaining to risk in relation to health and security.

Learning Outcomes:
Students who have successfully completed this unit will:
* have a better understanding of the post-Cold War world order
* appreciate how and why risk came to fill a void of political purpose
* be better able to situate debates about risk within a wider framework
* engage critically with contemporary controversies on these issues
* develop a clearer sense of the centrality of human agency in politics
* understand the need for moral values in international relations and security.

Skills:
Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are taught and assessed in this unit. Skills in effective learning are developed in this unit.

Content:
The unit will discuss the following:
* The Enlightenment worldview
* The Cold War and its aftermath
* The rise of the Risk Society
* Cultural Theory of Risk
* Psychometric Modelling of Risk
* Risk and Security
* Risk and Public Health
* Child Safety
* Environmental Risk
* Resilience.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PL50982 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.