Inequality, crisis and natural disasters

The course provides an overview of different perspectives on inequality: how we understand and define inequality, how inequality is reproduced and what actions can be taken to address inequality. More specifically, the course explores how societal inequality manifests itself by studying crises and disasters as such emergencies expose inequality of various kinds and we work on questions of what can be done to prevent crises and disasters. We pay particular attention to crises triggered by climate-related natural disasters such as floods, droughts and storms. These are often presented as purely natural phenomena when in fact their causes are strongly related to human and social factors. These events are characterised by uncertainty where decisions have to be made quickly. In relation to these disasters, issues of vulnerability and resilience take centre stage, which in turn are related to issues of inequality; anyone can be affected by a disaster, but some people live in more vulnerable conditions (and are more severely affected) than others. In other words, disasters, which are increasingly important to understand and address because they are the result of unsustainable forms of development, climate change and lack of adaptation, are events that can teach us something about social inequality, its intersectional composition and how we can work on prevention. Students practise applied research by writing an evaluation of a disaster. The course provides knowledge on how crises and disasters are linked to inequality and is a good component of a programme where you intend to work on local as well as global environment, development and climate challenges. Teaching Teaching consists mainly of lectures, seminars, individual writing exercises and group work.