Sociology of Risk

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

The classes are theoretical-practical and composed of an expositive part followed by a discussion of pre-assigned texts with students. The evaluation of the curricular unit is based exclusively on the presentations of texts in classes by the students and in an essay about risk perceptions in contexts defined by the students.

Learning Outcomes

The main objective is to apply a critical analysis of sociological risk theories, integrating into the discussion the recent debates on social vulnerability and theory of disasters. Special attention will be given to risk regulation regimes and their relationship with public policies related to civil protection and population security, as well as the thematic of public participation and the construction of civic epistemologies.

Students must acquire a deep knowledge of the different sociological risk theories, both in their epistemological and cognitive dimension as in their practical application. The discussion of the concepts of social vulnerability and the social construction of disasters, and its methodological and empirical components, must develop the ability to evaluate public policies in the areas of civil protection and population security. Students will also be acquainted with public participation methodologies in the field of natural and technological risks.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

-From Risk to Risk Society.

-From Risk to Precaution.

-Concepts and Classifications in Risk Analysis.

-Sociology of Disasters and Risk Governance

-Risk Regulation Regimes.

-Social Vulnerability and Social Resilence.

-Public Participation and Civic Epistemologies.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Manuel Oliveira Mendes

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Presentations in classes: 25.0%
Final work: 75.0%

Bibliography

 

Manual de referência:

MENDES, José Manuel (2015), Sociologia do risco. Uma breve introdução e algumas lições. Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra.

Outra bibliografia:

BECK, Ulrich — Risk society : towards a new modernity. London : Sage Publications, 1992.

HANDBOOK of disaster research. Ed. Havidán Rodríguez, Enrico L. Quarantelli, Russell R. Dynes. New York : Springer, 2007.

JOFFE, Hélène — Risk and ‘the other’. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999.

LUHMAN, Niklas - Risk : a sociological theory. Berlin : Walter de Gruyter, 1993.

RENN, Ortwin - Risk governance : coping with uncertainty in a complex world. London : Earthscan, 2008.

RISK in social science. Ed. Peter Taylor-Gooby and Jens O. Zinn. Reprint.. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2009.

WILKINSON, Iain - Risk, vulnerability and everyday life. London : Routledge, 2010.