PULS
Foto: Matthias Friel
How do governments cope with risks such as global warming, industrial accidents, food safety, or homeland security? This is, arguably, one of the central questions amongst policymakers and academic researchers these days. And yet, social scientists have very different answers to this question. This course deals with these answers and introduces into the key theoretical perspectives on the governance of risk, exemplified by analysing the different modes of governance for selected areas of risk.
The course has two parts: A first part of sessions introduces the key theoretical concepts for analysing risk and risk governance. A second part of sessions exemplifies risk governance in Western democracies for selected risk areas. These case studies include e.g. the coping with climate change, with natural hazards (such as hurricane Katrina or the volcano ash crisis), with industrial accidents (e.g. the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or the Fukushima nuclear accident), with food safety, and with homeland security (most notably more recent cases of domestic terrorism in Europe and the US). Each of these cases for risk governance is analysed and discussed with regard to its actor constellations, their interests, and modes of governance - as well as the consequences for accountability and legitimacy.
The course language is English.
Regular and informed participation, one presentation and one final paper. Attendance in the first session is mandatory for obtaining a course assessment (Leistungsnachweis).
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