ANTH 2090 Disaster! Learning From Japan

Catastrophes come in many forms– man-made and natural, unexpected and foreseeable. “Disaster!” conjures threat, fear, and trauma from events requiring collective action, both immediate and long-term. Matching student concerns and faculty expertise, each class will choose from among past and/or looming catastrophes for in-depth analysis and guidance for applied action. Students will develop action plans and strategies to prepare themselves and mobilize communities in our region to react to or avoid cataclysms through community-based learning experiences. Linking directly to collaborating overseas organizations and actors in Asia, students will engage with those whose civic energy and political and social action have faced challenges posed by such events. Implementing multi-disciplinary approaches and international outreach to victims, activists, NGOs, and governments in impacted areas via contemporary technologies, our students will practice thinking globally and acting locally to consider how to prevent and recover from catastrophes, whether man-made, natural, or ‘hybrid’. This course is Technology Intensive.
Credits: 3.0