- Academic Registry
Course & Unit Catalogues


PL50982: The politics of risk

[Page last updated: 26 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: ES 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Essay (ES 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
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.


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.

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.

Course availability:

PL50982 is Optional on the following courses:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses 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.