MSc International Disaster Management / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Rethinking Recovery

Course unit fact file
Unit code HCRI60252
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The course critically unpacks and explores the dominant culture and approaches to disaster recovery. Disaster recovery remains the least understood element of the disaster risk management sector, as most work focuses on preparedness and response. As such, this course unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of disaster recovery. We will think about the social, economic, political and cultural factors that shape disaster recovery among affected populations. And we will critically reflect on how and why certain programmes are adopted for disaster recovery. This will involve looking at the role and behaviours of multiple actors involved in disaster recovery: individuals, households, communities, policymakers and NGOs. 

Aims

  • The dominant approaches to disaster recovery 
  • How disaster risk management culture manifests in recovery policies and practises.
  • The problematics of relying on ‘experts’ in disaster risk management 
  • Critical understanding of disaster recovery
  • How to conduct participatory approaches, and think about them critically
  • The roles of different actors in recovery i.e. households, the state, communities, NGOs

Syllabus

 

 

Teaching and learning methods

10 two hour lectures

Knowledge and understanding

  • An understanding of the dominant approaches to disaster recovery 
  • A critical understanding of how disaster risk management culture manifests in recovery policies and practises
  • An understanding of the different roles of development actors, and the debates about their role and impact
  • An ability to conduct participatory approaches, and think about them critically
  • An ability to engage in critical discussion about the roles of different actors in recovery i.e. households, national policymakers, communities, NGOs 

Intellectual skills

  • An understanding of the dominant approaches to disaster recovery 
  • A critical understanding of how disaster risk management culture manifests in recovery policies and practises
  • An understanding of the different roles of development actors, and the debates about their role and impact
  • An ability to conduct participatory approaches, and think about them critically
  • An ability to engage in critical discussion about the roles of different actors in recovery i.e. households, national policymakers, communities, NGOs 
  • An ability to engage in critical discussion and debate in a group, and to formulate ideas based upon key readings.

Practical skills

  • Demonstrate analytical and debating skills with peers and tutors 
  • Show effective use of library resources drawing on relevant academic and grey literature 
  • Develop essay writing skills
  • Independent and group research

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Develop communication skills for a variety of audiences
  • Work effectively in a team
  • Develop, plan and achieve individual learning outcomes
  • Develop analytical skills and the ability to articulate ideas verbally and in writing
  • Develop confidence articulating ideas and opinions during group discussions

Employability skills

Other
Editorial and analytical skills Putting together and maintaining arguments (useful for a marketing/awareness campaign or business case) Oral and communication skills – especially in terms of comprehending large amounts of information and drawing reasoned conclusions Meeting deadlines Working autonomously and in groups

Assessment methods

Assessment Task

Formative or Summative

Weighting

Essay Plan

Formative

0%

Essay

Summative

100%

 

Feedback methods

Feedback Method

Formative or Summative

Informal feedback during lectures/tutorials

Formative

Additional one-to-one feedback during office hours

Formative

Written feedback on Essay Plan

Formative

Written feedback on Essay

Summative

 

 

Recommended reading

Clissold, R., Westoby, R., & McNamara, K. E. (2020). Women as recovery enablers in the face of disasters in Vanuatu. Geoforum, 113, 101-110.

Fan, L. (2013). Disaster as opportunity? Building back better in Aceh, Myanmar and Haiti. Humanitarian Policy Group.

Hore, K., Gaillard, J. C., Davies, T., & Kearns, R. (2020). People’s Participation in Disaster-Risk Reduction: Recentering Power. Natural Hazards Review, 21(2).

Monson, R. (2022). Property, climate change, and community relocation in the Pacific. In N. Graham, M. Davies, & L. Godden (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Property, Law and Society (1st ed., pp. 86–98). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003139614-8  

Rouhanizadeh, B., Kermanshachi, S., & Nipa, T. J. (2020). Exploratory analysis of barriers to effective post-disaster recovery. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 50, 101735.

Sealey-Huggins L (2017) ‘1.5°C to stay alive’: climate change, imperialism and justice for the Caribbean. Third World Quarterly 38(11). DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2017.1368013.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 130

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Gemma Sou Unit coordinator

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