Fall Semester 2023 Michigan State University Integrative Studies in Social Science ISS 215 009 Social Differentiation and Inequality Critical Disaster Studies in the Anthropocene Instructor Dr David Lee Baylis Email baylisda msu edu Drop In Hours Wed 3 5pm Place Berkey 5F or Zoom Class Time T TH 8 00 AM 9 40 AM Class Location Wonders C100 Top Hat Code 835282 Course PAL Katherine Niemi see schedule and contact info at end of syllabus Course Description Disasters evoke a strange blend of fear awe and fascination and they appear with increasing prominence in discussions about the impacts of climate change and globalization Traditional disaster studies often treated disasters as discrete self contained and unpredictable events with a well defined beginning and end and universal impacts upon the population Critical disaster studies recognize disasters as spatially diffuse complex yet often cyclical or even predictable events with long histories and uneven and unequal impacts based on a variety of socioeconomic factors Disaster in this sense is a process as opposed to an event Moreover a critical approach asks us to reconsider our commonly accepted understandings of how and by whom disasters are defined understood and experienced In this course we will use an interdisciplinary approach to deepen our understanding of both the practical and theoretical dimensions of our disaster ridden Anthropocene Disaster justice is a key theme in this course as we think critically about the uneven landscape of risk and inequality and look for workable solutions In this course I use interactive lectures The larger class will be subdivided into smaller learning cohorts that will work together on a variety of active learning tasks While we may not experience disaster in the same way disaster still impacts all of us Practicing collaborative engagement to define understand and solve problems in ways that are just and equitable is not only good disaster citizenship it is good citizenship in general You may visit me in person for drop in hours on Wednesdays in Berkey F5 basement garden level Alternatively you may attend drop in hours via Zoom https msu zoom us j 95658644928 Zoom Drop In Hours Meeting ID 956 5864 4928 Required Course Materials and Resources Top Hat We will also be using the Top Hat www tophat com classroom response system in class You will be able to submit live answers to in class questions polls surveys and activities using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets laptops or through text message You can visit http help d2l msu edu top hat student guide which outlines how you will register for a Top Hat account as well as providing a brief overview to get you up and running on the system An email invitation was sent to your school email account Top Hat will require a paid subscription For a full breakdown of all subscription options available please visit www tophat com pricing The JOIN CODE for our class is the following 835282 Once you have created an account the course Top Hat URL is as follows https app tophat com e 835282 These instructions are provided directly from Top Hat We will be using Top Hat www tophat com for class participation You will be able to submit answers to in class questions using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets laptops or through text message For instructions on how to create a Top Hat account and enroll in our Top Hat Pro course please refer to the invitation sent to your school email address or consult Top Hat s Getting Started Guide https bit ly 31TGMlw If you already have a Top Hat account go to https app tophat com e 835282 to be taken directly to our course If you are new to Top Hat follow the link in the email invitation you received or Go to https app tophat com register student Click Search by the school and input the name of our school Search for our course with your course join code 835282 If a paid subscription is required it will be listed at checkout when you enroll in our Top Hat Pro course Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time please contact their Support Team directly by way of email support tophat com the in app support button or by calling 1 888 663 5491 Specific user information may be required by their technical support team when troubleshooting issues This video walks through the process of getting started with a Top Hat student account Course Readings all course readings will be provided as PDFs or weblinks via D2L and Top Hat You do not need to purchase any course readings That being said I am more than happy to suggest texts to check out or purchase based on your interests Course Films You may be required to rent a couple of films during the semester If I can provide the film legally for free or feel that it makes sense to use class time to show a film I will Course Learning Objectives In this class you will o Critically evaluate the commonly used phrase natural disaster ISS ULG 4 o Apply a critical disaster studies lens to the study of disasters to understand the uneven and o Survey and summarize the history of efforts to understand and respond to disasters in the unequal impact of disasters on segments of the population ISS ULG 4 United States In some instances examples of international disasters will also be considered ISS ULG 3 o Identify and describe the various social political cultural and psychological responses prior to during and after disasters These responses will be considered at the individual community state national and to some extent international level ISS ULG 3 o Develop a collaborative community disaster management plan that demonstrates effective disaster citizenship ISS ULG 4 Grading Requirements Due Dates in Schedule Active Attendance Credits Gamification Reward Big classes are easy to get lost in they can also be excellent opportunities to engage with a wider community of learners It is my goal that all my classes function as collaborative learning communities where students feel empowered and excited To do this I need your help we can achieve this with active attendance and participation from all members of our classroom community Active attendance will be tracked and encouraged via Top Hat using a few different strategies During each class session beyond day 1 questions will appear during most class sessions You will receive active attendance credits by responding to these prompts Some questions are based on lecture content while others may be based on pre class engagement materials short