ALST 229   Disasters in the Caribbean

Provides an overview of the study of disasters from a regional perspective. Coursework includes both theoretical and empirical work from leading scholars in the field and focuses on contemporary cases within the Caribbean region. Beyond the fact that each disaster – conceived as natural or human-made – produces different outcomes, students focus on a vision of the social dimensions of disasters, with a particular focus on responding to key questions: Is there such a thing as a natural disaster? What are the dimensions of the disaster experience? How do social inequality, poverty, histories of colonialism/empire, geopolitics, and power shape the disaster experience? How can the Caribbean experience provide a pivot point toward understanding and explaining such historical, social, and cultural intersections?