5. Social risks and resilient societies
Coordinator: Kristin S. Scharffscher, UIS, Norway
Short introduction
The aim of this course block is to review a wide spectrum of social threats and challenges typical to the Baltic-Nordic context. Central to the courses are theories of risk framing, attention, perception and interpretation, in addition to theories of socially determined vulnerabilities and robustness. Applying these theories to case studies and practical examples, we will examine the nature of risks and threats typical of everyday life in the Baltic and Nordic countries. We will also compare different approaches to managing the crises typical to the Baltic-Nordic context, with an emphasis on decision-making theories and practices, as well as uncertainties and dilemmas typical to crisis management settings.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the students will know how to:
- Appraise the character and occurrence of different social risks and challenges typical to the Baltic-Nordic region.
- Formulate and/or appraise measures aimed at reducing and/or mitigating risks and threats common to everyday life in the Baltic-Nordic countries.
- Debate the applicability of different managerial tools and approaches relevant to crisis management and coordination, and examine the short- and long-term effects of different practices and solutions.
By the end of the course, the students will be able to:
- Assess the political, economic and social impact of different types of social threats and challenges in the Baltic-Nordic region.
- Assess the short- and long-term effects of crisis decision making on relevant actors and affected population groups.
- Employ crisis management theories in their interpretation of various managerial aspects of an evolving crisis, and/or in the analysis of how a known crisis in the Baltic-Nordic region was managed.
By the end of the course, the students will be competent in:
- Debating variations in the occurrence and severity of different types of social threats and challenges at regional, national and local levels in the Baltic-Nordic context.
- Applying theories of vulnerability and robustness to statistical data sets in order to interpret how different population groups in the Baltic-Nordic countries are exposed to risks and threats related to everyday life.
- Examining practices of risk reduction and management at local and national levels against the capacities and/or vulnerabilities of different social cohorts.
