Time Schedule:
Peter J. May
POL S 398
Seattle Campus
Intensive and advanced studies in various aspects of political science. Open only to participants in the departmental Honors program.
Class description
Description. This seminar will explore aspects of risks that we each face on a daily basis. These include environmental harms, new and wayward technology, and threats posed by terrorism, other human-induced, and natural hazards. We will address issues that social scientists have thought about with respect to risks: Why are some risks elevated to more attention than others? How do our perceptions of risks vary? How do the media report risks? How do governmental regulatory processes fall short in protecting us from harm? Each participant will be asked to investigate various aspects of one type of risk by reading key books on the topic and through research about that risk. A separate aspect of this quarter's work will be defining directions for senior honors theses.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Texts: Four or five books addressing different risks, a set of articles addressing different perspectives on risk, and government documents addressing responses and policy issues.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments: Grading will be based on an individuals class participation, performance on short essays, and the research paper.
Grading. Grading will be based on an individuals class participation, performance on short essays, and the research paper.
