Risk and Societal Safety (SAM505)

Content

The course introduces students to key concepts within the subject of societal safety. The course is based on foundational theories about administration, regulation and societal safety and security. An introduction will be given to how societal safety as a concept and administrative practice has developed in Norway, and how these developments are linked to prevention, preparedness and crisis management. The course emphasized that societal safety is both about dealing with natural events and man-made threats; including climate change, digitization and malicious and misleading actions. An introduction to organizational theory is also given, which explains why accidents happen and how they can be prevented in complex organizations and technological systems, and how this is taken up in theories of risk management at organizational and societal levels.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, the student shall have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

The student should be able to account for

• What societal safety is, how it is managed in Norway and how social safety has developed and is practiced in Norway.

• That social safety deals with prevention and preparedness against natural events and man-made threats.

• Key concepts and theories about risk management at the societal level (Risk governance) and societal safety.

• How social security can be managed through the authorities' risk assessment, risk communication and risk management.

• How the authorities acquire knowledge about the audience’s perceptions of risk.

• Theories of organizational accidents and risk in complex technological systems.

• What conditions contribute to accidents occurring, and how we can work to prevent unwanted events in organizations and in society?

The student should

• Be able to discuss and reflect on key concepts and theories within the subject of social safety.

• Be able to apply these concepts and theories in practical exercises, i.e. project assignments.

• Have acquired a basic understanding of the relationship between theory, method and analysis within the subject area.

The student should

• Have acquired a good general understanding of the subject of risk management and social security.

• Have acquired sufficient competence to take the areas of specialization in the master's education within social security.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Exam

Course teacher(s)

Head of Department:

Method of work

Lectures, seminars and group work. Some of the teaching will be given in English.

Open for

The course is only open to students admitted to the University of Stavanger's regular master's programme (not UiS-Lifelong Learning, EVU).

Course assessment

Literature