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79127-01 - Seminar: The Political Economy of "Natural" Disasters in the Global South: Understanding When Disasters Become Disastrous (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Viktoria Jansesberger (viktoria.jansesberger@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Extreme weather events such as droughts, storms, floods, and earthquakes are often described as “natural” disasters. Yet, what about them is truly natural? Research increasingly shows that disasters are deeply political: the extent of their impact depends less on natural hazards themselves than on political institutions, economic structures, and societal preparedness. Ultimately, it is political and social actors, not nature, that determine whether extreme events turn into human catastrophes. This seminar examines the political and economic dimensions of disasters in the Global South. It introduces key concepts such as exposure, adaptive capacity, and disaster impact, and discusses how they can be measured. Students will analyze how structural factors, such as poverty, inequality, regime type, and international integration, shape the severity of disasters, and how political incentives influence investment in disaster prevention and mitigation. Beyond the substantive focus, the seminar guides students in developing their own research projects. It familiarizes them with relevant datasets and methodological approaches, including quantitative large-N analyses, survey research, and comparative case studies. Through engagement with recent scholarship, students will critically evaluate existing research, reflect on the strengths and limitations of different research designs, and prepare to write a well-structured research design paper. |
| Bibliography | · Kahn, M. E. (2005). The death toll from natural disasters: The role of income, geography, and institutions. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 87(2), 271–284. · Kelman, I. (2020). Disaster by Choice: How Our Actions Turn Natural Hazards into Catastrophes. Oxford University Press. · Tennant, E., & Gilmore, E. A. (2020). Government effectiveness and institutions as determinants of tropical cyclone mortality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(46), 28692–28699. |
| Comments | Basic knowledge of analytical research and empirical methods. All seminars in Political Science are graded. The grading scale ranges from 6.0 to 1.0, with 4.0 being a passing grade. For quality assurance reasons, the number of participants is limited. In the case of over-enrolment, students of Political Science have priority. Selection is based on the date of registration. |
| Admission requirements | Basic knowledge of analytical research and empirical methods. All seminars in Political Science are graded. The grading scale ranges from 6.0 to 1.0, with 4.0 being a passing grade. For quality assurance reasons, the number of participants is limited. In the case of over-enrolment, students of Political Science have priority. Selection is based on the date of registration. |
| Course application | Basic knowledge of analytical research and empirical methods. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 12.15-13.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Kleiner Seminarraum 02.001 |
Dates
| Modules |
Modul: Erweiterung Gesellschaftswissenschaften M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Regionaler Fokus M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Resources and Sustainability (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Research Design Paper, Literature Comments, Presentation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |