SSCI20030

The module introduces students to the various facets of the resilience concept through a trans-disciplinary approach. It also provides skills to deal with challenging situations and potential future crisis. Specifically, we will interrogate and unravel the complexity and depth of resilience using the lens of scientific disciplines such as psychology, archaeology, sociology and social justice. Resilience can refer to a single organism (e.g. forest, human being) or to a system (e.g. community, health system), following exposure to a stressor (e.g. fire, pandemic, work stress). Thus, resilience may encompass processes of recovery, adaptation, transformation and sustainability.

The module will cover the following 1) Pre-crisis stage: we will explore the history of social and environmental crisis and how these have differed across cultures and time periods. 2) Crisis stage: we will look at how crisis and shocks unfold and how we are impacted as individuals and groups, such as 9/11, Global warming, COVID-19. 3) Post-crisis: we will look at how groups and societies have recovered from crisis events, drawing out the methods we can use to adjust and find a new equilibrium.

Experts from different social science disciplines teach on the module and contribute to understanding and building resilience. Student participation and learning is supported by a variety of tools such as seminars, reflexive exercises, online resources and discussion forums. By the end of the module, students will be able to critically analyse systemic contexts of adversity and the value of resilience in addressing societal challenges of the 21st century.