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Disaster and Humanitarian Aid (DEVT90058)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
Availability | May |
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Fees | Look up fees |
In this subject, we study emergency relief in crisis situations, including both ‘natural’ disasters and armed conflict (or a combination thereof). We will discuss the causes and dynamics of different kinds of disasters, including droughts, earthquakes, floods, cyclones. Central to such disasters is the question of vulnerability and resilience: contrary to what international media images tend to suggest, the first response to disaster is always local, and the resilience of the people affected is determining for longer-term outcomes. But international responses can of course play a major role. The main emphasis in this subject lies with humanitarian aid, but understanding such crisis relief aid requires us to also think about other interventions that take place before, after or in parallel. Alongside the prevalent principles, policies, and guidelines, we will explore the everyday life of humanitarian work and have discussions with people who have recently returned from a mission. We will explore the challenges and dilemmas of humanitarian aid: how it gets entangled with local political economies, how it gets embroiled in dynamics of conflict, how it can in fact become part of the problem. The unintended effects of aid can be as significant as the intended ones. These discussions then culminate into a simulation exercise premised on the post-tsunami response in (then) war-torn parts of Sri Lanka. In the final session, we will zoom out again. Once we step away from the crisis mode that tends to characterise emergency response, it becomes obvious that disasters are not at all exceptional: the occur all over the place and they often recur. They are a normal part of human life and with the impact of development and climate change, human exposure to disasters is only increasing. Instead of trying to tame nature, shouldn't we be thinking about "living with risk" and if so, how can that be done?
Intended learning outcomes
This subject provides a specialized contribution to the first mentioned learning objective of the Development Studies Degree, namely to understand current practice and thinking about development.
More specifically, the learning objectives of this subject are as follows. On successful completion of this subject, students should:
- be able to understand the policy trends and debates in the humanitarian sector;
- have a concrete sense of what crises situations may look like in practice;
- understand causes of contemporary emergencies and the need to understand these against more a structural background of resilience and vulnerability;
- be able to engage with contemporary critiques of humanitarian practice and underlying questions of evidence; and
- be able to take well-argued position in these debates in verbal discussions and an authoritatively written essay.
Generic skills
On completion of this subject students should have:
- the ability to analyze crises situations, their causes and dynamics and think through possible interventions;
- the ability to shift perspective between academic and policy perspectives and to treat the knowledge, language and workings of both realms at their own merit, and identify tensions and connections between them; and
- the ability to construct coherent and convincing arguments about development interventions.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- A 2,000-word practical assignment focussed on a pressing current policy issue to do with humanitarian crisis (40%), due immediately after the teaching period.
- A 3,000-word argumentative essay on a pertinent policy or academic debate with regard to humanitarian aid (60%), due three weeks after the conclusion of the teaching period.
- Hurdle requirement: Students are required to attend 100% of classes in order to pass this subject and regular class participation is expected.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- May
Coordinator Bart Klem Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 6 x 4-hour seminars, taught intensively over six days. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 May 2019 to 24 May 2019 Last self-enrol date 7 May 2019 Census date 17 May 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 31 May 2019 Assessment period ends 14 June 2019
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022