The course looks at social, economic, psychological and political processes accompanying humanitarian disasters, at the effects of interventions, and at the prospects for peace.
The course examines the consequences and causes of humanitarian disasters, and the effects of various interventions. It looks at the changing nature of civil conflicts, at the famine process, and at the benefits that may arise for some groups from war and famine. It examines some of the sociological and psychological roots of violence, as well as the information systems that surround and help to shape disasters. The principal focus is on Africa but other areas are also considered.