Course content

Risk and safety are topics that often come on the agenda when accidents or crises occur. As concepts and phenomena, they are also, beyond the most dramatic events, central to the organization of our lives and society and how organizations manage their work.

This course discusses approaches to risk and safety from social science. It will provide an introduction perspectives on risk as a phenomenon and how safety is managed in organizations and at the societal level.

The lecturers have extensive experience in research on organizational safety and societal security, so the teaching will include many empirical examples. Additionally, there will be an introduction to key research traditions and theories on risk and safety.

In modern society, there are requirements for businesses to be organized and operated in a safe manner; concerning people, the environment, material surroundings, and societal security. This applies to industrial production, transportation, infrastructure, healthcare and public and private services. An acceptable level of safety in all types of risk-exposed activities depends on human, technological, economic, organizational, and political factors.

The purpose of this course is to provide a general introduction to the field of safety and risk, and also how this relates to more general social and organizational theory. Societal security will also be a key theme.

The course is relevant both for students in social sciences and humanities who want a better understanding of risk and safety as sociological phenomena, as well as for other students who want an introduction to social science and organizational perspectives on risk and safety.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall:

• Obtain a conceptual framework and analytical tools to discuss risk and safety at the societal and organizational levels.
• Gain competence that can be useful for students who want to work with organization and management or have operational responsibility in various types of private and public enterprises where safety is important.
• Have a foundation for further studies and research in safety within organizations, at the societal level, and in socio-technical systems.

Skills - the students shall demonstrate the ability to:

• through the exercise program, gain experience in the application of relevant theory and methodology related to risk and safety in society and organizations.

Learning methods and activities

2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of seminars every week throughout the semester. The compulsory activity can only be completed in the fall semester.

Compulsory assignments

• Approved term paper(s)

Recommended previous knowledge

None.

Required previous knowledge

None.

Course materials

To be given at the start of the course.

Credit reductions