Risk in Modern Society
Universiteit Leiden
课程信息
Risk has become one of the defining features of modern society. Almost daily, we are preoccupied with assessing, discussing, or preventing a wide variety of risks. It is a cornerstone notion for businesses and organizations, but also for nation states and their many levels of government. And even for individuals, risk and the avoidance or embracing thereof, is a key theme.
The course Risk in Modern Society sheds light on the broad concept of risk. In five distinctive weeks, this course closely examines various types of safety and security risks, and how these are perceived and dealt with in a wide array of professional and academic fields, ranging from criminology, counter-terrorism and cyber security, to philosophy, safety and medical science. Developed in collaboration with scholars from three universities (Leiden, Delft and Erasmus), this course will search for answers to questions such as: “what is risk?”, “how do we study and deal with risk?”, “does ‘perceived risk’ correspond to 'real' risk?”, and “how should we deal with societal perceptions of risk, safety and security?
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Welcome & Risk in Modern Society
In this module, you can find all the information you need in order to be able to successfully complete the course. After you have familiarised yourself with the course, we will move to the content of the first module. In the first week, we will discuss how the concept of risk has played an increasingly important role in shaping our modern society. Tracing the historical origins of this concept, we will look at how our modern conception of risk has emerged, and how it is currently being studied within the academic world.
3 videos (Total 18 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Lecture 1.2 The Study of Risk: Security Studies6m
Lecture 1.3 The Study of Risk: Safety Science7m
6 readings
Course Overview5m
Meet the Instructors & Leiden•Delft•Erasmus10m
Complete our short survey5m
Being successful in an international virtual learning community5m
The History of Risk10m
The Study of Risk10m
1 practice exercises
The History and Study of Risk20m
2
Section
Managing Risk
In this module, we will take a closer look at risk management, one of the most dominant approaches to dealing with risk in modern society. You will then be presented with two specific risks which illustrate how this approach is used in practice: the risk of natural hazards, and risks in the chemical industry. In the last video of this week, we will discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of the risk management approach.
6 videos (Total 37 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
Lecture 2.2 Risk of Natural Hazards4m
Lecture 2.3 Risk of Natural Hazards / Part II5m
Lecture 2.4 Risk in the Chemical Industry3m
Lecture 2.5 Risk in the Chemical Industry / Part II7m
Lecture 2.6 Risk Management: Strengths and Weaknesses7m
4 readings
Risk Management10m
The Risk of Natural Hazards10m
Risks in the Chemical Industry10m
Risk Management: Strengths and Weaknesses10m
1 practice exercises
Managing Risk20m
3
Section
Risk Perception
In this module, we will take a closer look at risk perception and the factors that influence how we experience risk in modern society. You will learn that while experts often rely on various statistical and mathematical models to asses various types of risks, the general public tends to make more intuitive judgments about the severity and likelihood of risk. You will then be presented with two specific security risks, which often invoke a great perception of danger.
6 videos (Total 37 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
Lecture 3.2 Risk of Terrorism6m
Lecture 3.3 Risk of Terrorism / Part II8m
Lecture 3.4 Risk of Violent Crime5m
Lecture 3.5 The Risk of Violent Crime / Part II3m
Lecture 3.6 Risk and Moral Emotions7m
4 readings
Risk Perception10m
The Risk of Terrorism10m
The Risk of Violent Crime10m
Risk and Moral Emotions10m
4
Section
Modern-day Risks: Global Challenges
In this module, you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of modern-day risks by looking at three key contemporary global challenges involving risk. Throughout the week, each of these risks will be discussed by various experts, who will highlight the most important features and strategies to deal with them. You will learn how, both collectively and individually, each these challenges have the ability to significantly impact the globe, presenting a notable challenge for current and future generations.
8 videos (Total 45 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Lecture 4.2 Risks in Cyberspace6m
Lecture 4.3 Risks in Cyberspace / Part II6m
Lecture 4.4 Risk of Hospital Acquired Infections9m
Lecture 4.5: Risk of Hospital Acquired Infections / Part II5m
Lecture 4.6 Risk of Infectious Diseases4m
Lecture 4.7 Risk of Infectious Diseases / Part II3m
Lecture 4.8 The Risk of Infectious Diseases / Part III5m
4 readings
Modern-day Risk: Global Challenges10m
Risks in Cyberspace10m
The Risk of Hospital Acquired Infections10m
The Risk of Infectious Diseases10m
1 practice exercises
Modern-day Risks: Global Challenges20m
5
Section
Risk in Modern Society
In this final module, you will be presented with a recap of all the knowledge from the previous weeks. In addition, it contains the final multiple choice quiz of the course. Good luck!
1 video (Total 6 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
1 videos
3 readings
Risk in Modern Society10m
Complete our short survey10m
Risk: Want to Learn More?10m
1 practice exercises
Risk in Modern Society24m
4.8
Top Reviews
By FM•Apr 23rd 2018
An extraordinary course made by talented people and great knowledge. Thanks to : Instructors, Experts, Universiteit Leiden (CFI), Staff, and Coursera for this great opportunity.
By KP•Mar 11th 2018
Excellent course which gives a brilliant overview over a relevant topic. Short and concise video lectures, very inspiring and stimulating. Highly recommended!
Instructors
Marieke Liem
Dr.
Bibi van den Berg
Prof. dr.
Edwin Bakker
Prof. dr.
Sabine Roeser
Prof. dr.
Margreet Vos
Prof. dr.
Genserik Reniers
Prof. dr. ir.
Pieter van Gelder
Prof. dr. ir.About Universiteit Leiden
Leiden University is one of Europe's foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge in applying for academic posts and for functions outside academia.
Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in February 1575, as a gift from William of Orange to the citizens of Leiden after they had withstood a long siege by the Spanish. Our motto is: Praesidium Libertatis — Bastion of Liberty.
About LDE Centre for Safety and Security
The Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Safety and Security (CSS) is one of the joint multidisciplinary centres of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. It connects scientists, researchers and students within the research triangle, focusing on safety and security as complex societal and scientific problems.
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