Risk: Tempting the Fates or Securing the Future?

How does our understanding of risk vary across cultures and historical periods? What does risk have to do with magic, religion, or gambling? What is the link between globalization, modernity, and risk? Building risk management into initiatives anywhere on the globe has become a critical leadership skill. We will study classic risk scenarios and risk theories from various disciplines (social science, economics, environmental studies, politics). Guest lectures by risk management experts will help us discuss real-life scenarios. We will read texts by Herodotus, William Shakespeare, Theodor Storm, Ulrich Beck, Peter Bernstein, Deborah Lupton, and Robert Jungk. We will view films by Wolfgang Petersen, Charles Ferguson, and Ilan Ziv.