Unsafe America: Accidents, Disasters, and Society: 1800-2020

4.0 credits

According to data from the National Safety Council, unintended injuries cause over 224,000 deaths and 62,000,000 cases involving medical attention per year across the country. Since the nineteenth century, “accidents” from car crashes to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster have become increasingly central to American life. This course charts the history of accidents and explains why U.S. society has chosen to control some risks but not others. We will explore how accidents have changed over time alongside the introduction and diffusion of new technologies; cultural beliefs about safety; the political and economic interests of specific stakeholders; and the efforts of experts, corporations, nonprofits, families, and the government to keep the public safe. On one level, the course follows the unforeseen effects of modern industry, transportation, infrastructure, and consumer products. On another, it demonstrates how the ideals of personal responsibility and free enterprise continue to influence the safety movement. Using injuries as a lens, we will combine history with technical communication and public policy. We will also learn skills including close reading, critical thinking, primary and secondary research, and writing.