Images of disasters in film and media

IMAGES OF DISASTERS IN FILM AND MEDIA:¹
A Discussion about the Emergence,

Content, and Benefits of This Course in the

Emergency Administration and Planning Program

David A. McEntire, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Emergency Administration and Planning

Ph.D. Coordinator, Department of Public Administration

University of North Texas
Introduction

Several years ago, I made a presentation at the annual FEMA Higher Education Conference, and discussed the important role of overseeing and building undergraduate emergency management degree programs. I used the Emergency Administration and Planning program (EADP) as a case study and noted some of the efforts that we were undertaking to promote our degree at the University of North Texas. A particular point I mentioned was that we had developed a new course to attract students into our program. The course is entitled “Images of Disasters in Film and Media,” and it is commonly referred to as “Images of Disasters” or “Images” by our students.

Dr. Wayne Blanchard, the well-known and respected Project Manager of the FEMA Higher Education Program, heard this presentation and expressed interest in what we were doing. We discussed the Images course further at this time and we have conversed about it repeatedly over the past several years. Dr. Blanchard has since requested that I write a short paper describing how the course came about, what is included in its content, and the impact it has had on our program. The following paper covers these issues, and illustrates that the Images of Disasters course is a unique means for attracting students to any emergency management program.
Background to Images of Disasters in Film and Media

In the summer of 1999, I interviewed for the position of assistant professor and EADP Program Coordinator at the University of North Texas. During my conversations with the faculty, they ask me how I might maintain or increase enrollment. I commented that there are many popular disaster movies which could easily be integrated into a class on human behavior in crisis situations. I explained that many of Hollywood’s portrayals are based on myths and exaggerations, and that it might be interesting to compare the scientific literature with recent movies like Dante’s Peak, Twister and Volcano. The faculty seemed to be intrigued by the idea and their positive feedback reinforced in my mind that the idea had some merit after all. I don’t know if my recommendation had any significant impact on their decision to hire me, but I began employment at UNT a few months later.

My first semester at UNT was extremely busy as I had to prepare several new courses, and gain a better understanding of the status of the EADP program and my responsibilities in it.² Consequently, no thought was given to the Images course during the first semester. I did become more aware of the need to attract more students to the degree however. In fall 1999, there were roughly 120 majors in the Emergency Administration and Planning Program. While this number was certainly significant, there were only two full-time professors and we both felt overwhelmed. I brought this situation up to our department chair and other university administrators and they were sympathetic with our plight. They noted that, because of budget constraints, the only way we could obtain additional faculty was to increase enrollment. I therefore determined that we needed to find ways to market the program and increase credit hour production.

A short time later, we hired Rich Weber as our professional development coordinator. Rich was a great addition to our program, and he brought with him a nice mix of academic and professional credentials. Rich earned a bachelors degree in emergency management/fire science from the University of Akron. He also worked in emergency management with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When he arrived at UNT, Rich would be put in charge of networking with practitioners and seeking out grant projects that our program could be involved with. He was successful in this goal and helped us obtain some funding to conduct training (pertaining to the threat of terrorism) for emergency managers and first-responders in Arkansas and Oklahoma. However, because we were also short-handed with faculty, we invited Rich to serve as an adjunct instructor. He graciously agreed to help us in this area.

As I met with Rich to discuss the courses he would be willing to take on, I asked him if he would be interested in developing and teaching the Images course that had been kicked around in the department earlier. He said he was willing to do so and we then spent some time discussing our views for its content and learning objectives. We determined the class would be offered for the first time in Spring 2001. Our attention therefore shifted quickly to how we might get his course off the ground.

In early Fall 2000, Rich and I talked to our department chair about marketing the course. He recommended that we approach the Center for Media Production on campus and see if they could put together some posters to advertise the class. We met with the individuals at this center enter and told them about our vision for course. We specifically told them that the class would cover the media’s portrayal of disaster and that the poster should include the course title and other relevant registration material (e.g., course number, date and time). Within a few weeks, they provided us a draft of the poster and we approved it after a few small revisions. The outcome included the silhouette of a few people with a movie camera filming a scene of utter destruction. Pictures on the poster included a plane crash, flooding, a volcanic eruption, and a nuclear explosion among other hazards. The poster was ridiculously over-the-top, but it was nonetheless colorful and catchy. The professionally designed posters (which cost us about $75.00) were put up on bulletin boards around campus and they automatically drew interest in the course. In fact, several people from outside EADP contacted me to learn more about it. We also announced the Images course in our fall classes. By the time Spring rolled around, we had 63 individuals signed up for the brand new course.

Content of the Course

As previously mentioned, Rich Weber was the first instructor to teach the Images of Disasters course at UNT. Per our prior conversations, Weber developed a syllabus (see attachment A) that covered the extensive and important sociological literature on human behavior in disasters. This included topics such as panic, looting, role abandonment, and anti-social activity. Hank Fischer’s book, Response to Disaster: Fact vs. Fiction & it’s Perpetuation (1994), served as the basis for the course. Other articles on disaster myths (Mitchell et. al. 2000), on the media’s involvement in emergency management (Scanlon et. al. 1985; Quarantelli 1996), and on the popular culture of disasters (Couch 2000; Webb et. al. 2000) were integrated as assigned reading as well. This material was covered in class during lectures and discussions, and the concepts and perspectives of the authors were then brought to life with popular disaster movies.

For example, portions of the movie Titanic were used to introduce the students to the class and present an overview of the subjects to be covered throughout the semester. It includes several scenes of panic, role abandonment, and the breakdown of social order. Dante’s Peak is a great example of Hollywood’s belief in extreme panic in all types of disaster events. One segment of the movie, in particular, depicts people frantically running from a building and driving erratically on the streets. Volcano was shown to illustrate misconceptions about the role of the emergency manager. Tommy Lee Jones leaves the emergency operations center and appears to single handedly save Los Angeles from a major lava flow that threatens the city. Other movies, such as Outbreak, Twister, Asteroid, and The Day After, incorporate many other themes of the disaster literature including fear, incorrect portrayals of hazards, and the need for expanded government authority due to insufficient citizen capacity to deal with catastrophic incidents.

Although the Images of Disasters in Film and Media course was not expected to have quite the same pedagogical expectations as other EADP classes, it was graded based on attendance, participation, and two examinations. Students were also required to write three short papers about a newspaper article or media segment. The assignment required them to describe how the news story may have misrepresented human behavior in disaster or collective stress situations. Thus, from the very beginning the course was intended to be both entertaining and educational at the same time.

Students enjoyed Weber’s course during the initial offering and it appeared to get off on very solid footing. The course continued to be demanded by students and enrollment levels increased over the next few years. Wayne Blanchard also followed the advancement of the course and was intrigued by what was taking place at UNT. He therefore contracted with Rich Weber to develop an annotation of disaster-related films that could be used in emergency management courses around the country. This included information about the director, actors, plot, subject matter and hazards associated with the film. The findings of this project are available on FEMA’s Higher Education website and can be accessed by professors desiring to develop similar courses at their programs around the nation or internationally (see “materials” section under http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/collegecrsbooks.asp).

Dr. James Kendra, a graduate of Rutgers University, was the next faculty member to teach the Images course. Dr. Kendra was hired by UNT about the same time Rich Weber left to pursue a professional career with the Ohio State emergency management agency. Dr. Kendra earned a Ph.D. in geography, but he also spent a few years as a post-doctoral researcher at the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. Consequently, Kendra has a profound understanding of both the causes of disasters as well as how humans react to catastrophic events.

Kendra’s version of Images incorporated many of the topics and movies that Weber had initially developed in his course (see Attachment B). He continued to focus on the research literature on disaster myths and required students to read Fischer’s book and other readings in Weber’s syllabus. He also continued to show movies like the Twister and Volcano. But Kendra also expanded the content of the course in other respects.

First, he added some new readings to the class including an article by Quarantelli (1980) on the study of disaster movies, another by Garner (1996) on the media’s reporting of air crashes, and others by Barbera et. al. (2001) and Glass and Schoch-Spana (2002) on bioterrorism and quarantines. In one semester, he also assigned Disaster Movies: The Cinema of Catastrophe by film-studies scholar Stephen Keane. Second, Kendra also added some unique twists to assignments. For instance, Kendra required students write about the interaction of natural, technological and social systems after watching the Poseidon Adventure. He also had them explore how the characters in the movie used creativity to save their lives – a subject Dr. Kendra has researched extensively after the 9/11 attacks in New York City. Other writing assignments required that the students explore the advocacy role of the media in The China Syndrome, the collaborative activity of people in The Towering Inferno and Airport, and the accuracy of emergency management challenges portrayed in a documentary titled The Price of Surprise. He also used the class to encourage the students to think about the four phases of disaster, and one of his writing assignments asked the students to consider what a disaster film would look like if it emphasized mitigation and recovery rather than preparedness and response.

The most unique aspect of Kendra’s class related to a major project the students had to undertake. According to his syllabus:

Students will assemble into groups and prepare a proposal for a disaster movie that will be both entertaining AND scientifically valid. Students will present the proposal to the class. Imagine that you are writers/directors and you are trying to sell your idea to a studio. You will select an appropriate disaster; outline a plot; emphasize its cinematic and scientific value (providing evidence for why you think this combination works); provide samples of engaging dialogue; and include other elements that you feel will make a persuasive case for making your film, including Powerpoint presentations or video or audio segments, if any, bibliographic sources, and other documentation of your work. . . . Projects will be graded according to their imagination, originality, and incorporation of important disaster-related themes.

Students really enjoyed this portion of the class and they took this assignment seriously. I personally viewed one of the presentations, and it was excellent in content and professionally done.

Dr. Kendra’s participation in the Images of Film and Media course not only attracted additional students to the program, but it caught the attention of at least one news organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. Reporters from Channel 11 (KTVT) heard about the class and desired to film the interaction between Dr. Kendra and his students. Unfortunately, the scheduling did not work out for the camera crew to come to the Images course. However, the news crew did come to UNT in January of 2006 to Kendra’s Special Populations and Disasters course and did spotlight our program. This additional publicity was a direct result of the Images course that Dr. Kendra taught (see http://cbs11tv.com/video/?id=[e-mail]).

The third and final faculty member to teach the Images of Disasters course is Dr. Jack Rozdilsky. Dr. Rozdilsky completed his graduate work at Michigan State University and he brought further knowledge and skills that would benefit the EADP program at UNT. Dr. Rozdilsky has expertise in land-use planning, sustainable development and disaster recovery. Nonetheless, Dr. Rozdilsky has a sound understanding of disaster sociology and the research literature on the media and human behavior.

Rozdilsky maintained many of the readings and videos that were used in earlier Images courses. He continued to require that students write reviews of disaster movies and also relied on the film trailer project developed by Kendra. However, Dr. Rozdilsky also added some new and important aspects to the Images course. This included elements of pedagogy used in films studies courses.

For instance, the role of popular culture in interpreting disaster and the art of cinema is prevalent in Dr. Rozdilsky’s course. He utilized film studies concepts in the course, so that students could consider disaster films in a wider context than the classic 1970s era disaster films and the more recent crop of action/adventure blockbusters. This was done by introducing the students to both important and controversial films that they may not necessarily consider as disaster films per sé.

As an introduction to ‘watching movies,’ Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin and Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will were shown to illustrate the raw power of the cinematic art form. Then key film genrés and directors were featured by showing films that highlighted aspects of key genrés while using stories related to disaster. Such films included:

• 
  Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima Mon Amour representing the French new wave genré with its love story set in post-nuclear attack Hiroshima
  
• 
  Elia Kazan’s Panic in the Streets depicting the film noir genré with its story concerning public health hazards
  
• 
  Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers covering the Italian neo-realism genré through a story concerning both state level and insurgent-based terrorism
  
• 
  Stanley Kubric’s Dr. Strangelove representing the black-comedy genré through its 1960s nuclear war story
  
• 
  Wexler’s Medium Cool from the cinema verité genré through its use of the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention riots as a backdrop to the story
  
• 
  and Spike Lee’s When the Levee’s Broke as an example of polemic documentary genré with its depiction of Hurricane Katrina.
  

Dr. Rozdilsky also added coverage of civil defense issues and 9/11 in his course. In order to help students understand the foundation of the field, Dr. Rozdilsky showed some civil defense training films. These U.S. Government produced ephemeral films were shown to highlight the use of propaganda and historical visions of preparedness which contributed to our modern understanding of the emergency management profession. Rozdilsky also spent a great deal of time analyzing the 9/11 disasters. This included the showing of media reports on that day as well as the statement given by President Bush shortly thereafter. Rozdilsky also had students watch Fahrenheit 9/11 and write a paper about their thoughts about the terrorist attacks on the United States. Dr. Rozdilsky’s adjustments to the course accordingly attempted to stretch the notion of disaster films to introduce future emergency managers to the concept that the arts and culture do have an impact on the field of emergency management.

Impact of this Course

In light of the entertaining and educational nature of the Images of Disasters course, there is little doubt that it has become popular among students and helped our program significantly. Students have always expressed interest in taking this course – regardless of whether they are EADP majors or not. In fact, the class has been offered two times a year since Spring 2001 and over 560 students have registered for it. The class has never been cancelled due to low enrollments, but has instead exhibited steady attendance over time. Although it is believed this course could easily be offered three or four times per year, it has still been a major means for producing credit hours for the EADP program.

In addition to boosting short-term program productivity, the Images course has been, in the words of Dr. Kendra, “a good hook for getting them in.” Students from outside the major who have enrolled in the class often find the subject matter to be intellectually stimulating and they become increasingly interested in majoring in Emergency Administration and Planning. Since the course was first offered, the number of majors in our program has nearly doubled. While we have not studied the exact reasons for such explosive growth, we cannot rule out the positive influence the Images course has had on attracting new majors.

A third benefit of the Images course is that it has increased our students’ understanding of the scientific literature about disasters. Because our students will enter the important emergency management profession, we feel that it is imperative that they understand all aspects of disasters. This includes not only an understanding of physical agents but social behavior which will necessarily influence how we manage vulnerability and the aftermath of disasters.

The final benefit of the Images course is that it helps to educate citizens about disasters in the United States and abroad. Even if the students who enrolled in the class do not declare EADP as their major or work in this profession, they will have acquired new knowledge that would be unavailable to them if they did not enroll in the course. Since public, private and non-profit emergency management personnel rely so much on what individuals do, this advantage of the course cannot be overstated.
Conclusion

This paper has highlighted the course, Images of Disasters in Film and Media, at the University of North Texas. It explored how the class was introduced in the Emergency Administration and Planning Program as well as how its content has changed over time. The paper also lists several reasons why the course has proven helpful to the academic program, students at UNT, the profession of emergency management, and citizens alike.

While there are many courses that can be offered in an emergency management degree programs and although they can each be taught with different pedagogical methods, it is hoped that this paper may provide additional options for faculty members at other universities. Professors are therefore invited to adopt the course if desired and tailor it to their own curriculum and programmatic needs.³
References

Barbera, J., Macintyre, A., Gostin, L., Inglesby, T., O’Toole, T., DeAtley, C., Tonat, K., and Layton, M. (2001). “Large Scale quarantine Following Biological Terrorism in the United States: Scientific Examination, Logistic and Legal Limits, and Possible Consequences. Journal of the American Medical Association. 286(21): 2711-2717.

Couch, S. (2000). “The Cultural Scene of Disasters: Conceptualizing the Field of Disasters and Popular Culture.” International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(1): 21-37.
Fischer, H. (1994). Response to Disaster: Fact vs. Fiction & It’s Perpetuation: The Sociology of Disaster. University Press of America: Lanham, MD.
Garner, A.C. (1996). “Reconstructing Reality: Interpreting the Aeroplane Disaster News Story.” Disaster Prevention and Management. 5(3): 5-15.
Glass, T.A., and Schoch-Spana, M. (2002). “Bioterrorism and the People: How to Vaccinate a City Against Panic.” Clinical Infectious Diseases. 34: 217-223.
Keane, S. (2001). Disaster Movies: The Cinema of Catastrophe. Wallflower: New York.
Mitchell, J. et. al. (2000). “Catastrophe in Reel Life versus Real Life: Perpetuating Disaster Myth through Hollywood Films.” International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(3): 383-402.
Quarantelli, E.L. (1996). Local Mass Media Operations in Disasters in the USA.” Disaster Prevention and Management. 5(5): 5-10.
Quarantelli, E.L. (1980). “The Study of Disaster Movies: Research Problems, Findings and Implications.” Disaster Research Center Preliminary Paper 64. Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware.
Scanlon, J. et. al. (1985). “Coping with the Media in Disasters: Some Predictable Problems.” Public Administration Review. (Special Issue): 123-133.
Webb, G. et. al. (2000). “Bringing Culture Back In: Exploring the Cultural Dimensions of Disaster.” International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(1): 5-19.

ATTACHMENT A
Images of Natural and Technological Disasters in Film and Media

(EADP 2700:001)

Instructor: Richard T. Weber

Semester: Spring 2003

Course schedule: M 3:00 till 5:50

Course location: MH 311

Office Location: Chilton 289k

Office Hours: M-F 8-5 [call before you stop]

Office Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Course Description:

Examination of the popular culture pertaining to natural and technological disasters that results from portrayals of catastrophic events in film by the media. Discussion of what can be done to alter myths about human behavior in mass emergency situations.

Required Readings: Readings available in University Union Copy Center.
Course Policies:

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED!

Arriving late is discouraged.

Participation is encouraged.

Reading weekly assignments are required.

Showing respect to other students is expected.

Make ups will be limited to special circumstances (and with prior notification only).

There will be no extra credit.

Incompletes will be given according to department policy.

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will automatically result in a failing grade.

Note: see the end of this syllabus for the university policy on Americans with disabilities, and the department policy on cheating and plagiarism.
Grading:

Students will earn points through attendance, participation, papers and tests. Please note the following breakdown:

Attendance/participation 100

Midterm 100

Papers 100

Final Exam 100

TOTAL POINTS 400

A standard scale will be used for grading (i.e. 90% - 100% = A; 80% - 89% = B; 70% - 79% = C; 60% - 69% = D; 59% and below = F).
Attendance/Participation

Roll will be taken at least once each class session and attendance will amount to 25% of the student’s grade. Attendance to class is an integral part of the students learning experience in this course. The material covered will directly impact the student’s ability to do well and complete the exercises given. The information covered in the brief introductions to the movie will be testable information. Asking questions and making comments about relevant course material is conducive for learning. In recognition of courtesy to the other students participating in the course, it is asked the student remain quiet during the viewing of the film. Unscheduled quizzes can be administered by the instructor. In other words, unannounced quizzes will be given inversely to class participation.

Mid-term/Final Exams

Approximately 50% of your grade will be determined by tests. These will consist of true/false, matching, and multiple choice. The instructor will advise the student of the structure of the quiz or test in advance. Students who miss the quiz or test without giving prior notification will be given different questions or will have 10% deducted from their final score. Should unannounced quizzes be administered, the total number of possible points will be adjusted. No make ups will be given to those students who are absent when unscheduled quizzes are given. Make-ups for the mid-term and final will be limited to very special circumstances only.

Papers:

The student will be required to write three small essays for the course. Each student will write a one to 1.5 page paper about each article/news story. The student is required to choose an article from print, radio, web and/or television news and write a summary of the skew in the article. The paper should specifically pertain to what myths are being portrayed.

Course Outline

Week 1 (Jan 13):

Introduction to Course

Discussion of course outlay and student expectation.

Brief introduction to the field of Emergency Management.

Titanic

Week 2 (Jan 20):

Martin Luther King Day

No Class!
Week 3 (Jan 27):
The Seige
Fischer, H. (1994). Response to Disaster: Fact vs. Fiction & It’s Perpetuation: The

Sociology of Disaster. University Press of America. Lanham: MD. pp. 11-22.
Week 4 (Feb 3):

Dante’s Peak

Fischer, H. (1994). Response to Disaster: Fact vs. Fiction & It’s Perpetuation: The

Sociology of Disaster. University Press of America. Lanham: MD. pp. 23-72.
Week 5 (Feb 10):

Deep Impact

Scanlon, J., et. al. (1985). Coping with the Media in Disasters: Some Predictable

Problems. Public Administration Review. (Special Issue). pp. 123-133
Week 6 (Feb 17):

Fearless

Mitchell, J., et al. (2000). Catastrophe in Reel Life versus Real Life: Perpetuating

Disaster Myth through Hollywood Films. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(3), pp. 383-402

Week 7 (Feb 24):
Outbreak
Couch, S. (2000). The Cultural Scene of Disasters: Conceptualizing the Field of

Disasters and Popular Culture. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(1). Pp. 21-37.

Week 8 (Mar 3):
Volcano
Webb, G., et al. (2000). Bringing Culture Back In: Exploring the Cultural Dimensions of

Disaster. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. 18(1).

Pp. 5-19.
Week 9 (Mar 10):

Mid-term
Week 10 (Mar 17):

SPRING BREAK! NO CLASS!
Week 11 (Mar 24):
Asteroid
Auf Der Heid, E. (2000). Disaster Response: Principles and Preparation for

Coordination. Accessed via world wide web on January 7, 2001 at http://coe.dmha.org/dr/flash.htm.

Week 12 (Mar 31): Papers Due.
Twister
Quarantelli, E.L.. (1996). Local Mass Media Operations in Disasters in the USA.

Disaster Prevention and Management. 5(5). Pp. 5-10.
Week 13 (Apr 7):
The Day After
Scanlon, J. et. al. (1985). Coping with the Media in Disasters: Some Predictable

Problems. Public Administration Review. Special Issue. pp. 123-133.

Week 14 (Apr 14):

The Poseidon Adventure

Davison, W., et al. (1976). Media Sociology. Mass Media: Systems and Effects.

Praeger Publishers: New York. Pp. 70-99.
Week 15 (Apr 21):
Atomic Train
Week 16 (Apr 28):
Arlington Road
FINAL EXAM (May 5)

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT POLICIES
Disability Accommodation

The Emergency Administration and Planning Program, in cooperation with the Office of Disability Accommodations (ODA), complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request to the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester. Students registered with the ODA may present the Special Accommodation Request from that office in lieu of a written statement.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Definitions

The UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline defines cheating and plagiarism “as the use of unauthorized books, notes, or otherwise securing help in a test; copying others’ tests, assignments, reports, or term papers; representing the work of another as one’s own; collaborating without authority with another student during an examination or in preparing academic work; or otherwise practicing scholastic dishonesty.”

Penalties

Normally, the minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism is a grade of “F” in the course. In the case of graduate department exams, the minimum penalty shall be failure of all fields of the exam. Determination of cheating or plagiarism shall be made by the instructor in the course, or by the department faculty in the case of departmental exams.

Cases of cheating or plagiarism on graduate departmental exams, problem papers, theses, or dissertations shall automatically be referred to the departmental Curriculum and Degree Program[s] Committee. Cases of cheating of plagiarism in ordinary course work may, at the discretion of the instructor, be referred to the Curriculum and Degree Program[s] Committee in the case of either graduate or undergraduate students. This committee, acting as an agent of the Department, shall impose further penalties, or recommend further penalties to the Dean of Students, if they determine that the case warrants it. In all cases, the Dean of Students shall be informed in writing of the case.
Appeals

Students may appeal any decision under this policy by following the procedures laid down in the UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline
ATTACHMENT B
Images of Disaster in Film and Media

EADP 2700
Instructor: Dr. James Kendra Office Location: WH 366C

Semester: Fall, 2005 Office Hours: M 12:30-2:30 PM

Course Schedule: M 3:00-5:50 PM E-mail: [e-mail]

Course Location: WH 222

Course Description:

This course will consider disaster as represented in film and in various media. The emphasis is on understanding how the portrayals of disasters often depart from scientific understanding, and also on evaluating how the depiction of disasters in various media can shape both public and official awareness of the causes of, management of, and recovery from disaster. What do we learn about mitigation from popular portrayals of disaster? What do we learn about the management of complex crises? What do we learn about the interaction of people, technology, and the natural environment? Moreover, what should we know in order to evaluate the representation of disaster in film and other media, and to understand disaster causes and disaster management in real life?

Course Objectives

The course will prepare students to

1. 
   Understand the portrayal of disaster in film and the mass media as sociological and popular culture phenomena;
   
2. 
   Analyze the portrayal of disaster themes such as emergency management activities or collective behavior with respect to current scientific understanding;
   
3. 
   Recognize how the persistence of disaster myths (e.g., panic) affects actual policymaking;
   
4. 
   Compare media accounts of disaster with later scientific analysis; and
   
5. 
   Understand how portrayals of disaster in film and other media can influence public understanding.
   

Course Texts:

Fischer, Henry W. III. 1998. Response to Disaster. Fact versus Fiction & Its Perpetuation: The Sociology of Disaster. University Press of America: Lanham, MD.

A packet of readings is available at the copy center, and other readings will be distributed in class or downloaded from Internet sources.
Students should also stay informed about current disaster-related events and emerging debates related to disasters or other environmental issues. Useful resources include the print or online editions of The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) or The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), as well as CNN (www.cnn.com), and FEMA (www.fema.gov).

Course Policies:

Attendance is required.

Arriving late is strongly discouraged.

Participation is recommended.

Reading assignments is required.

Showing respect to other students is required.

Make-ups will be limited to special circumstances (and with prior notification only).

Extra credit assignments will not be given.

Incompletes will be given according to department policy.

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will automatically result in a failing grade.

Note: See the end of this syllabus for the university policy on the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the department policy on cheating and plagiarism.
Grading

Grades will be based on response papers, a final examination, and attendance and participation.

Response Papers

Students will write four response papers evaluating a film or other media portrayal of disaster or emergency management that we consider in class. The response paper should analyze the subject with regard to the themes we will discuss in class, such as: representation of disaster myths; depiction of emergency management procedures; scientific content; relevance to current events; or educational potential. Each paper should be at least 2-3 pages in length in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. References should be in the style used in International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters or Disasters. Careful consideration of the films or other sources is essential; papers will be graded on their presentation of well-considered observations and interpretations. Each response paper will be worth 10% of the grade.

Independent Media Review

On August 2, 2005, Air France Fight 358 crashed in Toronto. There were no fatalities in this very serious emergency. Examine a number of distinct, detailed, and substantive newspaper accounts and/or news broadcast transcripts, choosing sources that focus on evacuation behavior, coordination of resources, or other relevant aspects of emergency response. Write a review of this coverage. Some questions to guide your review include: How do these sources approach the crash as a “story”? What features of crisis were covered in your sources? How does the coverage correspond with, or conflict with, accepted scientific understanding of disaster? What understanding of the emergency would the audience of this news coverage come away with? The review should follow the format of the response papers and will be due November 7. It is worth 10% of the grade.
Final Examination

This will consist of a combination of true/false, multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions covering the concepts presented in class and in the readings. This exam is worth 25% of the grade.

Projects

This project is worth 15% of the grade. Students will assemble into groups and prepare a proposal for a disaster movie that will be both entertaining AND scientifically valid. Students will present the proposal to the class. Imagine that you are writers/directors and you are trying to sell your idea to a studio. You will select an appropriate disaster; outline a plot; emphasize its cinematic and scientific value (providing evidence for why you think this combination works); provide samples of engaging dialogue; and include other elements that you feel will make a persuasive case for making your film. Provide the instructor with a copy of your proposal, including Powerpoint presentations or video or audio segments, if any, bibliographic sources, and other documentation of your work. Projects will receive a cumulative grade. Include a description (signed by all students) of each student’s contribution to the project. Projects will be graded according to their imagination, originality, and incorporation of important disaster-related themes. Part of each student’s grade on this project (20% of the project grade) will be based on a peer review of group members’ contributions to the project that will assess participants’ attendance at group working meetings, submission of work as agreed, and useful insights or suggestions.

Attendance and Participation

Attendance will be assessed at least once each class session and 10% of your grade will be determined by your attendance, active, thoughtful participation in class discussion and activities, and diligent completion of homework assignments. Students should be aware that a significant number of absences will make it difficult to pass the course since information from the lectures and films as well as from the readings may appear on the final examination. Students who miss class will receive no participation credit for that day since they are not present to participate in the discussion.
August 29

Introduction of course

September 5

Labor Day; no class

September 12

Quarantelli, E.L. 1980. The Study of Disaster Movies: Research Problems, Findings, and Implications. Disaster Research Center Preliminary Paper 64. Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware.

Fischer, Chapter 1

September 19

Fischer, Chapter 2

Film: Poseidon Adventure

September 26

Film: The Towering Inferno

Fischer, pp. 37-51

Response Paper 1 due
October 3

Fischer, pp. 52-87.

Quarantelli, E.L. 1996. Local Mass Media Operations in Disasters in the USA. Disaster Prevention and Management 5: 5-10.

Film: The China Syndrome

October 10

Garner, A.C. 1996. Reconstructing Reality: Interpreting the Aeroplane Disaster News Story. Disaster Prevention and Management 5(3) 5-15.

Fischer, pp. 89-110

Film: Airport

October 17

Fischer, pp. 110-123

Mitchell, J., et al. 2000. Catastrophe in Reel Life versus Real Life: Perpetuating Disaster Myth through Hollywood Films. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 18(3): 383-402.

Film: Volcano

Response Paper 2 due

October 24

Titanic

October 31

Twister

Webb, G., et al. 2000. Bringing Culture Back In: Exploring the Cultural Dimensions of Disaster. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 18(1): 5-19.

November 7

Film: 9/11

Independent Media Review due

November 14

Discussion and Critique

Couch, S. 2000. The Cultural Scene of Disasters: Conceptualizing the Field of Disasters and Popular Culture. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 18(1) 21-37.

Response Paper 3 due

November 21

Film: The Price of Surprise

Reading: Barbera, J., Macintyre, A., Gostin, L., Inglesby, T., O’Toole, T., DeAtley, C., Tonat, K., and Layton, M. 2001. Large Scale Quarantine Following Biological Terrorism in the United States: Scientific Examination, Logistic and Legal Limits, and Possible Consequences. Journal of the American Medical Association 286(21): 2711-2717.
Glass, T.A., and Schoch-Spana, M. 2002. Bioterrorism and the People: How to Vaccinate a City Against Panic. Clinical Infectious Diseases 34: 217-223.
November 28

Presentations

Response paper 4 due

December 5

Review

December 14, Wednesday

Final Examination

WH 222 1:30-3:30


NB: This syllabus is subject to change depending on the emerging needs of the course.
UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT POLICIES

Disability Accommodation

The Emergency Administration and Planning Program, in cooperation with the Office of Disability Accommodations (ODA), complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request to the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester. Students registered with the ODA may present the Special Accommodation Request from that office in lieu of a written statement.

Cheating and Plagiarism

The UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline defines cheating and plagiarism “as the use of unauthorized books, notes, or otherwise securing help in a test; copying others’ tests, assignments, reports, or term papers; representing the work of another as one’s own; collaborating without authority with another student during an examination or in preparing academic work; or otherwise practicing scholastic dishonesty.”
Normally, the minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism is a grade of “F” in the course. In the case of graduate department exams, the minimum penalty shall be failure of all fields of the exam. Determination of cheating or plagiarism shall be made by the instructor in the course, or by the department faculty in the case of departmental exams.
Cases of cheating or plagiarism on graduate departmental exams, problem papers, theses, or dissertations shall automatically be referred to the departmental Curriculum and Degree Program(s) Committee. Cases of cheating or plagiarism in ordinary course work may, at the discretion of the instructor, be referred to the Curriculum and Degree Program(s) Committee in the case of either graduate or undergraduate students. This committee, acting as an agent of the Department, shall impose further penalties, or recommend further penalties to the Dean of Students, if they determine that the case warrants it. In all cases, the Dean of Students shall be informed in writing of the case.
Students may appeal any decision under this policy by following the procedures laid down in the UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.

Image of Disaster in Film and Media

Response Paper #1 Paper Topics (The Poseidon Adventure)

Choose ONE of the following

1. 
   How do people’s behaviors shown in this film correspond with or depart from scientific understanding of behavior in crisis?
   
2. 
   What constitutes redemption?
   
3. 
   Discuss the interaction of social systems, technology, and natural (e.g., oceanographic or geologic) processes in creating this accident. How do those systems interact during the escape attempts?
   
4. 
   What skills or attributes do some of the characters apply to make sense of their new situation and respond to new threats?
   
5. 
   Discuss individual versus group strengths exhibited in this film.
   

Response paper 2 Paper Topics

Choose one of the following

1. 
   Compare and contrast the way science/technology and intuition/experience are presented in at least two of the films we have watched.
   
2. 
   What were some interorganizational sources of conflict in The Towering Inferno and/or The China Syndrome, and how were these resolved?
   
3. 
   To what extent is the advocacy role of the media in The China Syndrome helpful? Harmful? Can you relate these observations to the media’s role in an actual event?
   

Response Paper 3 Topics

Choose one of the following

1. 
   Discuss how social conflict is presented (either in one film, or compare different films). How does this conflict affect, or how is it affected by, the danger in the film?
   
2. 
   Compare how individual versus collaborative activity is presented in The Towering Inferno and Airport.
   
3. 
   Consider what a disaster film would look like if it focused not on response, but on mitigation or recovery. What would make such a film compelling?
   

Response Paper 4 topics

Choose one of the following

1. 
   Given the analyses by Glass and Schoch-Spana (2002) and Barbera et al (2001), as well as other readings, is The Price of Surprise accurate or reasonable in portraying emergency management challenges in a bioterrorism attack?
   
2. 
   What are the implications of Barbera et al’s (2001) and Glass and Schoch-Spana’s (2002) papers for current concerns about avian influenza?
   

1 Appreciation is expressed to Dr. James Kendra and Dr. Jack Rozdilsky who provided useful recommendations on earlier drafts of this manuscript. However, the author retains full responsible for the content of this paper.

2 For a discussion of the development of the Emergency Administration and Planning Program, please see relevant articles at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/EMgrow.asp

3 For those professors desiring additional information, please contact Dr. David McEntire at [e-mail].