THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF DISASTERS: IMPROVING SOCIETAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF DISASTERS: IMPROVING SOCIETAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

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Title: Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center Author: Hazards Library Last modified by: Lee Herring Created Date: 9/25/2003 5:01:03 PM – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF DISASTERS: IMPROVING SOCIETAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH


1
THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF DISASTERS IMPROVING
SOCIETAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
  • Kathleen Tierney
  • Department of Sociology
  • Natural Hazards Center
  • University of Colorado at Boulder

2
SOCIOLOGY AND DISASTERS KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
  • Social Factors and Disaster Vulnerability
  • Disaster-Related Collective Behavior
  • Social Networks and Resilience
  • Risk Communication and Disaster Warnings

3
SOCIAL FACTORS AND DISASTER VULNERABILITY
  • Who Prepares?
  • Who Suffers Disproportionate Losses?
  • Who is More Able to Recover?

4
VULNERABILITY RELATED TO
  • Income and Educational Levels
  • Minority Group Status, Language Barriers,
    Citizenship Status
  • Social Capital and Access to Resources

5
DISASTER-RELATED COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Spontaneous Volunteers, Formation of Emergent
    Groups
  • Massive Altruism, Donations

6
DISASTER-RELATED COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Adaptive, Pro-Social ResponsesNot Maladaptive,
    Panicky Behavior

7
COLLECTIVE IMPROVISATION RESTORING THE NEW YORK
CITY EOC AFTER SEPT. 11
8
SOCIAL NETWORKS AND DISASTER RESILIENCE
  • Emergent Multi-organizational Networks and
    Disaster Response
  • Networks versus Hierarchies

9
Communicating Risk and Warning the Public
  • Social Factors in Risk Communication and Warning
    Processes
  • Warnings and Warning System Design How to
    Encourage Self-Protective Behavior

10
  • Natural Hazards Research and Applications
    Information Center
  • University of Colorado
  • 482 UCB
  • Boulder, CO 80309-0482

Phone (303) 492-6818 Web www.colorado.edu/hazar
ds
11
Reactions to Disaster 50 Years of Social
ScienceLee ClarkeDepartment of
SociologyRutgers Universityleeclarke.com
12
Three Main Points
  • Disasters, warnings, bad news do not induce
    panic
  • Theres a crucial difference between official
    responders and first responders
  • Trust is the key to effective risk communication

13
The image of panic
14
The reality of non-panic
15
Non-panic finding is robust
  • Research from US Strategic Bombing Survey
  • Plane crashes
  • Natural disasters
  • Biologically threatening events
  • 1793 yellow fever in Philadelphia
  • 1918 Spanish flu
  • 1984 Rajneesh cult attack
  • 1932-1945 Japanese attacks on China

16
Who are first responders?
Construction workers next to Cypress Viaduct,
Loma Prieta earthquake
17
Who are first responders?
  • The stranger next to you in a restaurant.
  • The coworker in the next cubicle.
  • Neighbors, friends, passersby.
  • Teachers 20 of American population is in K-12
    for ½ the year.

18
Bad risk communicationMilwaukee smallpox riots,
1894
From J. W. Leavitt, Biosecurity and
Bioterrorism Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and
Science, 2003, 1(3).
19
Good risk communicationNYC smallpox
vaccinations, 1947
From J. W. Leavitt, Biosecurity and
Bioterrorism Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and
Science, 2003, 1(3).
20
Take aways
  • Give more detailed information, even if it is
    frightening
  • Avoid slogans and condescension
  • People die the same way they live in families,
    faith based organizations, networks, etc.
  • Push disaster resources to local level
  • People are also critical infrastructure
  • People dont typically overreact to bad
    newsunless they perceive the messenger is
    untrustworthy. Leaders must earn the trust.

21
Learning from Heat Waves How a Social Autopsy
can Help to Prevent Future Disasters
  • Eric Klinenberg
  • New York University
  • ek52_at_nyu.edu

22
Age of Spectacular Disasters
  • World Trade Center
  • Space shuttles (Columbia, Challenger)
  • Hurricanes (Hugo)
  • These catastrophes capture our attention. But
    they are not the most deadly.
  • Much of US disaster policy is based on insuring
    property or preventing property damage. How can
    we use disaster policy to prevent deaths?

23
Heat Waves
  • In the United States, heat waves kill more people
    than all of the so-called natural disasters
    combined. In Chicago, more than 700 people died
    during one week of 1995.
  • This summer, Europe suffered around 20,000 deaths
    during a long heat wave.
  • What can we learn from these events?

24
Disasters help to reveal conditions that are
always present but difficult to perceive
  • By studying disasters sociologically, we can
    better understand the source of our
    vulnerability.
  • The Social Autopsy Opens up the city and
    examines the social and political organs that
    break down in a crisis. We explain causes of
    death in order to protect life.

25
Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves
  • Rise of population that is living and dying alone
  • Social deprivation as an everyday condition
  • Certain neighborhood conditions foster isolation
    and insecurity
  • What can governments do to assist vulnerable
    people who are living alone?
  • Compile official lists to identify the isolated
  • Offer special outreach and assistance in crises
  • Connect with service providers

26
Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves
  • Problems with urban infrastructure and energy
  • Power outages are common during heat waves
  • More efficient air conditioners? More reliable
    energy sources?
  • Everyday energy crisis Low Income Home Energy
    Assistance Program funds are insufficient to meet
    demand in cities

27
Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves
  • Problems with policy responses
  • Role of paramedics inside fire department. Do
    they have authority to call in back-up?
  • Links between emergency rooms and health
    department. Who is monitoring?
  • How should community police officers help?
  • Coordinating functions of mayors offices
    danger that public relations response can get in
    the way of disaster response

28
Preventing Heat Deaths
  • Work with meteorologists to detect dangerous
    weather and with media to issue public warnings
  • Reach out to isolated people and vulnerable areas
  • Coordinate muliti-agency disaster response
  • Monitor hospitals and cooperate with medical
    examiner
  • After crisis, openly examine what went wrong.
    Share what we learn as widely as possible.

29
Eric Klinenberg
  • Heat Wave A Social Autopsy of Disaster in
    Chicago
  • Department of Sociology
  • New York University
  • ek52_at_nyu.edu
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