Title: THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF DISASTERS: IMPROVING SOCIETAL RESILIENCE THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
1THE 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
2SOCIOLOGY AND DISASTERS KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
- Social Factors and Disaster Vulnerability
- Disaster-Related Collective Behavior
- Social Networks and Resilience
- Risk Communication and Disaster Warnings
3SOCIAL FACTORS AND DISASTER VULNERABILITY
- Who Prepares?
- Who Suffers Disproportionate Losses?
- Who is More Able to Recover?
4VULNERABILITY RELATED TO
- Income and Educational Levels
- Minority Group Status, Language Barriers,
Citizenship Status - Social Capital and Access to Resources
5DISASTER-RELATED COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
- Spontaneous Volunteers, Formation of Emergent
Groups - Massive Altruism, Donations
6DISASTER-RELATED COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
- Adaptive, Pro-Social ResponsesNot Maladaptive,
Panicky Behavior
7COLLECTIVE IMPROVISATION RESTORING THE NEW YORK
CITY EOC AFTER SEPT. 11
8SOCIAL NETWORKS AND DISASTER RESILIENCE
- Emergent Multi-organizational Networks and
Disaster Response - Networks versus Hierarchies
9Communicating 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
11Reactions to Disaster 50 Years of Social
ScienceLee ClarkeDepartment of
SociologyRutgers Universityleeclarke.com
12Three 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
13The image of panic
14The reality of non-panic
15Non-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
16Who are first responders?
Construction workers next to Cypress Viaduct,
Loma Prieta earthquake
17Who 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.
18Bad risk communicationMilwaukee smallpox riots,
1894
From J. W. Leavitt, Biosecurity and
Bioterrorism Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and
Science, 2003, 1(3).
19Good risk communicationNYC smallpox
vaccinations, 1947
From J. W. Leavitt, Biosecurity and
Bioterrorism Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and
Science, 2003, 1(3).
20Take 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.
21Learning from Heat Waves How a Social Autopsy
can Help to Prevent Future Disasters
- Eric Klinenberg
- New York University
- ek52_at_nyu.edu
22Age 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?
23Heat 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?
24Disasters 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.
25Emerging 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
26Emerging 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
27Emerging 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
28Preventing 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.
29Eric Klinenberg
- Heat Wave A Social Autopsy of Disaster in
Chicago - Department of Sociology
- New York University
- ek52_at_nyu.edu