disasters, sociological aspects of
- disasters, sociological aspects of
Natural disasters-volcanoes, earthquakes, tidal waves-disrupt all or part of societies, provoking refugees, collapse of production and distribution systems, and intensified competition for resources. Man-made disasters (notably war) involve social causes as well as these consequences-with the implication that they are avoidable. So-called disaster research examines the social and psychological impact of these occurrences among those involved.
Some sociologists (most notably Robert Merton) have argued that disaster-sites offer important opportunities for sociological research and the construction of social theory, since the resulting conditions of collective stress compress social processes into an uncommonly brief time-span; make usually private behaviour public and therefore more amenable to study; and generally highlight aspects of social systems and processes that are normally obscured by the routine of everyday life. Research has established that disasters have typical phases (such as the warning, threat, impact, inventory, rescue, remedy, and recovery phases); that certain types of collective behaviour tend to be associated with each phase; and that the precise form taken by each phase is affected by the characteristics of previous stages. (Thus, for example, the scale of the remedy operation is in part a function of the degree of identification with the victims.) A good comprehensive account of this iterature is G. W. Baker and D. W. Chapman's Man and Society in Disaster (1962), and a typical case-study is Kai Erikson's Everything in its Path (1976), which investigates the individual trauma (state of shock) and collective trauma (loss of communality) that followed a flood in previously tightly knit mountain communities in West Virginia.
Dictionary of sociology.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
Character mask — Part of a series on Marxism … Wikipedia
broadcasting — /brawd kas ting, kah sting/, n. 1. the act of transmitting speech, music, visual images, etc., as by radio or television. 2. radio or television as a business or profession: She s training for a career in broadcasting. [1920 25; BROADCAST + ING1] … Universalium
literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… … Universalium
United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… … Universalium
china — /chuy neuh/, n. 1. a translucent ceramic material, biscuit fired at a high temperature, its glaze fired at a low temperature. 2. any porcelain ware. 3. plates, cups, saucers, etc., collectively. 4. figurines made of porcelain or ceramic material … Universalium
China — /chuy neuh/, n. 1. People s Republic of, a country in E Asia. 1,221,591,778; 3,691,502 sq. mi. (9,560,990 sq. km). Cap.: Beijing. 2. Republic of. Also called Nationalist China. a republic consisting mainly of the island of Taiwan off the SE coast … Universalium
Disaster risk reduction — (DRR) is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has… … Wikipedia
international relations — a branch of political science dealing with the relations between nations. [1970 75] * * * Study of the relations of states with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities (e.g., bureaucracies and political… … Universalium
Europe, history of — Introduction history of European peoples and cultures from prehistoric times to the present. Europe is a more ambiguous term than most geographic expressions. Its etymology is doubtful, as is the physical extent of the area it designates.… … Universalium
collective behaviour — ▪ psychology Introduction the kinds of activities engaged in by sizable but loosely organized groups of people. Episodes of collective behaviour tend to be quite spontaneous, resulting from an experience shared by the members of the group… … Universalium
