Disasters - A Sociological Approach

Disasters kill, maim, and generate increasingly large economic losses. But they do not wreak their damage equally across populations and every disaster has social dimensions at its very core. This important book sheds light on the social conditions and global, national, and local processes that produce disasters.

A range of topics are covered, including the social roots of disaster vulnerability; exposure to natural hazards like hurricanes and tsunamis as a form of environmental injustice; and emerging threats. Written by a leading expert in the field, this book also provides necessary frameworks for understanding hazards and disasters, exploring the contributions of different social science fields to disaster research and how these ideas have evolved over time. Bringing the social aspects of recent devastating disasters to the forefront, Tierney discusses the challenges of conducting research in the aftermath of disasters and critiques the concept of disaster resilience, which has come to be seen as a key to disaster risk reduction.

Peppered with case studies, research examples, and insights from different disciplines, this rich introduction presents an invaluable resource to students and scholars interested in the social nature of hazards and natural disasters and how they shape – and are shaped by – our lives.

Kathleen Tierney is Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder.