The first study of its kind to address the issue of ethnic diversity, Minority Citizens in Disasters focuses on the responses of two minorities―blacks and Mexican-Americans―relative to whites in three disaster events: a propane car derailment, a nitric acid spill, and a flood. Ronald Perry and Alvin Mushkatel find that response to initial warnings is influenced by the source of the information―mass media, public authorities, or family and friends―and by the immediacy of the danger, a group's familiarity with the type of threat, and the cause of the disaster. Though social contacts were most often the source of warning, public authorities were the most trusted and reliable. The mass media, usually considered an unreliable source, proved an effective means for reaching a majority of Mexican-Americans, who often tuned in to Spanish-language stations. Blacks, however, tended to dismiss the media as a vehicle controlled by whites and covering primarily white concerns, while whites often dismissed news stories as mere media productions.Perry and Mushkatel's record of the responses of blacks, Mexican-Americans, and whites not only reveals the differing social configurations of minority and majority groups but, more important, suggests concrete ways to modify and improve emergency management systems.

Product Description: The recent devastation caused by tsunamis, hurricanes and wildfires highlights the need for highly trained professionals who can develop effective strategies in response to these disasters. This invaluable resource arms readers with the tools to address all phases of emergency management...read more

Product Description: In order for a community to be truly prepared to respond to any type of emergency, it must develop effective emergency planning. Emergency Planning guides readers through the steps of developing these plans, offering a number of strategies that will help ensure success...read more

What is a Disaster? Addresses the most basic question in the field: that of defining the phenomenon of study. For theoretical advancement, it is important that researchers begin to develop a consensus about the meaning of disasters and related phenomena. With the rise in international terrorism, one must clarify whether these events are disasters and if so, what kind of disasters. Similarly, in addition to natural disasters, do we include riots, explosions, nuclear power plant accidents, damn collapses, and land subsidence under the same conceptual umbrella? What practical and theoretical differences does it make if the same label is used or not used for such different situations? What is a Disaster? Brings together twelve social scientists representing eight disciplines and seven countries to share their definition and vision of disasters. In the process, a wide range of views are expressed and issues raised regarding the relationship of academic versus practical definitions, the impact of grouping types of disasters in different ways, and the epistemologies on which theoretical growth should rest. The forum provided involves the presentation of each author's views, followed by a discussant's critique, and closed with a response from the author. The editor's close the volume with discussions of the theoretical framework of disaster research and an agenda for disaster research in the twenty-first century.

Product Description: 9/11. Tornadoes. Emergency preparedness. Whether explaining parts per million to a community exposed to contaminated groundwater or launching a campaign to encourage home carbon monoxide testing, an effective message is paramount to the desired result: an increased understanding of health risk...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

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Product Description: Facing the Unexpected presents the wealth of information derived from disasters around the world over the past 25 years. The authors explore how these findings can improve disaster programs, identify remaining research needs, and discuss disaster within the broader context of sustainable development...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Because of the public's increased demands for effective planning and response to community-wide crisis, emergency management has become an increasingly important activity in modern society. Advances in technology have made it possible to detect, monitor, and transmit hazard data more accurately and rapidly than ever before...read more

Product Description: A decade has passed since the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the spring of 1980, and the people living close to the volcano are still learning to cope with its ever-present danger. Using a sociological approach, "Living with Mt. St...read more

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Discusses the design of a system to warn citizens of an impending disaster and examines the problems related to the permanent relocation of a community repeatedly threatened by disasters