Bringing together leading researchers from geography, political science, sociology, public policy and technology studies, Disrupted Cities exposes the politics of well-known disruptions such as devastation of New Orleans in 2005, the global SARS outbreak in 2002-3, and the great power collapse in the North Eastern US in 2003. But the book also excavates the politics of more hidden disruptions: the clogging of city sewers with fat; the day-to-day infrastructural collapses which dominate urban life in much of the global south; the deliberate devastation of urban infrastructure by state militaries; and the ways in which alleged threats of infrastructural disruption have been used to radically reorganize cities as part of the ‘war on terror’. Accessible, topical and state-of-the art, Disrupted Cities will be required reading for anyone interested in the intersections of technology, security and urban life as we plunge headlong into this quintessentially urban century. The book’s blend of cutting-edge theory with visceral events means that it will be particularly useful for illuminating urban courses within geography, sociology, planning, anthropology, political science, public policy, architecture and technology studies.

Product Description: Discusses natural disasters, ways that volunteer and professionals provide assistance, and first-hand accounts of victims and their suggestions to improve efforts.Title: DisastersAuthor: Kiesbye, Stefan (EDT)Publisher: Greenhaven PrPublication Date: 2009/03/27Number of Pages: 111Binding Type: LIBRARYLibrary of Congress: 200805058...read more

Product Description: Emphasizes Resilient Policies, Rather Than Rigid Philosophy Economic and environmental consequences of natural and man-made disasters have grown exponentially during the past few decades. Whether from hurricanes, chemical spills, terrorist incidents, or other catastrophes, the negative impacts can often be felt on a global scale...read more

Product Description: This book will fill the gaps that hamper the effective utilization of the resilience and sustainability concepts within emergency planning: one concerns the lack of a comprehensive review of this multi-level concept; the second relates to its multi-level nature...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.

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Product Description: The essays in this collection present communities beset by unexpected social and physical events. Some outline immediate responses that soon pass and some that will not go away. Who would have foreseen that Elvis would be a phenomenon apparently as lasting as the faces on Mount Rushmore? Cultural history will not allow us to forget the H...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Focusing on the spectacular disasters of the 1980s-the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Chernobyl meltdown, the Challenger space shuttle explosion, the Bhopal chemical plant release, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic-Ann Larabee examines how culture is reconstructed after disaster through victims' stories, media coverage, and official efforts to restore faith in technology...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: In a time of increasing natural and technological disasters, Dr. Kovach, former president of the American Geophysical Union, explores why, and whether acts of God or human, and the human response to these disasters. Why another book about natural disasters? Many excellent books are available...read more

This book provides the reader with a basic understanding of how people and organizations usually respond to a disaster in contrast to how they are usually perceived to respond. The author also describes how and why the mass media helps to provide both accurate and inaccurate information. If each of us were to gain a better understanding of the behavioral and organizational problems commonly encountered during a disaster, we may facilitate more effective mitigation, planning, and disaster response activity in our own communities and in the nation. Contents: Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; What is a Disaster?; Behavioral Responses to Disaster; Why We Believe the Disaster Mythology; Organizational Response to Disaster; Future Research Needs; Bibliography; Index. (view table of contents)

Product Description: Are conflict situations such as the ethnic clashes in Yugoslavia or Rwanda, terrorist attacks and riots, the same kind of social crises as those generated by natural and technological happenings such as earthquakes and chemical explosions? In What is a Disaster?, social science disaster researchers from six different disciplines advance their views on what a disaster is...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: The authors construct a formal theory of organizing and role enactment during the emergency period of disaster. Three core social processes are derived from Ralph Turner's theorizing about role systems: role allocation, role complementarity, and role differentiation.

Product Description: Communities in ever increasing numbers are facing the ravages of a modern form of calamity, the chronic technical disaster. Unlike natural disasters that strike quickly and disappear, chronic technical disasters, such as chemical or radiation contamination, slowly unfold, trapping communities in seemingly never ending cycles of threat and disorganization...read more

Product Description: Brings together observations from researchers and practitioners in disaster intervention. Community psychologists present recent results on the research, evaluation, and amelioration of the psychological effects of disaster, whether the disaster's cause be natural, technological, or criminal...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)