Kategoria BISAC: Social Science >> Disasters & Disaster Relief

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille roared out of the Gulf of Mexico and smashed into Mississippi's twenty-six miles of coastline. Winds were clocked at more than 200 miles per hour, tidal waves surged to nearly 35 feet, and the barometric pressure of 26.85 inches neared an all-time low. Survivors of the killer storm date events as BC and AC--Before Camille and After Camille.

The history of Hurricane Camille is told here through the eyes and the memories of those who survived the traumatic winds and tides. Their firsthand accounts, compiled a decade after the storm...

A Dictionary of Humanitarianism brings together leading experts, including many of the critical writers whose work led to the establishment of humanitarian studies in the first place. The field of humanitarianism is profoundly characterised by uncertainty, by a constant need to respond with authority to the unpredictable. As such, this title serves as a key resource for all those grappling with the tensions and dilemmas of humanitarian action. In the open-source, largely digital culture that characterises contemporary humanitarianism, a dictionary that simply listed publically...

In the wake of a catastrophic event, the witness may discover or experience unsettling emotions which can trigger subsequent behaviors. These reactions can lead to a number of consequences, some of which are unproductive.

Restabilization is a practical means of addressing these reactions and the resultant issues. It is a four-step process of self-discovery guided, but not led, by a counselor; aimed at restoring someone's confidence and improving their capability to deal with life's problems. The person is encouraged, and enabled, to view the event as a learning experience...

Because most environmental problems result from human intervention in the ecosystem, ecological research in the social sciences is now joining research in the biological and physical sciences as a means of addressing long-range problems. Within this type of social science research, no problem is more important than the investigation of disasters. To assess the impact of sudden cataclysms on the living conditions of families or communities, scientists need a set of pretested, standardized measures that can be used cross-culturally. Once a disaster strikes, investigators are often faced with...

Sensationalized history can be credited with inspiring generations of truth-seeking experts and enthusiasts. The tragedy of the Johnstown Flood was an oft-exploited event as writers and publishers hawked hastily written articles in original form or pirated collections. Where many of the articles lacked fact, they were rife with exaggeration and imagination.

James Herbert Walker published one of the very first of these books, The Johnstown Horror, a pamphlet of some 40 pages. Experts cite the book as being sold in New York within a week of the disaster. Though the structure...

As the Big One bore down, New Orleanians rich and poor, black and white, lurched from giddy revelry to mandatory evacuation. The thousands who couldn't or wouldn't leave...