Disaster Theory: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Concepts and Causes

Disaster Theory: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Concepts and Causes offers the theoretical background needed to understand what disasters are and why they occur. Drawing on related disciplines, including sociology, risk theory, and seminal research on disasters and emergency management, Disaster Theory clearly lays out the conceptual framework of the emerging field of disaster studies. Tailored to the needs of advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this unique text also provides an ideal capstone for students who have already been introduced to the fundamentals of emergency management. Disaster Theory emphasizes the application of critical thinking in understanding disasters and their causes by synthesizing a wide range of information on theory and practice, including input from leading scholars in the field.

Offers the first cohesive depiction of disaster theoryIncorporates material from leading thinkers in the field, as well as student exercises and critical thinking questions, making this a rich resource for advanced coursesWritten from an international perspective and includes case studies of disasters and hazards from around the world for comparing the leading models of emergency responseChallenges the reader to think critically about important questions in disaster management from various points of view

1. What is a Disaster? 2. Disaster Data (with Susan MacGregor) 3. Disaster Risk 4. Hazard, Vulnerability, and Resilience 5. Disasters and Complexity 6. Disaster Models 7. Myths and Fallacies 8. The Poetry of Disaster (with Nicole Cooley) 9. Ethics and Disaster (with Peter Timmerman) 10. Workshop on Principles of Disaster Management (with Ian Davis) 11. Final Reflections

Appendix 1. Selected Disaster Data 2. Statistics Canada 3. Interviews with Ian Burton and Ken Hewitt