Conceptualizing Disasters From a Sociological Perspective
Date
1988
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Disaster Research Center
Abstract
Description
The question of taxonomy for disaster research cannot be meaningfully addressed until some sort of answer is given to the more fundamental issue: what is a disaster? Kreps does provide one general answer in his paper. Regarding much of what he says, he clearly is right. The evidence for this conclusion comes from the fact hat many of his views correspond to mine—obviously there could be no stronger confirmation that he is correct in expressing those views!
However, I do have some problems with certain of his positions. In this brief commentary, let me discuss four matters regarding which I would take a different position than that which seems to be taken by Kreps. However, what is important is not that we disagree, but rather that the differences lead in different direction in conceptualizing disasters and developing typologies or taxonomies. So these are difference which make difference.
Keywords
disaster, disaster taxonomy