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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Social impact of disasters
Surveying government and crowd responses ranging from the late
Middle Ages through to the early modern era, Buchanan Sharp's
illuminating study examines how the English government responded to
one of the most intractable problems of the period: famine and
scarcity. The book provides a comprehensive account of famine
relief in the late Middle Ages and evaluates the extent to which
traditional market regulations enforced by thirteenth-century kings
helped shape future responses to famine and scarcity in the
sixteenth century. Analysing some of the oldest surviving archival
evidence of public response to famine, Sharp reveals that food
riots in England occurred as early as 1347, almost two centuries
earlier than was previously thought. Charting the policies, public
reactions and royal regulations to grain shortage, Sharp provides a
fascinating contribution to our understanding of the social,
economic, cultural and political make-up of medieval and early
modern England.
On March 11, 2011, one of the biggest earthquakes in history
occurred off the northeast coast of Japan, triggering a deadly
tsunami that destroyed much of the Tohoku coastline. Driven by a
desire to help the people of Tohoku, long-time Tokyo resident
Caroline Pover embarked on a mission to collect emergency supplies
from her native UK. Caroline delivered these supplies to an
isolated part of Japan that even many Japanese have never heard of:
the Oshika Peninsula. While there, she saw beyond the horror of the
debris and destruction, and fell in love with the beauty of the
landscape and the spirit of the people who had called the peninsula
home for hundreds of years since their samurai ancestors first
settled there. Compelled to do whatever she could to help, she
promised to return, once more, just for a month ... One Month in
Tohoku is the true story of what became the many months Caroline
spent visiting Oshika. During extended periods of time over the
course of many years, she lived alongside the people of Oshika, and
they embraced her as one of their own -- she still visits them to
this day. This book tells us about a very traditional way of life
in a remote community that cares deeply about all who are a part of
it. It is the story of how, after a disaster took away everything
they had, these seemingly forgotten fishing communities are still
rebuilding their lives. It is also the story of how a network of
people from all over the globe were inspired to donate millions of
yen to support families, schools, and businesses, and to never
forget the survivors of the world's costliest disaster. To
commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the tsunami, Caroline has
set out in words a deeply moving tale of the very human impact of a
natural disaster. Readers will cry tears of laughter as well as
tears of sadness, and be touched by Caroline's surprising humour
and honesty and that of her Oshika friends as they unexpectedly
become so beloved to one another. This is the story of a beautiful
friendship between a very determined Englishwoman and the
incredibly brave and resilient fishermen, women, and children of
Tohoku.
Reporting Human Rights provides a systematic examination of human
rights news and reporting practices from inside the world of
television news production. From an interdisciplinary perspective,
the book discusses the potential of journalism in contributing to
human rights protection, awareness and debate, in ignoring,
silencing or misrepresenting human rights issues around the world
or, in extreme situations, in inciting hatred, genocide and crimes
against humanity. It provides insight into how journalists
translate human rights issues, revealing different reporting
patterns and levels of detail in reporting, and suggesting
different levels of engagement with human rights problems. The book
explains the most important factors that encourage or limit the
coverage of human rights news. Grounded in a close examination of
the news production processes and key moments where possible human
rights stories are contemplated, decided or eventually ignored, the
book opens up new insights into the complexities and constraints of
human rights reporting today.
In this original and provocative new book, Stuart Price identifies
the existence of a practice that lies at the core of the western
security regime -- the projection of the worst-case scenario. This
consists of the projection of a significant material threat, made
by an authoritative or executive power, used to bolster the
security agenda of the neo-liberal state. This in turn has altered
the conduct of military and police operations, which are
increasingly directed against any substantial expression of
dissent. Using a wide range of official sources and case studies -
from 9/11 to the riots in Greece -- Price analyzes the
paramilitary, political, economic and cultural maneuvers of the
security regime as it attempts to reproduce a "command structure"
within civil society. In doing so, he demonstrates that, unlike the
openly "totalitarian" states of the past, bureaucratic rule is
favored over charismatic leadership, and the ostentatious display
of coercive authority is characterized as a temporary measure. It
is, he argues, a process that must be recognized and resisted.
In October 2010, nine months after the massive earthquake that
devastated Haiti, a second disaster began to unfold-soon to become
the world's largest cholera epidemic in modern times. In a country
that had never before reported cholera, the epidemic mysteriously
and simultaneously appeared in river communities of central Haiti,
eventually triggering nearly 800,000 cases and 9,000 deaths. What
had caused the first cases of cholera in Haiti in recorded history?
Who or what was the deadly agent of origin? Why did it explode in
the agricultural-rich delta of the Artibonite River? When answers
were few, rumors spread, causing social and political consequences
of their own. Wanting insight, the Haitian government and French
embassy requested epidemiological assistance from France. A few
weeks into the epidemic, physician and infectious disease
specialist Renaud Piarroux arrived in Haiti.In Deadly River, Ralph
R. Frerichs tells the story of the epidemic-of a French disease
detective determined to trace its origins so that he could help
contain the spread and possibly eliminate the disease-and the
political intrigue that has made that effort so difficult. The
story involves political maneuvering by powerful organizations such
as the United Nations and its peacekeeping troops in Haiti, as well
as by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control. Frerichs explores a quest for scientific truth and
dissects a scientific disagreement involving world-renowned cholera
experts who find themselves embroiled in intellectual and political
turmoil in a poverty-stricken country.Frerichs's narrative
highlights how the world's wealthy nations, nongovernmental
agencies, and international institutions respond when their
interests clash with the needs of the world's most vulnerable
people. The story poses big social questions and offers insights
not only on how to eliminate cholera in Haiti but also how nations,
NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and CDC deal
with catastrophic infectious disease epidemics.
This book covers several dimensions of disaster studies as an
emerging discipline. It is the inaugural book in the series
'Disaster Studies and Management' and deals with questions such as
"Is disaster management a field of practice, a profession, or
simply a new area of study?" Exploring intersectionalities, the
book also examines areas of research that could help enhance the
discourse on disaster management from policy and practice
perspectives, revisiting conventional event-centric approaches,
which are the basis for most writings on the subject. Several case
studies and comparative analyses reflect a critical reading of
research and practice concerning disasters and their management.
The book offers valuable insights into various subjects including
the challenge of establishing inter- and multi-disciplinary teams
within the academia involved in disaster studies, and sociological
and anthropological readings of post-disaster memoryscapes. Each of
the contributors has an enduring interest in disaster studies, thus
enriching the book immensely. This book will be of interest to all
the students and scholars of disaster studies and disaster
management, as well as to practitioners and policymakers.
A global health crisis creates great uncertainty, high stress, and
anxiety within society. During such a crisis, when information is
unavailable or inconsistent, and when people feel unsure of what
they know or what anyone knows, behavioral science indicates an
increased human desire for transparency, direction, and meaning of
what has happened. At such a time, the roles of stakeholders that
emerge with their words and actions can help keep people safe, help
them cope with emotions, and ultimately bring their experience into
context leading to meaningful results. But as this crisis shifts
beyond public health and workplace safety, there are implications
for business continuity, job loss, and radically different ways of
working. While some may already seek meaning from the crisis and
move towards the ""next normal,"" others feel a growing uncertainty
and are worried about the future. Therefore, it is important to
analyze the role of stakeholders during these uncertain times.
Stakeholder Strategies for Reducing the Impact of Global Health
Crises provides a comprehensive resource on stakeholder action and
strategies to deal with crises by analyzing the needs of society
during global health crises, how stakeholders should communicate,
and how resilience and peace can be promoted in times of chaos. The
chapters cover the roles of stakeholders during a pandemic spanning
from the government and international development agencies to
industry and non-government organizations, community-based
organizations, and more. This book not only highlights the
responsibilities of each of the stakeholders but also showcases the
best practices seen during the COVID-19 pandemic through existing
theories and case studies. This book is intended for researchers in
the fields of sociology, political science, public administration,
mass media and communication, crisis and disaster management, and
more, along with government officials, policymakers, medical
agencies, executives, managers, medical professionals,
practitioners, stakeholders, academicians, and students interested
in the role of stakeholders during global health crises.
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