Catastrophe and Culture: The Anthropology of Disaster / Edition 1

by Susanna M. Hoffman, Anthony Oliver-Smith, Gregory V. Button, Christopher L. Dyer, Virginia Garcia-Acosta, J. Terrence McCabe, Michael E. Moseley, Robert Paine, S. Ravi Rajan, Sharon Stephens

Overview

At a time of increasing globalization and worldwide vulnerability, the study of disasters has become an important focus for anthropological research-one where the four fields of anthropology are synthesized to address the multidimensionality of the effects to a community’s social structures and relationship to the environment. Using a variety of natural and technological disasters-including Mexican earthquakes, drought in the Andes and in Africa, the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Oakland firestorm, and the Bhopal gas disaster-the authors of this volume explore the potentials of disaster for ecological, political-economic, and cultural approaches to anthropology along with the perspectives of archaeology and history. They also discuss the connection between theory and practice and what anthropology can do for disaster management.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781930618152
Publisher:	School for Advanced Research Press
Publication date:	03/01/2002
Series:	School for Advanced Research Advanced Seminar Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

Editorial Reviews

After an introductory chapter by the editors exploring why anthropologists should study disaster, ten contributions based on work presented at a School of American Research seminar (October 1997, Santa Fe, New Mexico) explore various aspects of how disasters happen and their impact on a community's social structures and relationship to the environment. Referring to a variety of natural and technological disasters (Chernobyl, , Bhopal gas disaster, drought in the Andes and in Africa, Mexican earthquakes), they examine the potential for anthropological investigation in this realm, as well as possibilities for how anthropology can contribute to disaster management. The contributors are affiliated with anthopology departments at universities in the US (and one each from Canada and Mexico); editor Hoffman is an independent researcher and Oliver-Smith is with the U. of Florida. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews