In Environmental Sociology 480 at OSU, these are questions we were asked to answer and I hope it will make others think about the inconsistency in the way the social stratus of a society determine how disasters will affect their community.
When we think of natural disasters, we often assume that because it is 'natural' everyone is affected equally.
Can you think of examples other than Hurricane Katrina where a natural disaster did not affect everyone equally?
People are affected differently in natural disasters. The very poor will be continually affected negatively in natural disasters as they live in the areas where these disasters are more likely to occur, have the least amount of resources to get out of the way or survive aftereffects. Vulnerability is defined in two categories of social and physical by Youngman. I lived in tornado alley and, when I was in Mississippi, we could do nothing but watch and pray that we survived, because we did not have anywhere else to go. We had no underground shelters, strong buildings, or community center, etc. to go to.
When I moved to Illinois to go to college, I was again in tornado alley. The difference this time is I was at an expensive college, which had been built by some of the best architects. So, no, we were not affected and stood in our dorms and watched the tornadoes come and go or combine but were not afraid, as I had been in Mississippi. For me this emphasized the social and physical environment do matter. What level on the ladder of capitalism is your family on? How would a natural disaster affect you and yours? What about relatives living in poorer neighborhoods where you live?
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