bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Aftermath of IrMaria in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Temporal Patterns of Looting, Burglaries, and Community Solidarity
Authors: Louis-Charles Hans M. , Aguirre Benigno E. , Kitnurse Jamile M.
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (IrMaria) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the dichotomy between media reports depicting mass looting and chaos with statements by public officials disputing these claims. Perceptions on post-hurricane criminality can influence sheltering and evacuation behavior as well as frame public policy. The authors review the post-disaster collective behavior literature and implement a mixed-methods approach to examine the veracity of these looting claims. Post-disaster interviews with impacted households, business owners, and public servants reveal a pro-social environment with strong community solidarity in the immediate aftermath of IrMaria. Sheltering behavior was not influenced by fears of looting, but was influenced by previous hurricane false alarms. Regression of available FBI-UCR data shows the rate of burglary has declined across the islands since 2010. An aggregate-level report by the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department shows a decline in all crimes throughout the US territory compared to the fiscal year before IrMaria, but a four percent increase in burglary incidents. The comparable increase in incidents occurred within four months of IrMaria's landfall, followed by a precipitous decrease in incidents. This finding aligns with theoretical calls to consider temporal phases and patterns of post-disaster crime. Considering the delayed federal response and the decrease in all other crimes for the fiscal year, the authors attribute the momentary increase in burglary incidents as a misnomer and are likely survival appropriating acts that decreased with burgeoning humanitarian assistance. This study recommends disaster public policy and recovery efforts prioritize the unmet needs of hurricane survivors and greater scrutiny of the constraints of US colonialism that impede disaster resilience. Additionally, the paper highlights other concerns raised by participants during fieldwork interviews and emphasizes the necessity and value of ethical post-disaster qualitative research.
Recovery in Nicaragua and the USA
Authors: Bolin Robert C. , Bolton Patricia A.
Published: January 2023

Family recovery from natural disasters is examined in a cross-cultural framework. A longitudinal design was used, gathering survey data from respondents in Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.A., (N=125), and Managua, Nicaragua (N = 275) where extensive disasters occurred in 1972. A model of family recovery is developed and its fit with the data is tested using path analysis. In Rapid City, perception of recovery is best explained by losses, aid received, and recovery of predisaster income levels. In Managua aid–at least that type reported by Nicaraguan respondents—had little effect; employment continuity took precedence over other variables. The data suggest that in order to recover predisaster levels of satisfaction with life style families reach beyond their immediate boundaries for help, but the institutionalized manner in which this is done differs across cultures.
Solidarity during Snow-Disasters
Authors: Dombrowsky Wolf R
Published: January 2023

The following article is based on a case study of two snow-disasters affecting the same area within an extremely short interval. Thus, many learn-effects could be studied and many behavior-patterns could be compared. In this context only one behavior-pattern shall be presented. It is a behavior which is commonly said to be “jointly responsible”. The types, modes, causes, and objective backgrounds of such a behavior shall be discussed. The study's results are based on qualitative interviews of 2–3 hours with 40 professionals of the German disaster relief organizations, and on the analysis of documents (official reports, staff diaries, mass media etc.). A questionnaire is in preparation and should be given to the population which was affected by the disaster.
Volcanic Eruptions and Functional Change: Parallels in Japan and the United States
Authors: Perry Ronald W. , Hirose Hirotada
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this paper is to examine one aspect of community change following disaster: the impact of volcanic eruptions on two small communities with tourist-based economics. The data presented here are in the form of two case studies of towns affected by, respectively, the eruptions of Mt. Usu on the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan and of Mount St. Helens in Washington, located in the northwestern United States. Specifically, the paper describes the effects of the eruptions and subsequent emergency management policies upon the tourist economies of Toyako-Onsen, Japan, and Cougar, Washington. The study highlights differences and commonalities in response between the two communities, including reactions to the imposition of access controls, functional shifts in the local economies after controls had been lifted, and the impact of the public's perception of the hazard upon tourism.
Societal Comparisons of Organizational Response to Earthquake Predictions: Japan vs the United States
Authors: Mileti Dennis S.
Published: January 2023

The conclusion reached in this research is that there are both similarities and differences in the response of organizations to scientifically credible earthquake predictions in Japan versus the United States. In general, Japanese organizations would cast an earthquake prediction as an “opportunity”, while organizations in the United States would view a predition as an “imposition” until they are convinced that they are at risk. Recent and continuing changes in policies and programs in the United States may well reduce this difference between the two nations. Specifically, findings revealed that resources were necessary for prediction-related mitigation and preparedness actions by all organizations; having a reason to respond to a prediction—or risk–was necessary for organizations in the United States, but not so in Japan where useful response is likely regardless of risk; finally, having the knowledge to act in response to a prediction was necessary for government organizations, but not for corporations who could more readily, perhaps, buy the needed expertise.
The Safe Operation of Nuclear Plants: Implementing Federal Policy in the Aftermath of Three Mile Island
Authors: Elmore Richard F.
Published: January 2023

The safe operation of nuclear power plants represents an important class of problems in the implementation of regulatory policy. These problems are characterized by a low tolerance for terror, high organizational and technical complexity, and highly visible, costly outcomes. The key to designing policies that address these problems is not to predict and regulate every possible source of error, but to design incentives such that organizations create their own error-detecting and solving systems. The current policy toward nuclear plant safety stresses technical and regulatory solutions at the expense of financial incentives that would induce utilities and plant personnel to engage in safe operation.
The Three Mile Island Incident: A Study of Behavioral Indicators of Human Stress
Authors: Mileti Dennis S. , Hartsough Donald M. , Madson Patti , Hufnagel Rick
Published: January 2023

This work sought to specify stress levels induced in the local population around Three Mile Island from the accident in 1979. Unobstrusive behavioral indicators of stress for the population as a whole were compared before, during and after the accident. The conclusions reached were that: (1) the Three Mile Island incident-did produce stress in people, (2) the stresses detected through the indicators used in this study were shortlived, not severe enough to manifest themselves in dramatic indicators like psychiatric admissions or suicide, (3) stress was obviously reflected in indicators of mild stress like alcohol consumption, and (4) stress detected was well within the limits of stress that occur annually in that local population from stress inducing events like the occurrence of a major holiday. The conclusions of this study are best interpreted in concert with findings from studies using obstrusive indicators of stress, and with studies on special local sub-populations.
Local Community Vs. National Industry: The Tmi and Santa Barbara Protests Compared
Authors: Walsh Edward J.
Published: January 2023

Comparing two examples of local protest—one a failure and the other a success–this paper shows the importance of the interaction between local groups and national social movements in predicting the outcomes of struggles pitting communitites against established industries. A critical difference between the unsuccessful attempt of Santa Barbara activists to prevent the resumption of oil drilling after the 1969 spill, on the one hand, and the successful efforts of TMI residents to block the restart of the reactor adjacent to the one damaged in the 1979 nuclear accident, on the other, is the maturity of the national environmental movement. Focusing primarily on the relatively successful TMI protest, the paper emphasizes the importance of the national antinuclear movement's resources in forcing resourseful actors (individual and organizational) into adversarial positions vis-à-vis the offending utility.
Earthquakes and Public Policy Implementation in California
Authors: Wyner Alan J.
Published: January 2023

Successful public policy implementation is almost always problematic. Seismic safety policies are prone to implementation problems, and it is at least arguable that seismic safety policies may be more susceptible to implementation problems than some other policies. This paper focuses on efforts to implement seismic safety policies in thirteen local California communities. The most important aspects of seismic safety policy implementation in California are (1) the role of key governmental personnel, (2) the political environment surrounding the issue of seismic safety, and (3) the treatability of the issue itself. Given the way these three aspects interact, and because seismic safety is not an issue that generates consistent expressionis of organised public support, policy implementation will always falter unless a highly committed and motivated core of public officials diligently pursue implementation. Absent these personnel, the perceived intractability of the problem and lack of visible political rewards for supporting seismic safety make seismic safety a policy area prone to unsuccessful or incomplete implementation.
A Study of Mass Media Reporting in Emergencies
Authors: Hiroi Osamu , Mikami Shunji , Miyata Kakuko
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the operations of mass media in disasters, the content of messages in disaster reporting, and the distortion in reporting warnings and disasters, based on empirical studies in several communities in Japan.

In the warning stage, we found that the broadcast media are the primary source of information in most cases. However, the warnings often did not reach a complete range of audience, nor could it induce an adaptive response among these recipients.

As for the mass media operation during and after the disasters, we found that the difficulties in mobilizing resources, uncertainties in reliable news sources, and malfuntioning communication channels were the main obstacles in reporting damages.

The main characteristics of the content of mass media reporting in disasters are described. Six types of information are found in the disaster reporting of the broadcast media: Information on (1) advice or directions, (2) disaster agent, (3) safety message, (4) damage, (5) countermeasures, and (6) restoration. The results of the content analysis of the broadcast of two stations on the day of the Nihonkai-Chuubu Earthquake shows that personal messages and damages information were the most heavily broadcast. This did not always match the information needs of the residents.

The media in Japan tend to exaggerate damages in disasters, leading to the distorted perception of hazards. They also tend not to report sufficiently the news people want to get. The reasons for these inaccurate reportings are: (1) journalist's attitude to news editing and reporting, and (2) distorted images or myths among journalists. The content of newspaper reporting of a false warning was analyzed as a case study.
Disaster Impact and Recovery: A Comparison of Black and White Victims
Authors: Bolin Robert
Published: January 2023

This paper presents an analysis of recovery from natural disaster of black and white disaster victims. The data were gathered in Paris, Texas following a tornado in that town in April, 1982 which destroyed or damaged over 1500 houses and apartments. A sample of 219 black victims and 212 white victims were interviewed seven months after the disaster, with information being gathered on some 178 items pertaining to their losses, aid received, psychosocial impacts and recovery. Discriminant function analysis is used to select sets of independent variables that predict recovery levels for black and white victims along two dimensions of recovery, emotional and economic recovery. Differences in determinants of recovery between the two groups of victims involved variations in losses, psychosocial impacts, aid utilization and social support, but not demographic or socioeconomic factors.
Disaster Gipsies: The Role of Informal Relationships in Administering Disaster Assistance
Authors: Forrest Thomas R.
Published: January 2023

The importance of interpersonal relationships for affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency management practices is examined in this paper. A case study of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) reservists, part time FEMA employees called to kelp administer federal disaster assistance programs, illustrates the significance of an informal organization in augmenting formal bureaucratic procedures. Interview and survey data come from a pilot study conducted in the aftermath of tornadoes which swept through North and South Carolina in 1984. Nicknamed “disaster gypsies,” FEMA reservists develop a strong sense of community or camaraderie among themselves as a result of their intense disaster involvement. This sense of community or informal organization is an unintended consequence of four factors: organizational demands, physical setting, sense of mission and a post-disaster altruistic community. The informal organization has implications for emergency management practices. It facilitates needed organizational flexibility and improvisation, helps train and integrate new personnel, provides an additional channel of communication and lessens job related stress. Future research should systematically examine the role informal relationahips have on affecting delivery of emergency services. Such research would complement and provide a missing dimension to present efforts to conceptualize group and organizational emergence.
Angst and the Masses: Collective Behavior Research in Germany
Authors: Dombrowsky Wolf R. , Schorr John K.
Published: January 2023

This article reviews the study of mass behavior (known as collective behavior in America) in Germany. The historical scope of this review is approximately one hundred years beginning with a discussion of the works of Marx, Weber, Tönnies and Simmel. This discussion is followed by an analysis of how the study of mass behavior dealt with the rise and aftermatch of National Socialism. Finally the collective behavior research which has been done in the post war period is reviewed ending with a brief description of the work being done in the subspeciality of the Sociology of Disasters.
Contrasting Local Government Responses to a Tornado Disaster in two Communities
Authors: Stallings Robert A. , Schepart Charles B.
Published: January 2023

In the United States, immediate post-impact response activities in natural disasters are normally the responsibility of local government. Federal and state governments provide supplemental assistance, primarily in the form of financial subsidies for long-term recovery. An entirely different pattern of disaster response emerged as two adjacent communities struggled to deal with the effects of the same damaging tornado. In one community the response was directed entirely by the city manager, but in the other emergency activities were personally directed by the state's governor without any pretext of local control. This paper examines the formal structure of the two local governments and their histories of intergovernmental relationships with the state in an effort to account for the unique pattern.
Routinized Reporting of Technological Accidents: Television Coverage of the Chernobyl Disaster
Authors: Patterson Philip , Wilkins Lee
Published: January 2023

An analysis of the U.S. television network coverage of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl reveals that the networks relied more heavily on popular myths than scientific fact in reporting the story. The researchers found that three myths permeated the coverage: Soviets as technological bumblers, Soviets as uncaring for human life and Soviets as liars. Using Chernobyl as a case study, the authors suggest that while disasters are unpredictable, media behavior in reporting them is constant. This behavior will include treating the disaster as a human drama, using stereotypes to tell the story economically, focusing heavily on the technological cause, depending on familiar sourcing patterns and finally, turning the story into a moral fable. The authors suggest that this routine helps to “tame” the story for the net works’ purposes.
Factor Variation as a Function of Disaster Stress
Authors: Green Dianne K. , Taylor Antony J.W. , Walkey Frank
Published: January 2023

In on attempt to standardise the use of at least one particular test in studies of post-disaster stress, the factor structure of four forms of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist were examined by means of a new comparison technique on three sets of data. The outcome showed that only the shortest of the forms–the HSCL-21–had a robust three-factor structure in at least two out of the three data sets. The factors were identified as General Feelings of Distress (GFD), Somatic Distress (SD) and Performance Difficulty (PD). The aberrant set of data, which was obtained from a group under extreme stress at the time, was explained in terms of the anxiety, preoccupation and hypervigilance of the subjects. The same HSCL-21 also had a general factor that was identified as total distress in all three data sets. Consequently the HSCL-21 is to be recommended as a brief, useful, and factorially stable post-disaster assessment questionnaire.
A Burning Issue—the Politicization of a Bushfire
Authors: Robbins John R.
Published: January 2023

The Stirling bushfire of 1980 produced the first substantial claim for disaster liability against a South Australian local authority. In the absence of precedent and clear rules of process this developed into a long and costly legal battle lasting nine years and then developed into a political conflict between the Council and the ruling Labor State government. The community is riven by discord about the terms of settlement. A positive outcome has been the establishment of a Local Government Association Mutual Liability Scheme which indicates the possibility of local government collaboration as an alternative to a state-local relationship with its concomitant conflict.
Setting Boundaries for Research on Organizational Capacity to Evacuate
Authors: Gillespie David F. , Murty Susan A.
Published: January 2023

A theoretical model of factors contributing to evacuation capacity is examined in relation to boundary setting criteria used to delimit populations. A population of disaster response organizations is delimited, and then the boundaries of four subpopulations are set according to four different delimiting criteria. The model is tested on the total population and the four subpopulations. Strikingly different results are obtained for the various populations. These disparate findings are the result of confounding the delimiting variable with the independent variables its the model. An expanded theoretical model which includes one of the delimiting variables provides a solution. Recommendations concerning explicit use of boundary setting criteria are made. In particular, It is suggested that a delimiting criterion should not be associated with the dependent variable under study, and that social service organizations should be included in research on evacuation and disaster management.
Policy Responses to Large Scale Accidents in the Soviet Union
Authors: Porfiriev Boris N.
Published: January 2023

This paper reviews the nature of large scale technological accidents in the Soviet Union, focusing upon the incident at Chernobyl. The potential for further similar scaled accidents in other types of Soviet facilities is considered. Comments are offered on the policy options available for government that would help to minimize the probability of accidents and to maximize the chance that accidents which do occur are managed effectively. Special attention is given to the issue of risk communication in Soviet society.
Symbolic Planning and Disaster Preparedness in Developing Countries: The Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu
Authors: Ali Lynne
Published: January 2023

In developing countries vulnerable to natural disasters, disaster planning is being encouraged and facilitated by donors, This is done in order to promote self-reliance as well as to mitigate the effects of disasters and lessen the need for a high degree of external emergency response assistance. This paper examines the development of disaster plans among the South West Pacific Island countries and pays particular attention to Vanuatu as a case study. The example used is the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu's Disaster Guideline, which was mitten without direct external input. An examination of the history of Vanuatu and the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu points to the cultural significance of symbols. It is argued that rather than promoting self-reliance, disaster planning has fostered a dependency relationship between donors and recipients in the Pacific Islands, albeit in a different form than during the period of colonial domination. The tendency to impose first World disaster planning strategies without significant regard for indigenous cultures has led to counter-disaster products, such as disaster plans, being regarded more as symbols than as practical tools. It is argued that in order for disaster planning to become more than just symbolic, donors and their disaster managers must be prepared to adapt their programs to local conditions. involve the indigenous people in all steps of disaster planning and commit themselves to long term programs.
Cultural Gap and Public Involvement: The Case of Lan-Yu Radwaste Storage Site, Taiwan
Authors: Wang Juju C. S.
Published: January 2023

Undoubtedly, culture is a vehicle that helps people adapt to their environment From the standpoint of cultural ecology, the unique culture embodied by the Yami people in Lan-Yu is actually composed of a set of adaptive strategies developed specifically for the sake of present-day survival. Even though Lan-Yu is an island known as “the last paradise for cultural preservation,” acculturation has driven the Yami to confront selective elimination, particularly following the promotion of tourism by the Taiwanese government. Outside cultural influences as well as technology have gradually changed Lan-Yu's social structure in terms of people, space, and activities. On the one hand, technological advancement has brought a variety of positive improvements to the island, yet, on the other hand, it has also introduced some negative influences. The Lan-Yu Radwaste Storage Site (LYRSS) has become a much debated issue due to the conflict between traditional culture and modern civilization. Since the LYRSS was established through an inflexible and top-down decision-making process without following any consideration of cultural values or rituals, it has brought about social entropy in Lan-Yu. In other words, because of LYRSS, the Yami public seems to have developed cultural resistance rather than public acceptance. The article is an attempt to explicate the social entropy within the cultural context by looking into the anti-LYRSS movement. In particular, four issues are addressed: public involvement as it relates to limiting factors and promoting factors associated with the Yami culture; the cultural gap between the “etic” and “emic” perspectives; the underlying determinants of the Anti-LYRSS movement; and aspects of public involvement in Lan-Yu.
The Rote of the For-Profit Private Sector in Disaster Mitigation and Response
Authors: Horwich George
Published: January 2023

In an era in which free-market capitalism has been showered with more accolades than anyone ever expected it to receive, it seems especially timely to reassess economic sectors traditionally regarded as the preserve of nonprofit or governmental supply and off-limits to for-profit private activity. Of particular interest in this regard is the whole area of disaster mitigation and response, which, in the United States, at least, is experiencing an explosion of for-profit private-sector initiatives. I will survey and analyze some of these developments and offer some suggestions for policies to promote the role of private enterprise in both disaster anticipation and recovery,
The Piper's Dance: A Paradigm of the Collective Response to Epidemic Disease
Authors: Hughes Cornelius G.
Published: January 2023

A content analysis of the literature on epidemics, with particular reference to the American experience with AIDS, reveals the natural history of the response of endangered populations to epidemics. The paradigm contains four sequential phases: discernment, in which the threatened society becomes cognizant of the presence of a spreading lethal infection; a collective trauma with symptoms similar to other natural and man-made disasters and attended by denial, epidemic phobia, scapegoating and retribution guilt; avoidance behavior ruled by rational attempts to lessen the risk of contagion; and recovery, in which survivors enabled by biological immunity or medical technology witness the abatement of the epidemic. Though they have distinctive traits, epidemics illustrate the essential dynamics that mark natural and technological disasters.
Situational and Dispositional Determinants of Cognitive and Affective Reactions to the New Madrid Earthquake Prediction
Authors: Clark Lawrence V. , Venezlano Louis , Atwood Douglas
Published: January 2023

A New Mexico climatologist, Iben Browning, forecast an even chance that a major earthquake would strike the New Madrid fault on or around December 3, 1990. The extended media coverage associated with this “projection “ may have generated the most acute public awareness of earthquake hazards in the mid-continental United States in recent memory. In order to investigate what effect situational and dispositional factors had on cognitive and affective reactions to Browning's “projection, “ 428 college students residing in the area of Southeast Missouri predicted to be affected by an earthquake on the New Madrid fault were administered an extensive questionnaire. The questionnaire determined how situational factors (sociodemographic characteristics, prior earthquake experience, and impact attributed by the respondents to exposure to media sources of information) and dispositional factors (personality characteristics) were related to their reactions towards Browning's “projection. “ The results indicated ttat the cognitive and affective reactions to an earthquake prediction assessed in this study can be partially predicted from a combination of situational, but not dispositional, factors.
Perceived Impact of an Earthquake Prediction: The Third Person Effect
Authors: Atwood L. Erwin
Published: January 2023

This paper explores perceived effects of the mass media called the “third-person” effect. This position argues that while the mass media do not have strong and important effects on “you “ or “me,” they do have important, and probably direct, effects on “them, “ most other people. The prediction of a Richter 6. + earthquake for the New Madrid Fault on or about December 3, 1990, provided an opportunity to study public opinion, information sources, and perceptions of media effects about a natural disaster. Belief in the earthquake prediction, perceived importance of and thinking about the problem were negatively related to the third-person effect. Attribution of media effects on others was also negatively related to use of newspapers and radio but television was an important source; those who attributed third-person effects also thought there was too much news about the prediction, and “most others “ were thought to believe the prediction.
The Role of EOCs in Emergency Management: A Comparison of American and Canadian Experience
Authors: Scanlon Joseph
Published: January 2023

The literature on emergency management is full of praise for Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) yet it contains little of actual description of EOCs in operation. When Henry Quarantelli (1978) examined actual EOCs, he, too, found them valuable. But he also identified problems: the EOC is in the impact area forcing it to relocate when disaster strikes; access to the EOC is so badly controlled it becomes cramped and crowded, which may lead to decisions being made by a small group separately; membership changes constantly making it difficult to establish continuity in decision making; it isn't clear, at many incidents, who is managing the EOC itself. Finally, when an EOC is established, it does not necessarily work as a unit. Quarantelli was using American research. This article uses 19 Canadian incidents to see whether disaster experience in another country would support Quarantelli. The article reports precisely the same problems. It also reports — as did Quarantelli — that EOCs are effective. Finally, it says their use in Canada is growing.
The First “A” Alert of the Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment: A Description of Organizational Response
Authors: Fitzpatrick Colleen
Published: January 2023

The Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment has been an ongoing effort since the mid-1980s. As the first earthquake prediction officially endorsed by the National and California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Councils it has received considerable attention from earth scientists, social scientists, emergency services officials and members of the news media. One outcome of this experiment has been the development of a concerted effort to inform residents in the area of risk about their earthquake vulnerability and about what can be done to lessen the impacts of earthquakes. Involved in this effort has been the development of a comprehensive alert notification system for detecting changes in the risk and communicating those changes to emergency officials and citizens throughout the area. In October, 1992, when precursor anomalies indicated that the Parkfield earthquake might be imminent, the U.S. Geological Survey issued the first A-level alert of the Parkfield experiment. This paper depicts organizational response to this unique alert situation, Results from this case study suggest that while the alert was taken seriously by emergency and life-support organizations, it amounted to little more than an unannounced drill.
The 1989 Student Protest in Beijing
Authors: Taylor Antony J.
Published: January 2023

An eyewitness account of events leading up to the massacre in Tienanmen Square will be described, in which the place of observational methods for gathering data, the difficulty in retaining emotional objectivity, and the role of the University vis a vis the state will be raised. The suggestion is made that such brief, dramatic and intensive experiences could be construed as disasters and brought within the framework of applied behavioral science.
The Social Organization of Search and Rescue: Evidence From the Guadalajara Gasoline Explosion
Authors: Aguirre B. E. , Wenger Dennis , Glass Thomas A. , Diai-Murillo Marcelino , Vigo Gabriela
Published: January 2023

The Guadalajara gasoline explosion of 22 April, 1992, is examined to show the importance of social organization in search and rescue activities. Interviews were conducted with forty three victims that had been buried alive by the explosion and twenty two volunteers who had participated in the direct rescue phase. They reported on their own experiences during SAR and those of victims and rescuers near them. Most of the people that were rescued alive were rescued by these volunteers. Volunteers’ social identities in peer groups, extended families, the neighborhood, and the Catholic Church structured their search and rescue activities. Chances of people surviving the blast were directly proportional to the presence among the searchers of a person or persons who cared for the victim and who knew the victim's likely location. The behavior of the victims was marked by the continuation of preexisting motivational, normative, and value orientations. Victims acted cooperalively during entrapment. Most of the living victims were rescued during the first two hours after the explosion.
Excluded Perspectives in the Social Construction of Disaster
Authors: Hewitt Kenneth
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this paper is to review and respond to the preceding five articles in this special issue. My principal charge is to look at the authors’ approaches to answering the question of “What is a disaster?” and respond to their considerations. In doing this, I have outlined a variety of what I believe to be “excluded” perspectives in these formulations of what constitutes disasters.
Un-Therapeutic Communities: A Cross-National Analysis of Post-Disaster Political Unrest
Authors: Olson Richard Stuart , Drury A. Cooper
Published: January 2023

A recurring question in the study of disaster effects involves political instability. A relationship has been posited between disasters and various forms of political unrest, and case evidence exists to support the contention. Statistical testing, however, has been lacking. A pilot study, this paper integrates a worldwide-disaster database with a political-instability database and reports time-series cross-section (pooled time-series) findings for 12 countries struck by rapid-onset natural disasters between 1966 and 1980. The regression results, both strong and significant, indicate a positive relationship between disaster severity and political unrest. The unrest, however, can be dampened if not eliminated by governmental repression, the implications of which are most disturbing.
Incorporating Military Civil Affairs Support into Domestic Disaster Management
Authors: Director Walter E. Wright
Published: January 2023

Internationally, the military—by virtue of its readiness status, ability to launch large-scale operations, and possession of specialized personnel and equipment—has almost always responded to community disasters. Especially with the growth of a professional emergency-management cadre, through such organizations as the National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management, it is very important to connect the military and civilian sides of emergency management more closely. This paper describes the structure and operation of Civil Affairs programs in the military and considers ways in which community-emergency managers can connect with such programs.
Time, Knowledge, and Action: The Effect of Trauma upon Community Capacity for Action
Authors: Comfort Louise , Tekin Ali , Pretto Ernesto , Kirimli Bulent , Angus Derek
Published: January 2023

This article explores the relationship between time, knowledge, and action under the urgent conditions of disaster. We inquire into the conditions under which a community is able to give timely response to a catastrophic event. Such events require interorganizational communication, coordination, and a shared knowledge base to support action. We report findings from an international, interdisciplinary study of medical response following the March 13, 1992, earthquake in Erzincan, Turkey. Data are presented from a survey of representative organizational actors who were engaged in disaster response operations and lay persons who observed the response. In the case of Erzincan, the effect of trauma, communicated across multiple ties of family, friendship, and business in the community, had a disabling effect on the community's capacity to respond to the urgent needs of its citizens. Further, national efforts dependent upon knowledge of the community were inhibited by local trauma. We conclude that national capacity for timely, effective response to disaster depends upon the initial condition of training, communications, and infrastructure that are in place at the community level prior to the disaster.
After the Oklahoma City Bombing: A Case Study of the Resource Coordination Committee
Authors: Wedel Kenneth R. , Baker Donald R.
Published: January 2023

The Resource Coordination Committee (RCC) was established to address unmet needs in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The purpose of the RCC was to bring together people who could contribute money, workers, or materials to serve unmet needs of disaster survivors. Initially composed of a working group of representatives from over 40 organizations, the RCC provided services or resources to individuals and families recovering from the disaster We explored the organizational dynamics that emerged as the committee came together to address the unmet needs of victims. Particular attention was given to the leadership processes of the committee, its approach to decision-making, its control of confidentiality, and how it addressed accountability. Also, we conducted an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the RCC as identified by the members. In this report, we conclude with considerations based on case study findings for addressing unmet needs in future disaster situations.
Professionalization and Gender in Local Emergency Management
Authors: Wilson Jennifer
Published: January 2023

There is no doubt that women are in short supply as emergency managers at the local level. In many parts in our society women still do not hold positions of leadership, authority or management. Emergency response agencies are no exception. Indeed, contemporary county offices of emergency management evolved from the traditional local offices of civil defense which were predominately occupied and operated by men. Thus, there is a long history of emergency management being considered a male domain. Although the number of women involved in the process of local emergency management is increasing, there Iras been little research on women's and men's different experiences in this environment. This exploratory study examines women in local emergency management by looking at how gendered expectations, roles, and relationships might affect local offices of emergency management.
Gender Differences in Risk and Communication Behavior: Responses to the New Madrid Earthquake Prediction
Authors: Major Ann Marie
Published: January 2023

This study examines gender differences in communication behavior, risk perception, and preparedness in response to the highly publicized New Madrid earthquake prediction for a 6.5–7.5 Richter magnitude earthquake on December 2–3, 1990. A survey of 629 respondents in November and a follow-up survey of 496 respondents in Februaiy 1991 in the Cape Girardeau, Missouri, community provided the opportunity to assess public response to the false alarm. The analysis includes a panel survey of 290 respondents who agreed in November to a second interview. When compared with men, women were associated with higher levels of interpersonal discussion about the prediction and perceived higher levels of interpersonal and news media influence on their perceptions of the importance of the earthquake prediction. Contrary to previous studies reporting higher levels of news media use for men, no gender differences in news media use were found. A majority of studies of risk perception suggest higher levels of perceived risk for women than men. In this study men were associated with higher levels of risk and lower levels of preparedness.
Predicting singing ability from parents’ parental support and openness in high school students: Using a self-adjusted Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index Inventory
Authors: Yuan Ye , Yu Xiao Jie , Yuan Xiao Wei
Published: January 2023

Cognitive investment theory states that personality can predict individuals’ behavior patterns on one specific activity, and further predict a related ability. Besides, personality itself is predicted by environmental factors throughout individuals’ development. The present research explored if and how parental support predicts singing ability through openness and musical training, using a sample of high school students in mainland China. A measurement tool for acquiring the musical training and singing ability of targeted sample was lacking. Therefore, an adjustment study was conducted, which adjusted the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index–traditional Chinese version adjusted for Taiwanese (GMSI-TC), to obtain a suitable simplified Chinese version for the high school students (GMSI-SC-H). Thus, this research comprised two studies: Study 1 was an adjustment study, and Study 2 was a relation exploration study. Results of Study 1 showed that the GMSI-SC-H possessed acceptable reliability and validity on the general musical sophistication factor, Musical Training, Perceptual Abilities, and Singing Abilities sub-scales. The results of Study 2 showed that two mediating paths from parental support to singing ability were significant. Therefore, the conclusion was that parental support can predict singing ability through openness and musical training in a group of high school students. This research expands our understanding of links between personality and life outcomes.
Incarcerated Women’s Perceptions of the Role Model Prison Officer as Procedurally Just
Authors: Bender Kimberly A.
Published: January 2023

Studies applying procedural justice to the prison context have largely been quantitative and sampled men. These studies have explored prisoner’s procedural justice perceptions of the police and courts, but whether and to what extent their perceptions of the prison officer are associated with procedural justice is unknow. This study extends this research by qualitatively exploring how a sample of women incarcerated in an American prison perceive the role model prison officer and if their perceptions of the model officer are in line with the tenants of procedural justice theory. Findings reveal women’s perceptions of the model prison officer as procedurally just and point to the value of correctional officers developing strategies that enhance the procedural justice aspects of their encounters with women in prison.
Collectively Dreaming Toward Indigenized School Psychology Education and Training
Authors: Day Stephanie J.
Published: January 2023

Indigenous Peoples comprise a significant portion of the population whose mental health needs must be appropriately addressed, and schools are important contexts for this service provision. The author presents findings from a culturally-grounded, strengths-based, qualitative, Two-Eyed Seeing study that engaged with current and previous Indigenous graduate students from Canadian mainstream and Indigenized counseling psychology programs to explore their graduate school experience and dream for the future of psychological education and training. Community-led analysis with aspects of qualitative thematic analysis guided a collective results narrative. Eight findings emerged including: (1) the importance of relationality in education and training; (2) the significance of experiential learning (i.e., land and art-based, ceremonial, interpersonal relations); (3) diversity in knowledge sharers and inclusion of elders in psychology education; (4) critical decision-making about cohort member inclusion (i.e., all indigenous cohorts vs. mixed); (5) mandatory Indigenous pre-requisite courses; (6) cultural humility; (7) teachings about how to be a good person rather than how to be a good counselor; and (8) interviews for program entry. These findings are discussed in the context of future practice, intervention, education, and training of school, educational, counseling, and clinical psychologists, as well as pedagogical and curricular programmatic changes in multi-educational levels (i.e., K-12 and post-secondary). Considerations and areas of future research are discussed.
Preparation of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel containing chlorogenic acid microspheres and its evaluation for use in skin wound healing
Authors: Chahardoli Faezeh , Pourmoslemi Shabnam , Soleimani Asl Sara , Tamri Pari , Haddadi Rasool
Published: January 2023

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a phenolic compound widely found in plants. Several studies have shown that CGA possesses antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Because of their three-dimensional structure, good permeability, excellent biocompatibility and moisturizing properties, hydrogels are ideal candidates for wound dressing. The aim of the present study was to preparation and characterization of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel containing CGA microspheres and evaluation its wound healing activity. The double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique was applied for preparing the CGA containing microspheres. The microspheres were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and subsequently incorporated in the structure of a PVA hydrogel. The effects of prepared hydrogel on NIH3T3 cell line viability were evaluated using MTT method and wound healing activity was investigated in full thickness wound model in rabbit. SEM images showed formation of homogenous CGA microspheres with diameters in the range of 1–2 μm, embedded in the porous structure of the hydrogel. Infra-red results indicated successful incorporation of CGA microspheres into PVA hydrogel. The NIH3T3 cell viability percentage in CGA 2.5% hydrogel treated group significantly ( p < .05) increased after 24 h and 48 h comparing to control group. In vivo studies showed that CGA hydrogel significantly ( p < .001) stimulated the rate of wounds closures. Histological studies revealed that administration of CGA hydrogel significantly increased epithelialization and production of collagen fibers compared to the control group. It can be concluded that the CGA microsphere loaded PVA hydrogel has the potential for wound healing.