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Defining Disaster: An Evolving Concept

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Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

This chapter traces disaster definitions devised by social scientists, recounting the evolution of scholarly thinking and the elements of the concept. The emphasis is on the definition of the phenomenon itself, not on enumerating the causes of, conditions for or consequences of disasters. Three collections of theory-based definitions are reviewed: the classical period, the hazards-disaster tradition, and the most recent emphasis on disasters as social phenomena. The influence of the human ecology perspective and the concepts of vulnerability and resilience are also examined. Gradually, consensus is emerging on a theory-based definition of disasters. Definitions have moved away from an agent-centered, damage-driven, uncontrollable event vision. Although agents may be proximal causes, humans “cause” virtually all disasters. Most researchers currently view social disruption as the key defining feature or essential dimension of disasters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, 2516 S. Shannon Dr., Tempe, AZ, 85282, USA

    Ronald W. Perry

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  1. Ronald W. Perry
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  1. University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York, USA

    Havidán Rodríguez

  2. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas, USA

    William Donner

  3. Core Faculty, Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA

    Joseph E. Trainor

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Perry, R.W. (2018). Defining Disaster: An Evolving Concept. In: Rodríguez, H., Donner, W., Trainor, J. (eds) Handbook of Disaster Research. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63254-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63254-4_1

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