Description
Book Synopsis* Natural disasters regularly reach a high degree of prominence in the media, but we rarely see the political aspects of the ways that disasters are managed and dealt with. * This book offers a comprehensive survey of the political history of disaster management, from World War I onwards.
Trade Review"An enjoyable, easily accessible read."
Global Journal
"This fluent, critical and accessible book provides a wealth of detail and insight into the political and social pressures that shape discourse, international organization and policy for disaster management. A strongly recommended text for students of humanitarianism, disaster risk management, and international development policy, and a wake-up call for practitioners."
Mark Pelling, King’s College London
"This volume highlights the interplay of normative, political, and institutional factors steering how we conceptualize and respond to disasters. As such it provides readers with an understanding of how actors at different levels actually make sense of disasters, a perspective that is rarely explored in the current literature."
Ian Christoplos, Danish Institute for International Studies
"...comprehensive and applicable to any border region. The book is easy to read..."
D. Rick Van Schoik, North American Research Partnership
"An important read for researchers and advanced students interested in the politics of international emergency management and disaster assistance."
Choice
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vi
Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms viii
Text Boxes x
Introduction 1
1 The Disaster Politics Nexus 6
2 The Global Policy Field of Natural Disasters 18
3 The Kindness of Strangers 42
4 A Safer World? 59
5 Climate of Concern 78
6 Disaster Politics as Game Playing 97
7 Mass Media and the Politics of Disaster 115
8 Disaster Politics: A Discursive Approach 130
9 Conclusion 146
Notes 159
References 167
Index 188
