Social problems perspectives, disaster research and emergency management : intellectual contexts, theoretical extensions, and policy implications / Thomas E. Drabek.

A revision and expansion of the 2006 E.L. Quarantelli Theory Award Lecture presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, New York City, New York, Ausust, 2007.

Printed from the Internet.

Includes bibliographical references.

This essay explores the intellectual contexts wherein disasters are defined as non-routine social problems. The argument is advanced that this theoretical orientation can both open new doors for researchers and assist emergency management professionals in critically reviewing existing policy and future proposals. The essay is comprised of five sections: 1) introduction (how I came to this topic); 2) social problems perspectives (key insights from past and recent analyses); 3) disaster research (sampling of theoretical issues and conclusions relevant to a social problems orientation); 4) emergency management selected policy areas and implications) and 5) conclusions (payoffs for future theory and application). [Abstract]