Use of social science in emergency management research

One of the sciences used in emergency management research is Social Science. The social sciences (disaster sociology, political science, economics, disaster psychology, social geography/demographers, urban planning, etc.) play a key role in helping emergency managers understand human behavior and the phenomenon of disaster. These sciences take into account cultural, age, ethnic, racial and gender factors in attempting to explain human behavior before, during and after disasters. A common assumption is that most people that experience natural disasters are innocent victims; they “happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time”. However, as your text also indicates, both natural and human-caused disasters often involve the assumption of voluntary risk by people who may become victims (they bear some responsibility for their circumstances by taking a specific action, or failing to do so when being otherwise informed – ex., people who do not evacuate when ordered to do so, homeowners who build their homes in areas susceptible to floods, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, etc.). Post your thoughts (based on your personal experiences in this field, if applicable, and knowledge learned from your education thus far) on this topic (and comment on at least two of your colleague’s posts) and what, if any, solutions you may have/offer.