Past Disasters
This disaster shaped public perceptions of nuclear energy in the US
Three mile island
This concept captures how different social groups experience differentiated (unequal) environmental risks and vulnerabilities in ways that are unjust (unfair)
Environmental justice
This global reality means that extreme weather events are going to continue increasing in frequency and severity
What is climate change?
When people are deciding how to respond to an impending extreme weather event that may cause a disaster, this aspect of their perceptions of public institutions matters.
What is trust in public institutions - if people don't trust the messenger, they are less likely to respond to the message?
This disaster occurred in the gulf coast of the US and is remembered particularly for highlighting the racial disparities in disaster vulnerabilities and impacts
Hurricane Katrina
This social science concept captures how social vulnerabilities across demographic groups can be compounded through different identities and experiences
What is intersectionality
These are four water related extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change.
What are floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and landslides?
This federal emergency response agency bases reimbursement allowances on exactly what was damaged, preventing communities from proactively preparing for a future of more severe weather events.
What is FEMA?
As a result of this superstorm on the east coast of the US, over 8 million people lost access to electricity, and many went over a week before access was restored
What is superstorm Sandy?
This concept captures the inability of experts to protect people from modern risks, even when they are tasked with doing so
What is recreancy?
This kind of disaster occurs because of some physical environmental reality, which are becoming more severe because of climate change
What are natural disasters?
This term is a way social scientists describe your social network (who you know and can rely on), another form of capital that people can rely on when responding to a disaster.
What is social capital?
This disaster began in August 2026 due to glacial collapse and is still ongoing, with thousands of people still missing
What is the Rasuwa Flood?
This concept captures the inherent contradictions of the Enlightenment - what is the concept, and what is the core contradiction?
This concept can be used to describe the difference between the people and nations most responsible for causing climate change, versus the people and nations most likely to experience negative impacts from climate change.
What is global inequity?
This term captures human mobility post-disaster, and it can be hard to measure its long term realities.
What is displacement?
In class, Dr. Schelly discussed this disaster as providing lessons regarding the value of localized social and technological systems that support local resilience (two potential answers)
What is the Fathers Day Flood in the UP?
OR
What is Hurricane Helene?
This social science concept explains how social systems support social cohesion
What is functionalism?
This is the cause of climate change.
This term captures people being in a precarious social position before, during, and after a disaster.
What is social vulnerability?