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Theorizing disaster communitas
Steve Matthewman1, Shinya Uekusa2
1Department of Sociology, University of Auckland, 10 Symonds Street, Level 9, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand.
Theory and Society
|March 22, 2021
Summary
Communitas, the spontaneous mutual aid in disasters, needs better theory. Understanding its conditions and barriers can improve disaster risk reduction strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of disasters
- Social psychology
Background:
- Disaster studies often lack theoretical depth, focusing on practicalities over analysis.
- This limits comprehensive understanding of social suffering and mitigation.
- Communitas, or improvisational mutual aid in disasters, is well-documented but undertheorized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize case studies to theorize communitas.
- To identify social conditions that foster or inhibit communitas.
- To inform disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of numerous disaster case studies.
- Theoretical analysis of communitas emergence, conceptualization, and influencing factors.
Main Results:
- Identified key facilitators and barriers to communitas.
- Developed a conceptual framework for understanding communitas.
- Highlighted the practical implications for disaster response and policy.
Conclusions:
- Theorizing communitas is crucial for advancing disaster studies.
- Understanding communitas' social conditions enhances disaster risk reduction.
- Fostering communitas can be a potent force in mitigating disaster impacts.
Keywords:
AltruismCarnivalCommunitasCommunity of fateDisaster risk reduction (DRR)DisastersSocial capitalMore Related Videos
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