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Disasters
Book

Disasters

A Sociological Approach

Kathleen Tierney
Polity Press, 2019

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Analytical
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Wildfires, hurricanes and other calamities aren’t areas of inquiry only for climate scientists, writes sociologist Kathleen Tierney. Natural disasters fall under the purview of social scientists like her, as she proves in this eye-opening examination of catastrophes. While it’s no surprise that poor people are more vulnerable to hurricanes and floods, Tierney applies demographic data to climatological events and details further risks to vulnerable populations. Her analysis of climate events and their societal risks is insightful and illuminating.

Take-Aways

  • Disasters are increasing in severity and social significance.
  • Several catastrophic events in recent history captured the attention of sociologists.
  • The social costs of disasters are not equally distributed.

About the Author

Kathleen Tierney is a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder.

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