The Invention of Disaster: Power and Knowledge in Discourses on Hazard and Vulnerability

The domination of Western knowledge in disaster scholarship has led to the imposition of normative policies and practices of disaster risk reduction, which fail to recognize the unique and diverse experiences of people across different cultures. This book encourages the emergence of a more diverse set of world views and ways of knowing to better reflect local realities of disasters and inform policy and practice of disaster risk reduction.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The dominance of Western knowledge in disaster scholarship has led to the imposition of normative policies and practices of disaster risk reduction worldwide. This theoretical contribution takes a postcolonial approach to unpack why scholars claim that disasters are social constructs while offering little but theories, concepts, and methods that are supposed to be universal in understanding the unique and diverse experiences of millions of people across different cultures. It further challenges the forms of governments inherited from the Enlightenment that have been rolled out as standard and ultimate solutions to reduce the risk of disaster. Ultimately, the book encourages the emergence of a more diverse set of world views/senses and ways of knowing for both studying disasters and informing policy and practice of disaster risk reduction. Such pluralism is essential to better reflect local realities of what disasters actually are around the world.

This book is a crucial read for scholars and postgraduate students interested in disaster studies, as well as policy-makers and practitioners of disaster risk reduction. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the dominance of Western knowledge in disaster scholarship and challenges the normative policies and practices that have been imposed globally. Through a postcolonial lens, the book explores why scholars claim that disasters are social constructs while offering limited practical insights into the diverse experiences of millions of people across different cultures. It also critiques the inherited forms of government that have been touted as the ultimate solution to reduce disaster risk.

The book advocates for a more pluralistic approach to studying disasters and informing disaster risk reduction policies and practices. It encourages the emergence of diverse world views, senses, and ways of knowing that can better reflect the local realities of disasters around the world. By challenging the dominant narrative of Western knowledge, the book seeks to promote a more inclusive and equitable approach to disaster management and risk reduction.

This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of disaster studies and the challenges of reducing disaster risk in a globalized world. It offers a critical perspective on the dominant discourse of disaster risk reduction and provides a roadmap for promoting a more diverse and inclusive approach to disaster management.

Weight: 498g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032162720