Micro disasters: Expanding the social work conceptualization of disasters:

doi:10.1177/0020872817712565

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Micro disasters: Expanding the social work conceptualization of disasters:

Journal Article•DOI•

Micro disasters: Expanding the social work conceptualization of disasters:

Jennifer Willett¹•Institutions (1)

University of Nevada, Reno¹

01 Jan 2019-International Social Work (SAGE PublicationsSage UK: London, England)-Vol. 62, Iss: 1, pp 133-145

TL;DR: In this paper, the primary victims of environmental degradation are also the main victims of other injustices, like environmental disasters, mirror oppressive structural forces in society, as well as the primary targets of these injustices.

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Abstract: Environmental problems, like environmental disasters, mirror oppressive structural forces in society, as the primary victims of environmental degradation are also the main victims of other injustic...

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Journal Article•DOI•

The challenge of Africa

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Jack Penn

01 Jan 1965-British Journal of Plastic Surgery

TL;DR: Books and internet are the recommended media to help you improving your quality and performance.

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91 citations

Journal Article•

Kenya: A History since Independence

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Myles Osborne

01 Jan 2014-International Journal of African Historical Studies

TL;DR: Hornsby's history of independent Kenya is described in this paper as a political and economic history, with a focus on women's empowerment and women's economic empowerment in the country.

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Abstract: Kenya: A History since Independence. By Charles Hornsby. London and New York: LB. Tauris, 2013. Pp. xviii, 958; maps, figures, photographs, bibliography, index. $30.00 paper.Historians of independent Kenya are starting to feel a little spoiled. For many years, it seemed that no author was brave enough to take on the complex opacity of the nation's past since the end of colonial rule (though a multitude of studies appeared that were more narrowly focused, either thematically or chronologically). Now, in the space of two years, the field has been transformed, first by Daniel Branch's Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1963-2011 (reviewed by this author in 2013),1 and second, Charles Hornsby's opus, Kenya: A History Since Independence.Any historian of Kenya will be familiar with Hornsby's first book, a coauthored monograph (with David Throup) that focused on the country's first multiparty elections in 1992. The text ran to 660 pages of dense print, making Hornsby's new 2.43 lb offeringcoming in at a shade under 1,000 pages-feel relatively concise, given the breadth of his topic. Hornsby describes the book as the "result of 27 years of research and immersion in Kenya's politics, economy, and society," and the author surely required every piece of his experience to produce this monumentally erudite tome (p. xi).Hornsby conceives of his book as a political and economic history, though he considers the two subjects inextricably linked in Kenya. He opens by explaining that Kenya is one of a small group of African nations whose history "has not been one of war, military rule, mass murder, or state collapse." But, he continues, "neither has it been one of improving living standards, industrialisation, growing national pride, and the establishment of a key role in the world economy" (p. 1). His task is to explain this state of affairs.Hornsby's narrative unfolds chronologically over fourteen lengthy chapters, each of which is organized in short sections averaging one page in length. At times, this approach can feel disjointed: thus in the middle of Chapter 4, the author takes on "Population and Urbanisation," "Health," "The Role of Women and Gender Issues," and "Religion" in just three pages (pp. 199-202). But this criticism must be tempered: this system, in conjunction with an excellent index, means that readers may use the book like an encyclopedia to quickly access information on topics ranging from tourism to tea exports.Hornsby argues that many of the issues dividing Kenyans have changed little since 1963, and often have roots in the colonial past. Thus programs of land consolidation, institutions like government marketing boards, or legal restrictions on public gatherings all have their origins in the 1940s or 1950s, and have been maintained in similar fashion (or sporadically resurrected) ever since. The debates between KANU and KADU over devolution during the early 1960s differed little from those surrounding the nation's attempt to create a new constitution during the 2000s. Nor have the political elites themselves changed: during the early years of the Kenyatta era, those who forced themselves into almost impregnable positions of power then "kicked away" the ladders "before others ... could climb them" (p. 109). Many remained in power-or close to its source-almost fifty years later.Hornsby's anger about corruption and government mismanagement is almost tangible. His excoriation of the excesses of the Moi era, in particular, is brutal. …

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59 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Social Work, Disasters and Communities—Challenging the Boundaries of the Profession

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Arpita Das¹•Institutions (1)

Wellington Management Company¹

25 Jan 2021-British Journal of Social Work

TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted an empirical study with two communities who live in the flood affected Brahmaputra valley and found that the current policies have a large imprint of the colonial with little being done in terms of developing alternate, localised and participatory methods of flood management.

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Abstract: Disasters caused by natural phenomena are ubiquitous world over in terms of their occurrence. Myths and folklore are testament to this. The transition of natural phenomena into ‘natural’ disasters occurs only when humans are introduced. ‘Natural’ disasters have a social gradient to them, which differs vastly across societies. Epistemologically, disasters have been the forte of technocrats with social workers at best remaining at the fringes. This article is based on an empirical study undertaken with two communities who live in the flood affected Brahmaputra valley. It reveals a gap in the knowledge of the local realities—social, political, geographical resulting in grand and ineffective policy making. The current policies have a large imprint of the colonial with little being done in terms of developing alternate, localised and participatory methods of flood management. It demonstrates how the community’s efforts transcend a spectrum of stages moving from prevention and adaption to mitigation. For the Brahmaputra floods, the reality is extremely tenuous. Hence, it is not feasible for one knowledge system to understand the whole reality. Rather it needs to be acknowledged that multiple knowledge systems exist, and social workers need to be stakeholders in this process of knowledge creation and building of resilient communities.

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6 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Building resilience to environmental problems in Kenya: lessons for aid organizations from three successful community-based processes

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Jennifer Willett¹, August Kvam¹•Institutions (1)

University of Nevada, Reno¹

26 Feb 2019-Journal of Community Practice

TL;DR: This paper explored experiences of community resilience to environmental problems in Kenya and offered three successful processes of mutual support: culturally appropriate charity, community-based micro financing, and communitybased fundraising, which can be supported by aid organizations to increase impact and reach.

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Abstract: Vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected by environmental changes and problems. Developing interventions that aim to foster resilience by utilizing existing local strengths can support these communities. This study explored experiences of community resilience to environmental problems in Kenya. This article offers 3 successful processes of mutual support: culturally appropriate charity, community-based micro financing, and community-based fundraising. Lessons learned are offered, which can be supported by aid organizations to increase impact and reach.

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4 citations

Additional excerpts

...This assumption was not supported by the data; failure of aid mechanisms in all forms was a common theme across the 19 communities (Willett, 2019)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Human Service Organization-Environment Relationships in Relation to Environmental Justice: Old and New Approaches to Macro Practice and Research

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Bowen McBeath¹, Qing Tian², Bin Xu³, Jenifer Huang McBeath⁴•Institutions (4)

Portland State University¹, Beijing Normal University², University of Science and Technology Beijing³, University of Alaska Fairbanks⁴

25 Sep 2019

TL;DR: The topic of organization-environment relations informs how organizational managers, community leaders, and policymakers and advocates secure essential resources, justify their strategic objectives, and advocate for sustainable development as mentioned in this paper.

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Abstract: The topic of organization-environment relations informs how organizational managers, community leaders, and policymakers and advocates secure essential resources, justify their strategic im...

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3 citations

Cites background from "Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..."

...As described earlier, an environmentally just approach to the “slow violence” (Willett, 2019) that minoritized communities experience might be framed around community engagement via diverse ways of knowing (particularly indigenous and cultural knowledge), mobilization, and community healing (Ginwright, 2015)....
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References

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Open Access

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Journal Article•DOI•

Violence, Peace, and Peace Research:

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Johan Galtung

01 Sep 1969-Journal of Peace Research

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a reflexion teorico conceptual sobre paz and violencia in el contexto de la perspectiva critica de los Estudios para la Paz (Peace Studies).

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Abstract: En su trayectoria como campo cientifico, la Peace Research o Investigacion para la Paz reconoce que definir “paz” es, de hecho, una parte fundamental de una estrategia cientifica. En ese contexto, se ha dedicado a conceptualizar paz de forma amplia, dialogica y compleja, tal como diverso y complejo es el mundo. Del mismo modo, definir violencia se convierte en una labor igualmente compleja, una vez que mas importante que llegar a una definicion o a tipologias, -pues hay, evidentemente, muchos tipos de violencia- indicar dimensiones teoricamente significativas de violencia es efectivamente lo fundamental, una vez que nos puede llevar a pensar, investigar y, potencialmente, actuar ante los problemas mas graves de la humanidad. Si la peace action debe ser considerada porque es una accion contra la violencia, el mismo concepto de violencia debe ser lo suficientemente amplio para incluir las variedades mas significativas y, ademas, tambien debe ser lo suficientemente especifico para servir de base para una accion concreta. En esa perspectiva, este articulo pretende presentar una reflexion teorico conceptual sobre paz y violencia en el contexto de la perspectiva critica de los Estudios para la Paz (Peace Studies).

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4,890 citations

"Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..." refers background in this paper

...Whereas Galtung (1969) broadened ideas about violence to include structural forces, Nixon (2011) further expanded concepts of violence to include hidden environmental changes (Holterman, 2014)....
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...Both slow violence and structural violence argue that hidden structural forces entrench unfair societal systems (Galtung, 1969; Nixon, 2011)....
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Book•

Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research

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Deborah K. Padgett

20 Jun 2008

TL;DR: The author discusses ethical issues in Qualitative Research, how to choose the right approach, and how to tell the story in a qualitative study.

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Abstract: PREFACE 1. The Qualitative Methods Family 2. Choosing the Right Approach(es) 3. Getting Started: Study Design and Sampling 4. Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 5. Entering the Field and Conducting Observation 6. Interviewing and Use of Documents 7. Data Analysis and Interpretation 8. Strategies for Rigor 9. Telling the Story: Writing Up the Qualitative Study 10. Mixed Methods APPENDIX: WRITING A QUALITATIVE METHODS PROPOSAL FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING REFERENCES INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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1,981 citations

"Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..." refers background or methods in this paper

...To support trustworthiness, I followed several methods recommended by Padgett (2008)....
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...Data were collected over time, which allowed for multiple contacts with participants in the formal interviews as well as the ethnographic interactions (Padgett, 2008)....
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...In this approach, the essence of the shared experience regarding slow violence and disasters was identified as the focus of analysis (Padgett, 2008), rather than a number of other shared experiences, such as poverty in Kenya....
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...Phenomenology is ideal to understand common experiences (Padgett, 2008), such as environmental disasters in poor communities....
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...In total, 32 people participated in the formal interviews, a large sample size for the phenomenological approach (Padgett, 2008), which allowed for data that are both deep and broad (Baker and Edwards, 2012)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor

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Jennifer Wenzel¹•Institutions (1)

University of Michigan¹

27 Sep 2012-Safundi

TL;DR: Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor Rob Nixon Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2011. 370 pp. (hbk) 978-0674049307 Even if it is not quite accurate to say that the emergent subfie...

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Abstract: Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor Rob Nixon Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2011. 370 pp. (hbk) 978-0674049307 Even if it is not quite accurate to say that the emergent subfie...

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1,431 citations

"Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..." refers background in this paper

...The concept of slow violence was newly coined by Nixon (2011) but is built on several related concepts....
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...Because of their lack of importance and the invisibility of slow violence, victims are undercounted and the effects of environmental degradation are underestimated (Nixon, 2011)....
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...Conditions for sustaining life are not immediately destroyed, like in a tsunami, but are slowly damaged over protracted periods of time (Nixon, 2011)....
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...Identifying and telling the stories of people impacted by slow violence are paramount to make the invisible environmental violence visible and to highlight its impacts on unvalued people (Nixon, 2011)....
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...Slow violence is environmental degradation that occurs gradually and across time and space (Nixon, 2011)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Taking the naturalness out of natural disasters

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Phil O'Keefe, Ken Westgate, Ben Wisner

15 Apr 1976-Nature

TL;DR: O'Keefe, Westgate and Wisner as mentioned in this paper argue that disasters are more a consequence of socio-economic than natural factors, and they argue that natural disasters are not the cause of all disasters.

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Abstract: Phil O'Keefe, Ken Westgate and Ben Wisner argue the case that disasters are more a consequence of socio-economic than natural factors.

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815 citations

"Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..." refers background in this paper

...…between natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, and man-made disasters, such as the refugee crisis, other disaster scholars have argued that there are no natural disasters; because vulnerable people suffer the most in disasters, all disasters are man-made (O’Keefe et al., 1976)....
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...While literature on disasters tends to differentiate between natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, and man-made disasters, such as the refugee crisis, other disaster scholars have argued that there are no natural disasters; because vulnerable people suffer the most in disasters, all disasters are man-made (O’Keefe et al., 1976)....
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Book•

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy

[...]

Kevin Bales

01 Jan 1999

TL;DR: Bales' "Disposable People" as mentioned in this paper investigates conditions in Mauritania, Brazil, Thailand, Pakistan, and India and reveals the tragic emergence of a new slavery, one intricately linked to the global economy.

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Abstract: Slavery is illegal throughout the world, yet more than twenty-seven million people are still trapped in one of history's oldest social institutions. Kevin Bales' disturbing story of slavery today reaches from brick kilns in Pakistan and brothels in Thailand to the offices of multinational corporations. His investigation of conditions in Mauritania, Brazil, Thailand, Pakistan, and India reveals the tragic emergence of a "new slavery," one intricately linked to the global economy. The new slaves are not a long-term investment as was true with older forms of slavery, explains Bales. Instead, they are cheap, require little care, and are disposable. Three interrelated factors have helped create the new slavery. The enormous population explosion over the past three decades has flooded the world's labor markets with millions of impoverished, desperate people.The revolution of economic globalization and modernized agriculture has dispossessed poor farmers, making them and their families ready targets for enslavement. And rapid economic change in developing countries has bred corruption and violence, destroying social rules that might once have protected the most vulnerable individuals. Bales' vivid case studies present actual slaves, slaveholders, and public officials in well-drawn historical, geographical, and cultural contexts. He observes the complex economic relationships of modern slavery and is aware that liberation is a bitter victory for a child prostitute or a bondaged miner if the result is starvation. Bales offers suggestions for combating the new slavery and provides examples of very positive results from organizations such as Anti-Slavery International, the Pastoral Land Commission in Brazil, and the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan.He also calls for researchers to follow the flow of raw materials and products from slave to marketplace in order to effectively target campaigns of "naming and shaming" corporations linked to slavery. "Disposable People" is the first book to point the way to abolishing slavery in today's global economy.

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810 citations

"Micro disasters: Expanding the soci..." refers background in this paper

...In addition to structural violence, slow violence is informed by Bales’ (2004) concept of disposable people, which highlights the plights of unvalued people who are forgotten....
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