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Critical Disaster Studies: The Evolution of a Paradigm

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A Decade of Disaster Experiences in Ōtautahi Christchurch

Abstract

This chapter traces the development of the Critical Disaster Studies (CDS) paradigm from its emergence in the 1970s onwards. The CDS paradigm spatially broadened and temporally deepened the scope of research on disasters. The new paradigm reoriented research by linking specific disasters, not as single isolated events, but as the inevitable outcome of a set of connected, long-standing, deeply embedded social processes that privilege concentrations of power and economic growth over social and environmental values and priorities. In effect, the waves of disasters in Ōtautahi Christchurch can be seen as examples of such. CDS research sees neoliberalism as a distorted form of development that has produced colossal but highly concentrated wealth and power, enormous inequality and vast environmental destruction, achieved through the relatively unrestrained exploitation of human labour and the natural environment. This has profound implications for the construction of risk and vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic hazards globally.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Subsequent to the completion of this chapter and its final submission to the publisher, a book entitled Critical Disaster Studies, co-edited by two of the three organisers of this conference, was recently published (Remes & Horowitz, 2021).

  2. 2.

    http://journals-ddhr.utk.tennessee.edu/ojs-3.0.2/index.php/cds/about.

  3. 3.

    Preparing for Extreme and Rare events in Coastal Regions.

  4. 4.

    I am indebted to Jason von Meding for calling this distinction to my attention.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my colleagues Astrid Wigidal and Jason Von Meding for their helpful comments and suggestions for an early draft of this chapter.

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  1. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Anthony Oliver-Smith

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  1. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Shinya Uekusa

  2. School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Steve Matthewman

  3. School of People, Environment & Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Bruce C. Glavovic

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Oliver-Smith, A. (2022). Critical Disaster Studies: The Evolution of a Paradigm. In: Uekusa, S., Matthewman, S., Glavovic, B.C. (eds) A Decade of Disaster Experiences in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6863-0_2

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