Analysis Of There Is No Such Thing As A Natural Disaster

The book, There is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster, edited by Chester Hartman and Gregory D. Squires, is a compilation of essays that discuss various elements of the Hurricane Katrina disaster that relate to class and race. While each essay focuses on a different topic within the scope of the disaster, they all embody a singular set of ethics that encompass a belief in equality among all citizens regardless of race and class. The majority of the authors assign the persistent and systemic income and racial inequality as the root cause of the suffering dealt to the citizens of the Gulf coast region in the wake of the hurricane. They further charge the local, state and federal governments with a range of culpability ranging from mere inefficiency

Although there are conflicting statements and sentiments, among the authors about how particular elements of how to accomplish the Gulf Coast’s recovery or what was the most damning aspect of the Gulf region’s cultural and societal composition, they all seem to agree on the overarching problems that culminated in the shameful treatment of Hurricane Katrina survivors. The major theme of this book is stated in its title, There is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster. The editors and authors are not denying the occurrence of natural phenomena that can disrupt, injure and kill human beings, they are using current the current sociological paradigm that focuses on the loss of expected support during a crisis(“2015SU2-SOC-283434-01: M1 - What is Disaster?,” n.d.). In doing this, they are making the point that cultural, social and political factors in a disaster situation are deciding characteristics of how the population responds and are responded to during the

In the essay, “Double Jeopardy: Public Education in New Orleans Before and After the Storm”, Michael Casserly, describes a school system that is corrupt, disorganized, understaffed or with unqualified staff, under-funded based on the number of children, negligent management practices and above all unable to educate the most needy children in all of Louisiana (Hartman & Squires, 2006). Education is one of the most important factors for low and middle-income children if they are going to be able to live productive and fulfilling lives. But the school district was unable to provide that service to its local citizens, so much so that when many were relocated, they did not want to return because their children were receiving a better level of education even with the burdens and trauma of moving to another state (Hartman & Squires,