This book analyses the making of the international world of ‘natural’ disasters by its professionals. Through a long-term ethnographic study of this arena, the author unveils the various elements that are necessary for the construction of an international world: a collective narrative, a shared language, and standardized practices. The book analyses the two main framings that these professionals use to situate themselves with regards to a disaster: preparedness and resilience, arguing that the making of the world of ‘natural’ disasters reveals how heterogeneous, conflicting, and sometimes competing elements are put together.
Author(s): Sandrine Revet, K. Throssel, C. Schoch (Translators)
Series: The Sciences Po Series In International Relations And Political Economy
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 243
Tags: International Relations Theory
Acknowledgments......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Acronyms......Page 10
List of Figures......Page 12
List of Boxes......Page 14
Chapter 1: Introducing Disasterland......Page 15
The World of Disaster......Page 18
Constructing the Field......Page 23
The Making of a World......Page 30
References......Page 33
Part I: Genealogy and Iconography of the “Natural” Disaster World......Page 37
Chapter 2: Stories of a Fragmented World......Page 38
First Narrative: A World to Coordinate......Page 40
A Boundary-Entrepreneur: Michel Lechat......Page 43
Coordination, from UNDRO to OCHA......Page 45
Second Narrative. A World to Understand......Page 47
Understanding Nature in Disasters......Page 51
Denaturalizing Disasters......Page 53
Competition Among Experts in International Committees......Page 55
Harmonizing Worlds......Page 60
References......Page 61
Chapter 3: Disaster Iconography: Victims, Rescue Workers, and Hazards......Page 65
The Making of Images: Databases, Guidelines, and Codes of Conduct......Page 66
Representing “Natural” Disasters......Page 68
Representing Victims: Women and Children, Between Vulnerability and Resilience......Page 70
Child Figures and Pedagogy......Page 71
Mother Figures......Page 77
Heroes and Experts......Page 83
Resilient Communities......Page 84
Between Victims, Experts, and Communities: The Mediators......Page 85
Nature: Culpable and Controllable......Page 87
References......Page 90
Part II: The Forging of an International World of “Natural” Disasters......Page 93
Chapter 4: Making Disasters International......Page 94
A Moral Imperative......Page 95
State Incompetence......Page 97
The Cost of Disasters: Economic Grammar......Page 99
The Grammar of Security......Page 100
International Technological Apparatuses......Page 102
Disaster Professionals: Going International......Page 105
Disaster Brokers......Page 112
Disaster Consultants......Page 118
Negotiating for Disaster......Page 124
“Disasterology”: An International Discipline of Disaster?......Page 130
References......Page 133
Chapter 5: Creating Common Ground to “See the Same Disaster”......Page 136
Quantifying Disaster: Concurring and Counting1......Page 137
Databases......Page 141
Exploring Future Risks......Page 147
Evaluating the World of “Natural” Disasters: Indicators and Benchmarking......Page 148
Global Indicators for Global Problems......Page 149
Benchmarking, Creating Competition......Page 152
“Talking About the Same Thing”: Glossaries and Definitions for a Language of Disaster......Page 154
Standardizing Practices......Page 159
Frictions......Page 162
References......Page 164
Part III: Confronting “Natural” Disasters......Page 167
Chapter 6: Preparedness......Page 168
Preparedness......Page 170
Issuing a Warning......Page 173
Between High-Tech and Low-Tech: The Cost of Preparedness......Page 174
Simulating Disaster......Page 177
The Scenario: A Fantasy Document......Page 179
A Geography of Order......Page 181
Simulation and Emotions: Reliving the Disaster......Page 186
Simulation as Ritual, the Minor Mode and Criticism......Page 187
Preparedness: Performativity or Performance?......Page 191
References......Page 192
Chapter 7: Resilience......Page 195
Disaster as Trauma: Psychosocial Support and Individual Resilience......Page 200
Reframing the Religious Scenario Through Resilience......Page 202
Community Resilience: “Help Yourself, By Yourself”......Page 205
Funding Resilience: Microinsurance and Microcredit......Page 208
References......Page 213
Chapter 8: Conclusion......Page 217
References......Page 221
References......Page 222
Index......Page 240
