The Northridge Earthquake: Vulnerability and Disaster

Citation

(2000), "The Northridge Earthquake: Vulnerability and Disaster", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 9 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2000.07309cad.003

The Northridge Earthquake: Vulnerability and Disaster

The Northridge Earthquake: Vulnerability and Disaster

R. Bolin and L. StanfordRoutledgeLondon1998272 pp.ISBN 0 415 17897 5£65.00

This text looks at the Northridge earthquake from the aspect of vulnerability and inequality. It does not set out to chronologically review the disaster but rather investigates the conceptual issues while examining evidence of vulnerability through a series of case studies.

The authors begin by defining a "disaster" and look at the ecology of risk. They then review the perspectives of disaster and bring in the concept of vulnerability of various classes and groups of individual and perform an interesting comparison of vulnerability during the First World War. The text continues through the response to the earthquake and the restructuring and social protection both regional and local perspectives.

In conclusion, the authors look at disasters as opportunities for social adjustment as well as an opportunity to rebuild the devastated areas.

This is a book that provokes thought, and I guess that is exactly what the authors wanted. It does not create conflict with established protocols, rather it asks if a slightly different view would not be more appropriate.