What is a Disaster? - A Comparative Social Science

In this review of What is a Disaster? the focus is on readers who need a rigorous, comparative look at disaster definitions across disciplines. The book pairs six distinct social science perspectives with reaction papers and author responses, and its biggest reason to buy is the clear presentation of conceptual conflict that helps readers understand why scholars disagree about disasters. This review highlights how the volume is organized and who will benefit from its sustained, argumentative format rather than a single synthesized theory.

Key Features

• Multi-discipline approach: Presents six separate social science perspectives, allowing readers to compare contrasting definitions and assumptions across fields.
• Structured debate format: Each set of views is followed by a reaction paper and an author response, which clarifies points of agreement and contention for the reader.
• Focus on social crises: Examines events such as ethnic clashes, riots, and terrorist attacks alongside natural and technological hazards to probe conceptual boundaries.
• Conceptual clarity: Highlights huge differences in how researchers define disasters, helping readers identify the underlying premises shaping each view.
• Scholarly value: Serves as a useful reference for students and researchers seeking original arguments rather than a textbook summary.

Who It's For

The book is well suited for graduate students, researchers, and policy analysts who need to understand theoretical debates about what constitutes a disaster and why different disciplines frame crises differently. It is also useful for instructors who want a collection of opposed views to prompt classroom discussion.

Readers seeking a single, settled definition or a practical handbook for emergency operations should look elsewhere; this volume is conceptual and argumentative rather than a field manual or step-by-step guide for responders.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Brings together multiple disciplinary perspectives, making contrasts explicit and facilitating comparative analysis.
• Includes reaction papers and author responses, which deepen understanding of each position and show scholarly exchange in practice.
• Useful as a teaching text or reference for conceptual debates in public affairs and social services.

Cons

• Its emphasis on conceptual differences means it offers limited practical guidance for on-the-ground disaster management.

Specifications

Title	What is a Disaster?
Editor / Author	E.L. Quarantelli
Content focus	Social science perspectives on disasters and crises
Format	Scholarly essays with reaction papers and responses
Topics covered	Ethnic clashes, riots, terrorist attacks, natural and technological events
Intended audience	Researchers, graduate students, policy analysts

Our Verdict

What is a Disaster? is a strong value for readers who want to grapple with competing scholarly views rather than quick answers; its design of paired essays and responses exposes conceptual division and is ideal for classroom use or research that demands careful theorizing about disasters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book offer practical disaster response advice?
The volume is primarily conceptual and does not function as an operational handbook for responders.

Who edited the collection?
The book is presented under the editorship of E.L. Quarantelli, who curated the disciplinary perspectives and reactions.

Are both natural and social crises covered?
Yes; the essays compare social crises like ethnic clashes and riots with natural and technological events to examine definitional boundaries.