Anthropological Studies in Hazardous Environments: Past Trends and New Horizons [and Comments and Reply]

• Published in: Current anthropology Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 517 - 540
• Main Authors: Torry, William I., Anderson, William A., Bain, Donald, Otway, Harry J., Baker, Randall, D'Souza, Frances, O'Keefe, Philip, Osterling, Jorge P., Turner, B. A., Turton, David, Watts, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Chicago Press 01-09-1979
• Subjects: Communities; Cultural anthropology; Disasters; Drought; Earthquakes; Famine; Human ecology; Natural disasters; Natural hazards; Political anthropology
• ISSN: 0011-3204; 1537-5382
• DOI: 10.1086/202323

Losses arising from natural disasters continue to mount world-wide, though the most alarming social and economic dislocations are occurring in developing countries. How effectively social institutions protect against and adjust to catastrophic events is an issue which has generated a growing body of research. This paper surveys anthropological contributions to natural-disaster studies and considers their relevance for disaster mitigation policy. Finally, several loss reduction policy problems falling well within the scope of anthropological research are outlined.