Natural Disasters

This book discusses the relative contribution that cultural factors, social support networks and spirituality, have in facilitating resilience. To date, the literature has concentrated on studies of Western, individualist cultures, with relatively little attention paid to collectivist cultures. Significant differences in, for example, social structures and interpretive mechanisms, suggest that collectivist cultures must be studied separately if a comprehensive model of disaster resilience is to be developed. Taiwan, a collectivist culture, has a long history of battling natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. On average, 4.8 natural disasters strike the island every year. Repeated exposure to disasters creates a natural laboratory for disaster science. The concept of resilience is of great importance to disaster studies and management. Professionals who work with survivors will need to understand what helps them to function well during and after disasters, and how to incorporate this knowledge into new practice strategies that foster the survivors strengths and resilience.