Conceptual Considerations to Understanding the Consequences of Disasters for Rural Communities around the World

Abstract

A common assumption is that any kind of disaster, from a fire to a typhoon, is short-lived. Another common assumption is that any kind of disaster, especially one affecting rural communities, brings people together, helping each other with clean-up and recovery. Indeed, there may be short-lived bursts of mutual support, the kind that shows up in media stories, but the sociological reality of a disaster is not so simple. The purpose of this article is to examine the impacts of disasters, both short and long-term on rural peoples and communities based on existing research and theory, especially scholarship from the fields of criminology and sociology of the community. Understanding the community-level through the lens of the extant research and criminological/sociological theory speak directly to key issues related to access to justice for rural populations.

Keywords: disasters, community, community resilience, community sustainability, access to justice, routine activity theory, civic community theory, critical criminological theory

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