Myths about Disaster Victims. Disasters in the Developing World

1. Defining Environmental Disasters. Quick Onset Disasters. Chronic Disasters. Human-Induced Disasters. Complex Disasters. Differentiating between Accidents, Emergencies, and Disasters. Cultural Factors in Defining Disasters

2. Why Study Disasters? Practical Applications. Value to Social Science Theory. Contributions to Cross-Cultural Research

3. Research Issues. The Development of a Research Schema. Research Problems

4. Reactions to Disasters in Global Perspective. Disasters in Traditional Societies. Disasters in Developing Nations. Disasters in Developed Countries. Political Ideology and Disaster Relief. Other Factors That Influence Reactions

5. The Psychology of Disaster Victims. Conflicting Points of View. The Sequence of Psychological Reactions

6. Postdisaster Recovery. Initiating the Relief Effort. First Stages of Relief. The Difficulty of Providing Aid. The Difficulty of Accepting Aid. Psychology of Disaster Workers. 7. Conclusion.