The Cultural Theory of Risk & The 3/11 Earthquake

In the days following the earthquake and tsunami the scale of the devastation wrought surpassed most people`s comprehension. The subsequent search for explanations quickly turned to finger-pointing... and some well-deserved apologies.

The desire to explain why something like this happens, beyond the clinical and reasoned modes of science, leaves an emptiness some people can`t help but try and fill. Finding tangible causes behind natural disasters is a fruitless venture. And when they strike, especially with such ferocity and with little or no warning, soul-searching can lead people down some strange paths.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/15/3164805.htm

These types of reactions, similarly witnessed in the United States after Hurricane Katrina and across the world after who-knows-how-many other natural disasters, reflect a process anthropologist Mary Douglas regards as an attempt toward reinforcing particular normative social structures. "Blaming is a way of manning the gates and at the same time of arming the guard."

Extremes examples like the one cited in the link above hope to imbue natural catastrophes with a higher meaning and moral substance. Their causes stem from social or moral transgressions and we are all 'paying the consequences'. But no greater meaning exists. Natural catastrophes simply occur.

What is required of people now, people who care about the consequences of such events, is to work toward limiting future hardships. Assessing blame (not for the earthquake or tsunami but for those responsible for lapses in safety standards, negligence, etc) and adjusting how we live accordingly is a step within this process.

The importance then lies in the flow and control of information. The `arming of the guard` requires information to be filtered and access granted so that coherent arguments dominant the dialogue and blame can be accurately assessed.

Sifting through all the information available is overwhelming and exhausting. Even though I live within a close proximity to areas severely affected by the events of 3/11 and its aftermath, I often find it hard to maintain interest above all the squabble and noise.

I hope the coming week volunteering will provide some fresh perspective.