A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF CATASTROPHE ON SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION
Abstract
An analysis was made of social responses to the Texas City explosion (April 1947); tornadoes in Woodward, Antlers, Holdenvill, and Sasakwa, Okla.; and a holocaustal fire in a dormitory at the Univ. of Okla. Attention was given to (a) the reactions of participants; (b) the functioning of existing disaster- control organizations; and (c) the individual and group-rehabilitation problems. A research team attempted to obtain authoritative accounts of the histories of the disasters from participants. Particular efforts were made to locate established and emergent leaders. The survey results were extrapolated to the reactions of troops to atomic attack on the basis of information in The Effects of Atomic Weapons (U S Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, and AEC). The investigation indicated the following pattern of social reorganization after a disaster: (a) The individual at first tends to act in terms of those social values which seem the most threatened; (b) small groups begin to emerge on the basis of concern with a common problem, and leader-follower relationships develop spontaneously; and (c) as communications are reestablished, leadership, controlling several small groups, emerges. The latter was the most successful with a coordinating-type relationship. The first 15 to 30 min. after a disaster appeared to be the critical period during which fateful decisions in the face of totally new situations are required. Previous organization and training of troops were expected to counteract to some degree the initial complete disorganization in areas of moderate and slight damage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1952
- Accession Number
- AD0000368
Entities
People
- Leonard Logan
- Lewis M. Killian
- Wyatt Marrs
Organizations
- University of Oklahoma