[SOLVED] The Sociology of Disasters

or Option B, you  will consider the field of The Sociology of Disasters.  The Sociology of Disasters is an emerging field in the discipline and has origins in Environmental Sociology.  You can use the terms :  “the Sociology of Disasters” to locate literature relevant to your paper.  The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management) website is also a good source for information but your paper should focus on the consequences of disasters in terms of sociological theory.

In Option B of this assignment, you should develop a responsive essay that addresses (at a minimum) the following:

How can you apply sociological theories to disasters?  You will need to support your analysis by accurately applying the major premises of theory and provide supportive (empirical) examples drawn from actual events.  Here are examples of possible theories (Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interaction Theory).  Other theories presented in the course can also be applied in your paper.
Examples of sociological theories and application to disasters:
How do disasters affect social cohesion, or social dysfunction, premises of Structural Functionalism?
Do they create conflict between “the haves” and “the have nots;” a premise of Conflict theory
In what ways do individuals and groups create their day-to-day reality to prepare, respond, or recover from disasters, the focus of Symbolic interaction theory?
Provide at least one example from the partial list below or another that you think applicable to each stage of a disaster: preparedness, response, or recovery.
Choose one disaster–for each stage that you think best represents the theory you are applying  ,
It would probably be easier to choose different disasters to make your points.  You can also apply more than one theory so long as it is applicable to your example.
Useful Reference Material for Option B:

https://www.fema.gov

Partial List of Disasters

the recent tornadoes in Kentucky, Arkansas, and illinois;
the COVID-19 Pandemic;
Hurricane Katrina;
Other midwestern/southern state tornados;
Hurricane Irene and the flooding of Manhattan, NY (August 2011)
Impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico.

Formatting:

Your paper should be no fewer than 10 and no more than 15 double spaced pages and should present your research findings in an organized format that covers the four areas above.  It should include a bibliography with 6 references, . The remaining references can be to print and electronic media coverage of specific events associated with disasters, academic journals in the social sciences in the UMGC library, or fields relevant to the topic.

General Organization of Option B Essay/Paper:

1.Introductory paragraph(s): Describe why natural disasters have increasingly become a national and international concern.

2. Body/Narrative

Examples and theoretical application: Identify each stage of a disaster; identify an applicable theory; describe an actual event associated with a disaster that supports the theory;
Analysis: Explain why the event (whether negative or positive) is supportive of the theory and how a similar event might even be dealt with or avoided in the future;
Summary of major findings and conclusions.