Disasters and Disadvantaged Groups as a Multi-Perspective Research Area in Sociology

Authors : Ruhi Can Alkın

Pages : 189-207

View : 66 | Download : 215

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Disasters, which significantly alter the trajectory of social life, disrupt the operation of social institutions for a certain duration, and transform the individual’s relationship with their social environment, constitute a fundamental area of study in sociology. The subdiscipline of disaster sociology, which has evolved since the 1960s, has gained increased prominence following global disasters such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Among its primary research topics, the issue of “disadvantaged groups” remains a central focus within disaster sociology. This study seeks to elucidate various sociological perspectives on the subject of disasters and disadvantaged groups. The theories and concepts explored within this sociological framework are confined to “social inequality,” “stigma,” and “solidarity networks”, which also represents the limitations of the current paper. The article presents the concentrated findings of these theories and concepts within both general sociological theory and the sub-discipline of disaster sociology. Furthermore, while analyzing the concepts of stigma, inequality, and solidarity in the context of “disasters,” the study adopts the perspective of contemporary integrated disaster management. This point represents the originality of the work, which is mainly based on systematic literature review and relies on critical and historical perspectives. As the main data source of this paper, theoretical works on stigma, inequality and solidarity in specific to the victims of disadvantaged groups before and after disasters are benefited. Consequently, the position of disadvantaged groups in both pre-disaster and post-disaster processes is examined. The study reveals the experiences of inequality, stigma, and solidarity practices encountered by disaster victims categorized as disadvantaged groups during both pre-disaster risk management and post-disaster crisis management processes. It was found that disadvantaged groups face challenges in meeting the expectations of a “disaster-resilient society,” “disaster-prepared society,” and “disaster-aware society,” as well as in participating in such social engagement, due to the reasons aforementioned as the theoretical frame of this study.
Keywords : Disaster, Sociology of Disaster, Disadvantaged Groups.

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