Cultures of Disaster: Society and Natural Hazard in the Philippines

by Greg Bankoff

Overview

In this fascinating and comprehensive study, Greg Bankoff traces the history of natural hazards in the Philippines from the records kept by the Spanish colonisers to the 'Calamitous Nineties', and assesses the effectiveness of the relief mechanisms that have evolved to cope with these occurrences. He also examines the correlation between this history of natural disasters and the social hierarchy within Filipino society. The constant threat of disaster has been integrated into the schema of daily life to such an extent that a 'culture of disaster' has been formed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135785901
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/27/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Greg Bankoff is Senior Lecturer in Southeast Asian History at the University of Auckland. His previous books include Crime Society and the State in Nineteenth-Century Philippines (Hawaii University Press: 1996).

Table of Contents

Foreword Acknowledgement Introduction: Of Jellyfish and Coups 1. 'Vulnerability' as Western Discourse 2. Environment and Hazard in Southeast Asia 3. A History of Hazard in the Philippines 4. The 'Costs' of Hazard in the Contemporary Philippines 5. The Politics of Disaster Management and Relief 6. The Economics of Red Tides 7. The Social Order and the El Nino Southern Oscillation 8. Cultures of Disaster Conclusion: Hazard as a Frequent Life Experience Notes Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

'Often intriguing , the book provides a fascinating historical account of the intertwining of society and a hazardous environment in the Philippines.' - Department of Geography, National University of Singapore

'Cultures of Disaster addresses important issues about human - environmental interaction in the Philippines. The author should be commended for their achievement in advancing knowledge on this vital, if still under researched subject.' - Department of Geography, Kings Collage, London

From the Publisher