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The article by Quarantelli (1994) summarizes the trends and approaches observable in the field of disaster studies. Specifically, it focuses on the incorporation of the sociological component in the research and the resulting positive changes in the understanding of the issue. In other words, the author argues that the combination of applied concerns and inquiries into the sociological aspects of disasters established throughout several decades had a positive influence on the understanding of the topic and contributed to the functional properties of the studies in the field.
The author elaborates on the factors contributing to the shift towards the sociological perspective in disaster studies. First, Quarantelli (1994) points to the fact that the sociologists were numerous in the academic domain on the middle of the twentieth century and often held important administrative positions within the establishments. In addition, the core team involved in the analysis of data of the decisive research on the impact of Arkansas tornado consisted of sociologists. Of the three pioneering teams in the field, two were headed by sociologists, with the tendency being observed across the segment. Second, the available informal data points to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the key figures displayed a strong interest in bringing sociological studies and the principles of collective behavior into the domain of natural disasters. Conversely, the author points to the fact that the quantitative approach characteristic of the field at the time severely limited the options for psychological inquiry on the matter of disasters (Quarantelli, 1994). Importantly, some of the perspectives introduced to the field were rejected, such as the attempt to incorporate the Parsonian structural-functional theoretical orientation (Quarantelli, 1994). Nevertheless, it is evident that the sociological perspective eventually permeated the field and could be identified in the approaches of the overwhelming majority of the studies.
As a result of the said trend, the quality of the findings allegedly increased dramatically. To substantiate this claim, the author points to the fact that government funding agencies proceeded with supporting the studies. Quarantelli (1994) also points out that the sociological perspective prevented the research teams from setting inadequate priorities and using unrealistic research designs. Finally, the introduction of the qualitative method associated with the shift towards sociology design made it possible to determine the impact of disasters at a supra-individual level and, by extension, advanced the geographical approach to studying natural disasters (Quarantelli, 1994).
It is important to note that the author chose the exploratory approach to substantiate his findings. As a result, many claims made in the article are not falsifiable and therefore cannot be considered robust evidence by academic standards. For instance, the classification of involved individuals as sociologists relies predominantly on common perceptions without the introduction of precise definitions. While it is an acceptable drawback considering the perspective and scope of the inquiry at hand, it should be pointed out that such an approach creates an opportunity for the introduction of bias.
Several questions can be posted based on the information provided in the article. First, it would be interesting to explore whether the benefits associated with the approach identified in the article are sufficient for pursuing it or whether it would be necessary to introduce other disciplines in order to further improve the functionality of the findings. Second, since sociology is a relatively wide field, it would be interesting to consider whether some of its components are more relevant for disaster studies than the others and whether the latter can be excluded from the equation in order to attain greater precision and decrease the complexity of the research.
Reference
Quarantelli, E. L. (1994). Disaster studies: The consequences of the historical use of a sociological approach in the development of research. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 12(1), 25-49.
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