A political economy approach to hazards: a case study of California lenders and the earthquake threat.

S. A. Marston

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper utilizes a political economy perspective in studying natural hazards, expanding the definition of vulnerability to include the interaction of people, hazards, and social structures. From this point of view, disasters are not simply 'natural' but are also the result of endemic conditions in a particular social setting, and hazards research seeks to identify those processes and structures in society which affect hazard vulnerability. The paper begins with a description of a specific relationship within American society - the federal government and mortgage lenders - and argues that the emerging interrelationship of the two may be contributing to the problem of disaster vulnerability in California. A case study of California lending institutions and their attitudes toward the earthquake hazard supports this thesis.-Author

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalNatural Hazard Research, Working Paper
Volume49
StatePublished - 1984

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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