Geography Brown Bag Colloquium Series: Power, Prestige, and Forgotten Values: A Disaster Studies Manifesto

by Febbie Casabuena

Dr. Jake Cadag talked about the pitfalls of social stratification and power relations in the practice of disaster studies in the second installment of the Brown Bag Colloquium Series for the semester. Titled 'Power, Prestige, and Forgotten Values: A Disaster Studies Manifesto', Jake discussed how social hierarchy plays a part in the policy-making and actions undertaken in many aspects and stages of disaster. According to Dr. Cadag, experts' knowledge and decisions are placed on a higher regard than those of the locals, resulting to the disempowerment of the vulnerable others. Unjust power relations in disaster studies also pose an intellectual problem stemming from the neglect of a form of knowledge from a group perceived to be socially inferior. This form of knowledge would have been most helpful as it is rooted in the local's experiences.

Dr. Cadag also noted that it is often that communities involved in disaster studies research rarely have access on the results of the research itself. This is due to research outputs not being translated into the community's vernacular language, inability of researchers to return and report their findings on the community itself, and lack of effort from the local government units to read and disseminate the findings of the researches. Many researchers and academicians genuinely hope that what they do in the University (e.g. research) would somehow benefit the society (e.g. reduce risk through research). But how many of the research findings found their way to those who actually need them (e.g. local people or authorities in the communities)? Disaster studies researchers seem to be more concerned of the individual and institutional prestige and power that they could earn from doing research. And this is the forgotten value – disaster studies researchers forget that their research matter because they are useful in disaster risk reduction (e.g. save and protect people’s lives especially the most vulnerable people). In line with this, Jake and many disaster studies researchers and scholars have committed in an effort to be more accountable to local people and stakeholders and foster collaboration in disaster studies.

You may access and support the petition through this link: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/power-prestige-forgotten-values-a-disaster. Credit should be given to Dr. JC Gaillard of the University of Auckland, NZ and many scholars of disaster studies for leading this petition.