Being vulnerable and resilient in times of disasters and crises

Mitrović, Veselin (2024) Being vulnerable and resilient in times of disasters and crises. ENGRAMI-časopis za kliničku psihijatriju, psihologiju i granične discipline, 46. p. 34. ISSN 0351-2665

Text NKL-konferencija_apstrakti.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (517kB)

Abstract

Disasters, crises, and related vulnerabilities are interconnected with a general comprehension of “normality” or everyday routine, disrupted by sudden and unwilling events such as disasters. However, some inconsistencies in the last comprehension induce an epistemological and existential crisis. First, the everyday life of some groups can be described as catastrophic and miserable. Second, disasters are, per definition, sudden events with identified timeframes, while crises can be long-lasting with the trends to become omnipresent. Third, juxtaposing previous points, the disaster may be slow and omnipresent in the lives of marginal groups, and the request for back to normal life from the subject point of view can be understood as a back to everyday racism, discrimination, and existential risks. Even in disaster time, e.g., the last pandemic, some defaults, like online lessons for children in poor communities or “stay at home” for the homeless, can be impossible at the local and global levels. Fourth, there is no common vulnerability, whatever we looking at from a social or medical perspective. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed six times more people in three years than all geophysical disasters during the twenty years. The article tries to detect and label the most relevant socio-economic causes of miserable life conditions among marginal groups. Such analytical dimensions become marked as indicators of vulnerabilities. Such indicators could help enhance resilience and preparedness during crises and disasters.

Actions (login required)

View Item