Students will research a disaster (natural or man-made) and its impact on the nearest
human settlement, its initial effects and the aftermath. The event can be more recent or an event
from past decades/centuries but, with some exceptions, should NOT be ongoing (to ensure there
is accurate research and documentation on the event itself.) Some examples could be destruction
of place-based communities by destructive weather or geological events (i.e. tornadoes,
volcanoes, or tsunamis) or man-made disasters (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl).
Please treat this assignment as a basic overview of each situation. Many disasters have had
extremely complicated geopolitical implications that are important to address, but should not BE
the focus of your paper. For ease, address the following sections in your paper
BEFORE THE EVENT Provide a basic description of the community prior to the disaster. Did it
-occur in a large urban center or a rural community? Was there a strong
community identity prior to the disaster? Was the community close-knit?
THE EVENT ITSELF
Describe the disaster itself. Did it occur slowly overtime or was it a
-sudden occurrence? How did PHYSICAL infrastructure fail to protect the
community as a whole?
THE AFTERMATH
Was this an event where mass death or injury occurred? If the
-community was evacuated immediately, where did they go? How did
SOCIAL infrastructure (or lack thereof) help or hinder the community?
How did the local POLITICAL landscape impact recovery efforts?
PRESENT DAY
What is the current status of the community impacted by the disaster?
-Have individuals been able to return to their original geographical
community or have communities of displaced persons gathered
elsewhere? Are the community members impacted considered
refugees? Why or why not?
IMPLICATIONS
What can the event in question tell us about community identity and
-advocacy? Was this an event caused by years of neglected physical
infrastructure despite community outcry or did the disaster itself aid in
forming a collective community identity? What can we as social workers
learn from the response of other fields to the disaster, and what would a
social worker’s role be in providing support to the affected individuals
TODAY (not in the immediate aftermath)?
7-9 pages NOT including sources and cover page. APA format. 8-10 sources required
https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/hurricane-katrina
https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Katrina
