Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Management - 7th Batch

Institute of Disaster Management & Vulnerability Studies

Faculty of Social Science
University of Dhaka

Assignment

Title: Technology and Risk Society

Date of Submission: 20 June 2015

Course Title: Major Disaster: Global and National
Course Number: PGDDM 105

Student Name: Mohammad Ali

Student ID: PGDDM14732

Table of content
Page
Chapter 0ne:
1.1 Introduction

Technology
Society
Social shaping of technology
History of Technological Hazards, Disasters and Accidents
Technology-Caused Disaster
Acute Disasters
Chronic Disasters
Point Source Hazards
Non-Point Source Hazards
Impacts of Technological Disasters

1.2 What Is a Technological Disaster?

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5
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Examples of Technological Disasters

Individual Stress
Family Stress
Children's Stress
Preschool age (15) symptoms of stress
School age (511) symptoms of stress
Adolescent symptoms of stress

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7
7
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Guidelines for Dealing with the Stress of a Technological Disaster

Couples are advised to do the following:
Bouncing Back: Resilience in Disaster Situations
Natural Disasters Vs. Technological Disasters
Reactions to Technological Disasters
Individual Reactions Related To Technological Disasters
What Helps: Engage in community service.

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Conclusion

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Chapter Two:

Chapter Three:

Chapter 0ne:
1.1 Introduction
Technology
Technology (from Greek , techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -, -logia[3]) is the collection of
techniques, methods or processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of
objectives, such as scientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, etc. or it
can be embedded in machines, computers, devices and factories, which can be operated by individuals without
detailed knowledge of the workings of such things.
The human species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The
prehistoric discovery of how to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel
helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including
the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and
allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful
purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history,
from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has
helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a
leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete
natural resources, to the detriment of Earth's environment. Various implementations of technology influence the
values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the
notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge
of traditional norms.
Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements
over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and
similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the
environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism
view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it
was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific
studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to
pass their knowledge to other generations.
Society
A human society is a group of people involved in persistent interpersonal relationships, or a large social grouping
sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant
cultural expectations. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between
individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of
such relationships among its constituent members. In the social sciences, a larger society often evinces
stratification or dominance patterns in subgroups.
Insofar as it is collaborative, a society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would not otherwise be
possible on an individual basis; both individual and social (common) benefits can thus be distinguished, or in
many cases found to overlap.
A society can also consist of like-minded people governed by their own norms and values within a dominant,
larger society. This is sometimes referred to as a subculture, a term used extensively within criminology.
More broadly, and especially within structuralist thought, a society may be illustrated as an economic, social,
industrial or cultural infrastructure, made up of, yet distinct from, a varied collection of individuals. In this regard

society can mean the objective relationships people have with the material world and with other people, rather
than "other people" beyond the individual and their familiar social environment.
Social shaping of technology
According to Robin A. Williams and David Edge (1996), "Central to Social Shaping of Technology' (SST) is the
concept that there are choices' (though not necessarily conscious choices) inherent in both the design of
individual artifacts and systems, and in the direction or trajectory of innovation programs."
If technology does not emerge from the unfolding of a predetermined logic or a single determinant, then
innovation is a 'garden of forking paths'. Different routes are available, potentially leading to different
technological outcomes. Significantly, these choices could have differing implications for society and for
particular social groups.
SST is one of the models of the technology:society relationship which emerged in the 1980s with MacKenzie and
Wajcman's influential 1985 collection, alongside Pinch and Bijker's Social construction of technology framework
and Callon and Latour's Actor-Network Theory. These have a common feature of criticism of the Linear Model of
Innovation and Technological determinism. It differs from these notably in the attention it pays to the influence of
the social and technological context of development which shapes innovation choices. SST is concerned to
explore the material consequences of different technical choices, but criticises Technological determinism, which
argues that technology follows its own developmental path, outside of human influences, and in turn, influences
society. In this way, social shaping theorists conceive the relationship between technology and society as one of
'mutual shaping'.
History of Technological Hazards, Disasters and Accidents
Although some technological risks can be traced back to the ancient times, it was between the nineteenth and
the beginning of the twentieth century that technical advancement and the process of industrialization posed the
question of the management of the technologies and of their possible disastrous consequences. During these
years there was an important change in approaching these issues: from the inevitability of disasters to the
adoption of policies of prevention and risk management.
Since the 1970s but especially in the following decade, several major accidents (Three Mile Island, Seveso,
Bhopal, Chernobyl, the environmental disasters caused by oil tankers) put forward the need for a standardization
of rules and a greater international co-operation. The globalization of technological hazards at the time of the socalled risk society has fostered a more interdisciplinary approach to the issues of technological disasters.
Moreover, the increased number of new hazardous substances and materials and the opportunities for human
error inherent their use has determined an escalation of technological accidents. All this factors and the more
and more unstable boundaries between natural disasters and man-made disasters has necessarily imposed
growing efforts for harmonization policies at a national and an international level to ensure collective security,
public health and environmental protection.
Technology-Caused Disaster
A technology-caused disaster is the breakdown of modern systems, equipment, or engineering which results in
harm to people, their surroundings, and the environment.
The term includes a broad range of issues and consequences of modern-day life. The disaster may be chronic
or endemic rather than event-driven, may be disguised in the devastation of a natural disaster or within other
community issues, may divide and split a community rather than encourage the community to rally. Costs of
recovery may be indeterminate because of the length of time recovery will require, the parties involved in the
recovery, or health/clean-up costs immediately attributable to the disaster.
Community, state, and federal governmental agencies may not recognize a technology-caused event as a
disaster. Lack of official recognition, such as a Presidential Disaster Declaration, means public funds would not
be available.

Obviously, when a rail car overturns and spills chemicals and persons are evacuated from their homes, the event
is recognizable and visible (acute) and the point source is obvious. However, one of the unique characteristics of
technology-caused disaster may be the uncertainty that a disaster has occurred because of low contamination
over a lengthy time period (chronic) and have a non-point source.
Acute Disasters
Acute disasters usually have a well-defined and relatively short period of time from beginning to end, but it can
result in long-term dangers or sources of pollution. Examples of acute disaster events are:
An accident involving a truck or train carrying a toxic chemical
A one-time spill from a mine tailing impoundment dam or lagoon
Breach of a fuel storage tank during a flood
Chronic Disasters
Chronic disasters are more likely to develop over a long period of time, be repeated or continual behavior or
incidences, and be hidden or "silent". Chronic problems may be revealed after an acute incident or after enough
warning indicators have accumulated to reveal the underlying danger. Examples of chronic incidents are:
Deliberate legal or illegal dumping of debris, chemicals, or other toxic or polluted materials in a supposed "safe"
storage area
A slow leaching or leaking of toxic materials froma storage area
Buildup of excessive levels of toxics, like nitrates, in ground water
Point Source Hazards
Point Source Hazards are usually known, tested, and regulated. Most technology-caused disasters involving
some type of pollutant are result of point sources. Examples of Point Source Hazards include:
Fumes from manufacturing plants and research facilities
Leakage from storage tanks, dumps, containment pools, and pipelines
Spills at agricultural storage or retail gasoline outlets
Chemical application at recreational areas such as golf courses
In addition to accidents or ignored maintenance, another common cause of release of Point Source Hazards are
disposal methods considered adequate a decade ago whicha re now susceptible to corrosion or damage to
containers that make for unintentional leakage.
Non-Point Source Hazards
Non-Point Source Hazards originate from many places are are difficult if not impossible to track. Examples of
Non-Point Source Hazards are:
Pesticides and fertilizers carried off agricultural fields by storm water runoff. For example, the run off from the
agricultural fields in the mid-west into the Mississippi River is causing a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.
Burning of agricultural fields (sugar cane, wheat, rice, grains) that puts contaminated ash in the air
Wind blown dust containing toxic particles
Impacts of Technological Disasters
Technological disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, chemical spills, or radiation leaks can be
stressful. This publication reports on the impacts of technological disasters and offers some guidelines for
families that are dealing with stress related to a technological disaster.

1.2 What Is a Technological Disaster?

A technological disaster is an event caused by a malfunction of a technological structure and/or some human
error in controlling or handling the technology. The effects of a disaster on families and individuals may be long
lasting and can endure for years. However, symptoms may appear gradually, and impacts may not be seen
immediately.
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All types of disasters are challenging, but technological disasters tend to be even more difficult for the following
reasons:
The threat cannot be anticipated. A technological disaster is sudden, unexpected, and unpredictable.
People are responsible. Victims of technological disasters tend to feel anger toward people who were
responsible for accidents that may have been prevented.
Community breakdowns and conflict may result. Technological disasters can create disputes within communities.
Technological disasters tend to affect specific occupational groups. In the case of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil
spill, commercial seafood producers and processors and those employed in the tourism industries were
particularly impacted.
Examples of Technological Disasters
In addition to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, radiation leaks are another example of a technological disaster,
such as in the recent case of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan and previous accidents at
Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. Fires or explosionssuch as the Station Nightclub fire in Warwick, Rhode
Island, that was caused by a pyrotechnics malfunctionare also examples of technological disasters. Chemical
spills from trucks or trains would also be considered technological disasters. These examples all have differing
characteristics and effects on the environment and residents of the immediate disaster area.
Effects of Technological Disasters
Technological disasters are stressful, especially because they are unpredictable. Individuals, families, and
communities are affected. Some of the results include income loss, loss of job security, uncertainty about the
future, family conflict, and stress.
In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms were common responses
to a disaster similar to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, the Exxon Valdez oil spill.3 Impacts may persist over
time for some individuals, while others show resilience earlier.4
Individual Stress
Individual stress from a disaster may result in some of the following symptoms:

Emotionalanxiety, shock, disbelief, fear, irritability, anger, sadness, depression, resentment, guilt,
shame, and nightmares
Cognitiveconfusion, disorientation, decreased attention span, memory difficulties, trouble
concentrating at work, and self-blame
Physicalmuscle tension, aches, fatigue, restlessness, reduced libido, appetite change, and trouble
sleeping
Behavioralincreased alcohol or drug use, heavier smoking, increased arguing or conflict with family
members, withdrawal, and suicide attempts
Most individuals do not show all of these symptoms, but it is common for those under a high degree of stress to
show at least one or two. Those who are experiencing a large number of symptoms or those whose symptoms
are impacting their ability to function in daily life should seek professional assistance. Not only can high levels of
stress have a negative impact on the individual, but the poor functioning that often results from such stress could
also have long-term impacts on children and the family as a whole.
Family Stress
Marriage and partnerships have the potential to be negatively affected by stress following a disaster. For
example,
couples can experience difficulties arising from loss of trust, irritability, withdrawal, or isolation; and
women tend to feel marital stress following a disaster.
Women also absorb their husbands' stress more powerfully than their husbands absorb theirs.

Children's Stress
The ways in which children respond to a disaster depend in part on age. Below, separated by age range, are
some typical behaviors that might be exhibited by children under stress.
Preschool age (15) symptoms of stress
Acting younger through behaviors such as thumb sucking and wetting the bed
Expressing feelings of helplessness
Struggling with understanding the disaster
Exhibiting behavioral problems such as crying, throwing tantrums, behaving aggressively, or being
defiant
Changing sleeping and eating patterns
School age (511) symptoms of stress
Acting younger through behaviors such as asking their parents to dress them
Having trouble focusing on school work
Displaying aggressive behavior due to increased anger
Exhibiting behavioral problems such as withdrawal, tearfulness, and defiance
Adolescent symptoms of stress
Becoming less interested in activities previously enjoyed
Engaging in risky behavior
Withdrawing from friends, which could lead to breakdowns in relationships
It is important to note that children tend to deal with stress and loss differently than adults, and their expression
of stress may come out in more subtle ways. It is also important to remember that a child's ability to understand
the impact of a disaster is often limited, particularly for younger children. Although children tend to be fairly
resilient in dealing with adversity, children repeatedly exposed to traumasuch as those who live in disasterprone areas or in places where there is recurring violenceare at higher risk for the development of mental
health problems.7 Not all children are resilient, so it's important for parents to pay attention to children's reactions
and provide the support and reassurance they need.

Chapter Two:
Guidelines for Dealing with the Stress of a Technological Disaster
Individuals are advised to do the following:
Maintain routine as much as possible.
Reduce exposure to media covering the event.
Stay healthy and find healthy ways to reduce stress, such as doing things outside, getting exercise, and
doing stress reduction exercises.
Seek accurate sources of information to better understand the situation.
Talk to someone you trust.
Keep a positive perspectiveyou can get through this!
Seek professional help if you are feeling depressed, anxious, or have trouble controlling your emotions.
Couples are advised to do the following:
Talk with each other about what they are going through.
Be patient with each other.
Discuss how bills will be paid if there has been a job loss; develop a plan.
Seek counseling if the relationship is under too much strain.
The impact of any disaster on children depends in large part on how adults in the home respond. To minimize
the stress for children, parents are advised to do the following:
Limit watching television coverage of the disaster.
Answer all questions a child may have without lying, and use words a child can understand.
Stay positive and focus on how things will get better.
Know when to seek professional help for children. Significant behavioral changes, particularly those lasting for
longer periods of time, may indicate that a child is struggling.6
Bouncing Back: Resilience in Disaster Situations
People who go through a disaster often experience symptoms of distress, such as depression and anxiety.
Usually these symptoms subside over time. If an individual has been feeling very distressed for more than six
months to a year, and if the symptoms are negatively impacting his or her ability to function, it is important to
seek help from a health care provider or a counselor.
Some research on disasters shows that the individual's belief in the ability to cope is more important for a
resilient outcome than concrete coping strategies.4 Children have a natural tendency toward resilience,
especially at younger ages, because they are not yet able to fully comprehend the implications of a disaster.7
Although this is reassuring to parents, it's also important for parents to realize that when they are under stress,
they may overlook children's symptoms. Parents play a key role in children's resilience, providing essential
emotional support, reassurance, and safety.
Natural Disasters Vs. Technological Disasters
Not all disasters are the same, nor are their effects on the individual or community the same. Part of the impact
depends on the individuals and the communitys ability to cope with the short-term and long-term effects of the
disaster and their overall resilience. Research does show that there are some common differences between
naturally occurring disasters and disasters that are man made. Outlined below are some generalities related to
natural and short term disasters.
Natural Disasters
Naturally occurring events such as hurricanes,
tornados, floods, etc. that affect the environment and
leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses
Typically follow a pattern of warning, threat, impact,
rescue, inventory, remedy, recovery and rehabilitation

Technological Disasters
Catastrophic events caused by humans which result in
toxic contamination of the environment and leads to
financial, environmental and/or human losses
Trapped at impact stage for unknown period of time,
but also have to deal with other stages all at once,
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Individuals and communities May have ability to

preplan for the disaster and its aftermath e.g. the
community and most individuals in it are prepared to
the best of their ability for a hurricane
Outreach from others is immediate to help with the
various stages; resources are offered to the community
and individual

sometimes in a very piecemeal fashion

Usually no or minimal pre-planning occurs and usually
not at the individual level

Outreach from others may be slow-waiting for an entity

involved in the disaster to take responsibility; have to
rely on community resources which may be scarce or
inadequate to meet the demands of the event
Therapeutic Community: community and individuals Corrosive Community: response is not as focused on
pull together, bond for the good of all-social community and individual recovery, outsiders with little
connectedness, activities are coordinated and focused or no connection to the community may be leading the
on fostering a return to pre-disaster conditions
recovery efforts, fears of the ongoing consequences of
the disaster foster high levels of stress and anxiety,
and conflict; individuals have to seek out help, may be
involved in long term litigation, there is a lack of social
connectedness, some individuals directly impacted
may be eligible for recompense while others may notcreating community conflicts
May experience ongoing stresses related to the May experience ongoing stresses related to the
secondary effects (the indirect consequences) of the secondary effects (the indirect consequences) of the
disaster. This may include supply and housing disaster. This may include supply and housing
shortages, job loss, economic impacts, ongoing shortages, job loss, economic impacts, ongoing
disruptions in daily life, litigation, flood of media
disruptions in daily life, litigation, flood of media,
conflicts among politicians and government entities
After the disaster the individual and community can Impacts of the disaster are long-term and often
rebuild toward a pre-disaster state of being and toward unknown and lack closure, possible ongoing physical
closure, the ecosystem can begin recovery and re- health, mental health, economic and ecological
growth
problems/damage, lingering primary and secondary
effects on the community and individual
Adapted from: Coping with Technological Disasters: A User Friendly Guidebook, Prince William Sound Regional
Citizens Advisory Council, 12/2004
Reactions to Technological Disasters
Listed below are some of the common reactions you can expect from a technological disaster. These reactions
are the norm and
not the exception and should be treated as such.
Community Reactions to Technological Disasters
Outsiders coming in and taking over
Frustration by magnitude of the circumstances
Lack of trust about the responders and their long-term goals
Threats to public health
Threats to local resources
Lack of communication
Suspended or overwhelmed business functions
Varying viewpoints leading to divisiveness
Employment disruption; workers leaving to work on response or loss of work
Excess demands on public services
Wanting to volunteer but not knowing how to do so or what training is needed
Concerns regarding future financial stability of the community
Feeling a loss of control and power
Collective anger, hopelessness, depression

Individual Reactions Related To Technological Disasters

Fear, worry, anxiety, anger, distress, hopelessness related such things as:
*disruption of daily life, *threats to livelihood and lifestyle, *loss of financial stability, *witnessing destruction of
ecosystem and resulting loss of resources, *threats to basic needsfood, shelter, clothing, *becoming separated
from loved ones, *concern for children, *long-term litigation, *threats to retirement, *acceleration of an already
negative economic trend (such as fish being imported into area markets and restaurants)
Feeling helpless to help in the recovery process
Feeling isolated and cut off from others
Feeling a sense of doom and helplessness
Fear about the future
Survivor guilt
Anniversary reactions to the event itself or some of the
What Helps: Engage in community service.
Volunteer.
Visit shut-in elders.
Spend time with a child.
Learn new coping skills.
Acknowledge your feelings.
Learn to accept the disaster and its effects without letting it overwhelm and preoccupy you.
Eat, sleep and exercise regularly.
Avoid excess use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, caffeine .
Seek help if you need it.
Focus on solutions not problems.
Monitor negative thinking.

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Chapter Three:
Conclusion
It is apparent that technology has the potential to harm or enhance your social skills and social life. The key is to
analyze how technology affects you socially. Do technologies help you build positive, meaningful relationships, or
do technologies hinder this process? Are you better able to communicate, listen, and share because of the
technologies in your life? Do you use technologies to improve your relationships and build new ones? Are you
letting a few choice people know who you are and what you contribute to this world, or are you merely distracting
yourself with shallow pursuits? Does technology increase or decrease your concern for others, your compassion
for others, and your desire to serve them? Such are the critical questions regarding technology and social
development.

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Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_and_society
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology
http://www.ucc.org/disaster_technology-disasters_defining-technology-caused
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1230
Megan Donovan, Suzanna Smith, Heidi Radunovich, and Michael Gutter2, Impacts of Technological Disasters
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disasters and radiation exposure. In A. E. Norwood (Ed.), Terrorism and disaster: Individual and community
mental health interventions (pp. 209235). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
2Picou, S., Marshall, B., & Gill, D. (2004). Disaster, litigation, and the corrosive community. Social Forces, 82(4),
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conservation of resources model to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 13(1), 2339.
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strategies in crisis intervention (pp. 399427). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
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oil
spill
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community response to managing trauma in times of disaster and terrorism (2nd ed., pp. 183185). Gainesville,
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FL: University of Florida National Rural Behavioral Health Center.

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