Term Paper on "Relevance of Academic Knowledge to Emergency Management Practice"

Term Paper 15 pages (5016 words) Sources: 15

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Relevance of Academic Knowledge to Emergency Management Practice

There is continued escalation of human initiated and technological disasters due the high-risk locations become inhabited. The vulnerability of the world to extreme events is increasing more and more. The community of disaster research has been continually investigating systematically the causes of disasters and its consequences for more than five decades and this is set to make important contributions towards the mitigation of pain and loss of life caused by the catastrophic events. This has subsequently added important information that is useful to the emergency managers. The scholars work in their study of hazards and disasters is highly salient currently despite the low prominence historically of research in hazards in most disciplines of social sciences. The relevance of academic knowledge to the practice of emergency management is more evident with the emerging new role of emergency managers (Woodbury, 2005, p.83). This knowledge is important in better understanding of the origins of the disasters, dealing with uncertainties by elimination of ignorance and creating a culture of preparedness. This paper will analyze the relevance of the academic knowledge in the practice of the emergency management and considering how the evolved role of emergency management needs this knowledge for capacity building. The importance of academic knowledge in professionalization of the practice will also be considered. The paper will also describe how the impact of disaster education is useful to the emergency managers and in particular the various researches in this regards will be analyzed where disaster education has helped cultures to increase preparedness. Improved adaptive response due to the disaster education will also be described. The evolving disasters will also be evaluated and how the need for academic knowledge in keeping pace with the emerging threats will be considered.

Dealing with disasters needs academic knowledge

Established universities disciplines provide the necessary knowledge to deal with incrementing and powerful disasters by protecting people and property. The idea of application of sociology theory to the studies of disaster were first taught by the F.H. Giddings a sociologist from Columbia University after performing the initial study on disaster focusing on society-nature interface with his first student being Henry Samuel Prince. This does not apply on to sociology but also to political science, psychology, geography, geology and genetics. The sum of the components of the required knowledge should be equitable to the complete disaster or hazard manager. The question as to whether the emergency manager can be able to know enough regarding what is at stake arises (Phillips, 2005, p.133). A university-level effort is required by the hazard and disaster study and understanding. Nature to society relationship understanding and vice-versa needs significant knowledge in the science and arts. This interdisciplinary approach is usually provided by the academic institutions. It is therefore reasonable for the accent of the academic institutions that it is indeed a noble effort in edifying the students on the knowledge that will be useful in life and property protection from the forces of man and nature. More and more emergency managers are required currently because of the incremented threats and risks from technological causes therefore information and discovery in a multi- and inter-disciplinary approach is essential (Wilson, 1999, p.219).

The previous ways whereby it was not common to find the emergency managers who are university educated are coming to an end. There has been an experiential emergency manager's knowledge base but its incessantly being based on education. This is an evolution necessary to tackle the changing disasters which needs to be better understood. Because the focus is now on development of communities which are disaster resistant which will be a catalyst for safer nations, an emergency management approach which is risk-based is taken by the new emergency management generation. This need is also driven by the reduction of social vulnerability which is life-long learners, plan strategically together with jurisdictional stakeholders, being part of professional associations with even professional library and having a wide working contracts range so as to accomplish inter- and multi- interdisciplinary needs of the job. Students are required to undertake courses which will enhance their academic knowledge usually from several disciplines which characterizes the multidisciplinary approach in education. For instance the disaster studies consist of different knowledge from psychology to sociology, to geology, to geography. Therefore the creation of an academic discipline which emphasizes on life and property protection and reducing the suffering of humans caused by nature's forces is perceived as noble (Smithson, 1990, p.208).

The disaster are always evolving

The disasters are always evolving and academic knowledge is the best way to keep in touch with them. Long-term development of the curricular is deflected with the ever changing face of the disasters events and this consists of the technological, natural and conflict agents. Most disasters such as wars are considered a social-cultural problem that keeps changing in the way in which they are manifested in the different eras in the world. Currently emergencies and disasters are characterized with terror bombs with threats like nuclear bombing also being present, therefore the emergency managers need to have the necessary knowledge that will equip them to deal with these incidents. This is particularly so especially those concerned with technology which is characterized by its evolving nature (Buckle, 2003, p.117). The process of knowledge building flow and ebb is reflected in the evolution of all professions within the context of the particular historical period. For instance in the medical schools social history and reform of its curricular is instructive on this area. New disaster events lead to novel research opportunities some of which the faculty cannot envision presently and this causes the content and priorities of the program to change. This reflects growth which is desired rather than poor quality or failure. Therefore the curricular changes will lead to disagreements which are also expected as regards to the elimination and initiation. This is considered the process of development of curricula and societal change therefore the emergency managers need to keep up with these changes through academic knowledge.

Ignorance and disasters.

Turner (Smithson, 1990, p.207) claims that disaster equals energy plus misinformtation. When dealing with disasters and hazards, ignorance influences a great deal on how the incidents are managed and therefore having the relevant knowledge is imperative. Academic knowledge is useful to the emergency manager in dealing with situations where there are uncertainities because they will easily deduce and make inferance to the knowledge base even if it does not apply directly.Managing under ignorance involves two strategies, the first one being anticipation where by planning which is advanced and fixed is necessary for contingencies of the future. The importance of knowledge is applicable in this approach because of the emphasis on ignorance elimination and banishment so that foreknowledge can be gained of possibilities of the future. The second approach is referred to as resilience where effective coping with dangerous situations as they come forth is involved and the bouncing back process from difficulties which are not anticipated (Mileti & Passarini, 1996, p.103). The need to know where and when one is ignorant is how it can be dealt with innovatively is required by this approach even though it does not entail ignorance elimination. There can be no room to innovate if there are no uncertainties hence the nub of dilemma lies here. Ignorance therefore needs to be represented, analysed and communicated in a proper manner rather than the usual editing out of the misinformation, uncertainities and mistaken perceptions during moments of making decisions and acting. Preparedness is essential in dealing with uncertainities because no incaction is justified in the face of uncertainities during disasters. Various reasons exists for ignorance attempts in disasaters contexts. The usual associations of disasters with mistaken perceptions and unexpected events is the obvious justification. The mundane risks and ignorance can derive insights from the organisational and individual responses to disasters . The other reason for this justification spurs form agreements which is growing in various proffesions and cultures that Western cultures traditionnal means of evading or eliminating uncertainities are not sufficient anymore. Acting or making decisions are no longer possible under uncertain situations or even those of total ingorance. There fore adequate decision making methods and management during ignorance should be incorporated in sustainable strategy for handling with disasters (Falkiner, 2005, p.94).

Ignorance assesment and represeantion arevital in the entire enterprise. Carefull assesement of how ignorance is quantified, the used rationality and how ignorance is perceived by people. Probability theory and estimations has been the traditional representation of ignorance. The social, psychological and cultural factores are ignored in this approach which is not descriptive but prescriptive. A socialogical knowledge approach in the ignorance role and nature understanding should be used because sociological approaches have been used widely and in particlular organizational and structural (Smithson, 1990, p.211).

Knowledge absence or its distortion is the usual characterisation of knowledge and the incompleteness of knowledge or information is the uncertainity. Ignorance is a social creation and its direct descriptionof it as absence of knowledge deflects… READ MORE

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