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Some never will be, due to the damage and loss sustained after the hurricane and floods. The society is New Orleans is still suffering because they have lost the order that was there, and are struggling to rebuild it, often without the support of any outside sources. It has taken too long to try to get New Orleans back to normal, and there are questions that wonder if it will ever be remotely close to the place it was before the hurricane.
In the functionalist approach, parts of society are interrelated. That certainly illustrates New Orleans after the hurricane, because the society has struggled so hard to come back together. Restaurants have reopened, Mardi Gras has continued, the French Quarter tries to lure visitors, and the businesses are coming back, some more slowly than others. Many people are determined to rebuild the city and make it better than it was before, but society is divided, and with these divisions, come problems. The functionalist approach assumes all aspects of the society are there and working together, but this is not the case with New Orleans, and so, it is dysfunctional, rather than functional, suffering more from conflict than functionality.
The interactionist perspective is perhaps the most applicable to New Orleans, because it seems to sum up the results of the hurricane so well. This approach believes it is the members of society that act and create change, and all other elements of society are caused by the people. Society is always being altered and changed throughout negotiation and communication. This is certainly true of...
Much of the help that has come to the people of the city has come after intense media coverage and negative communication from those involved in the aftermath, such as the angry residents stuck in the Superdome for days with no food, water, or facilities. These people were vocal in their actions and displeasure, and it brought attention to the overall conditions in the city after the hurricane. Many people have also stepped up and tried to do something about the lack of rebuilding and continued support for the area since the hurricane. Many of these people were simply citizens who were fed up and had enough of government inactivity. In New Orleans, especially now, there is nothing so constant as change, and there is still anger, communication, and negotiation going on every day. The conflict perspective applies here, and so does the functionalist theory, because each of these theories has merit, but the interactionist perspective is the most applicable, because the people have felt powerless in many areas of their lives since the hurricane, and they have had to take matters into their own hands in many cases.
Will society ever be the same in New Orleans? The hopeful say yes, and point to the many positives that have occurred after the hurricane, such as rebuilding, some new business, and other businesses returning to open again. However, there is still much to be done in the city, and it seems to be taking forever to accomplish many seemingly simple objectives. The city may never be the same, and it may always suffer from societal dysfunction as a result.
These groups, Flaherty asserts, provided the first organizers in shelters, and continue to support the homeless and luckless victims of Katrina. Meanwhile, an article in the journal Reason laid out the race and class dynamic with forceful simplicity: "Obviously, race and poverty are intertwined in America, and to that extent race was related to who survived in New Orleans" (Young, 2005). And when there are problems connected to the Republican
A large portion of this cost ultimately is borne by the state (Handmer, 2006). Therefore, through rational choice theory, policy was enacted to provide benefit at the lowest cost. For instance, sales taxes were raised, drainage systems were implemented to prevent flooding, building codes were upgraded to prevent excessive property damage, and job training programs were implemented to help spur growth. All of this legislation was enacted through the
The people cannot do it themselves, although they have been making a valiant effort in Detroit, New Orleans, and other areas. They need help, and help quickly, and that help is not forthcoming. The federal government seems to operate in a mode that initially recognizes a crisis, throws some initial aid toward management of the crisis, and then moves on to the next crisis, leaving the citizens and local governments
Tierney draws another comparison between Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti by describing the people who were most affected by the disasters. She claims that Katrina affected people who were least able to help themselves, such as the poor and the disabled, but many people were able to escape. Haiti, however, is one of the poorest nations in the world. The majority of the population lives in chronic poverty.
The occurrence of hazards and disaster events has increased in the last few decades. The events now occur with far more devastating impacts on humans, societies, and infrastructures. Recent events such as the 9/11 terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina attest to this. The catastrophic impacts of hazards and disaster events warrant more effective disaster management. In its book Facing Hazards and Disasters, the National Research Council (2006) provides a conceptual
The amount of money the target audience has at its disposal will also determine the type of event held -- a wealthy donor base might justify a fancy auction, with a high price per 'plate,' while a donation drive to encourage teenagers and middle-schoolers to donate a portion of their lunch money to help hurricane victims would stress small donations, but not justify the physical expense of an 'occasion.' At