Communicating Environmental Risk in Multiethnic Communities

by Michael K. Lindell

• ISBN13: 9780761906506
• ISBN10: 0761906509
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-12-17
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc

Summary

Communicating Risk in Multicultural Communities examines methods governmental agencies use to inform multicultural communities of risks that either do or may affect their lives. The authors explore the nature of natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, etc.) and technological dangers (hazardous waste, nuclear power plants, etc.), develop a model for understanding people's reaction to risk messages (Do they evacuate when the weather dictates as much? Do they protest the impending construction of a nuclear power plant?), and demonstrate how effective strategies for disseminating risk messages can be devised.

Author Biography

Michael K. Lindell is the Director of the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) at Texas A&M University.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
1 Risk Communication, Culture, and Ethnicity	1	(24)
Risk Communication in Environmental Hazard Management	5	(9)
Emergency Management Activities	7	(4)
Structuring Risk Communication	11	(3)
Risk Communication, Ethnicity, and Culture	14	(11)
The Cultural Context	17	(3)
Ethnic Subcultures and Risk Communication	20	(2)
Developing a Theory-Based Approach	22	(3)
2 Theoretical Bases of Risk Communication	25	(42)
Social Influence	27	(5)
Persuasive Communication	27	(3)
Social Conformity	30	(2)
Theories of Behavioral Evaluation and Choice	32	(9)
Behavioral Decision Theory	32	(4)
Attitude-Behavior Theory	36	(3)
Information seeking	39	(2)
Theories That Integrate Social and Cognitive Processes	41	(4)
Theories of Protective Action	41	(3)
Innovation Processes	44	(1)
The Protective Action Decision Model	45	(22)
Predecisional Processes	48	(2)
Decision stages	50	(17)
3 Disaster Warnings as Risk Communication	67	(52)
Protective Action Decisions	68	(1)
Situational Influences on Disaster Response	68	(25)
Environmental Cues	69	(1)
Social Context	70	(3)
Warning Components	73	(9)
Receiver Characteristics	82	(11)
Warning Compliance and Spontaneous Response	93	(8)
Response Timing	96	(1)
Decision Time	96	(1)
Empirically Based Warning Times	97	(1)
Empirically Based Preparation Times	98	(1)
Empirically Based Trip Generation Times	99	(2)
Warning Multiethnic Communities	101	(18)
Applying PADM to Multiethnic Communities	105	(1)
Vulnerability Assessments and the Community	106	(1)
Managing Source Credibility	106	(2)
Constructing Warning Messages	108	(3)
Selecting Warning Channels	111	(2)
Managing Information Seeking	113	(1)
Creating Specific Protective Action Incentives	114	(5)
4 Hazard Awareness as Risk Communication	119	(52)
Household Hazard Adjustment Decisions	121	(15)
Predecision Processes	123	(3)
Decision Stages	126	(10)
Situational Influences on Hazard Adjustment	136	(35)
Environmental Cues	137	(2)
Social Context	139	(2)
Message Components	141	(9)
Receiver Characteristics	150	(21)
5 Approaches to Influencing Hazard Adjustment Adoption	171	(52)
The Context of Environmental Risk Communication	173	(8)
Risk Communication During the Continuing Hazard Phase	181	(33)
Strategic Analysis	181	(7)
Operational Analysis	188	(6)
Resource Mobilization	194	(4)
Program Development	198	(10)
Program Implementation During the Continuing Hazard Phase	208	(6)
Risk Communication During an Escalating Crisis or Emergency Response	214	(9)
Classifying the Situation	214	(1)
Program Implementation During an Escalating Crisis or Emergency Response	215	(8)
References	223	(24)
Index	247	(14)
About the Authors	261