Over the years I have used the occurrence of natural disasters to
illustrate the difference in public response to individual circumstance
(homelessness, for example) when the cause is a natural disaster (not their
fault) and the perceived cause is the individual's own doing (they get what
they deserve--"Just-world" theory). For example, using the Red River flood
of 1999 again to illustrate. When this occurred hundreds of people
caravaned to the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area to assist in
sandbagging and then in the post-flood clean-up. Trucks full of donated
relief supples left the Twin Cities to help the homeless, etc. Many of our
students volunteered and vans were rented to take them up there. Yet, at
the same time, many homeless continued to live under the Mississippi
bridges of the Twin Cities and jammed the soup kitchens and no mass effort
existed to assist them. Will the relief efforts in the Delta region in
fact work to help those who were already poor improve their lives in the
long run? Who will be determined to be deserving of assistance?
BEC
"Live an active not a reactive life."
Carl Rogers
Brian E. Copp, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
KFA 330
410 S. Third St.
River Falls, WI 54022
(715) 425-3992 or 3260, FAX (715) 425-0657
