I believe that the New Orleans example can be explained by the research on (pardon the unintended pun) sunken costs. So much time, effort, and money was already invested in New Orleans that it wouldn't seem right to walk away, even if it would be prudent to do so.
I can't think of any ideas that would explain the social amnesia (I love that term) regarding the pandemic, but I look forward to hearing what others think. ________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 9:25 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Social Amnesia Quick related question to ponder as we think about this interesting psychological question--I will pose this to my social psych friends as well--why are people rebuilding in the 9th ward--well below sea level and clearly subject to flooding unless superhuman levies can be built at great expense (and why even go to this expense just to rebuild homes in this area????) in New Orleans? I will ask my NO friends about this too. Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---- Original message ---- >Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:30:55 -0400 >From: "Mike Palij" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [tips] Socil Amnesia >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> >Cc: "Mike Palij" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Recently there was a re-broadcast of the "American Experience" >episode on the great flu pandemic of 1918 (entitled "Influenza >1918"; program transcript and other materials are available at: >http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/filmmore/index.html > >Additonal sources on the 1918 flue pandemic is available at: >http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/ >http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no01/05-0979.htm >http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/ >http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/collections/archives/agalleries/1918flu/1918flu.html >http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7531/1536 > >Given that the 1918 flu pandemic killed over 50 millions people >worldwide, that it significantly affected daily life in the U.S. >(the American Experiences episode makes this clear), and >given the uncertainty about its origin and the possibility of >its re-emergence, I'd like to ask a couple of questions that >were raised in the AE episode" > >(1) Why is so little about this pandemic included in our >school curriculum, especially in history and biology courses, > >and > >(2) Even though it had a tremendous impact on popular >culture at the time, a social amnesia seems to have developed >about it, with few people remembering or knowing about >it (the AE episode shows several survivors who provide >oral histories about their experience with the flu). One of the >more obvious manifestations of fear of the flu was the widespread >use of surgical masks in public to prevent transmission (as it >would turn out, the masks were inadequate). How could >something so horrific be forgotten? > >What might be the cognitive and social processes involved in >such "social amnesia"? Might it be due to overly optimistic >expectations that such a thing cannot happen again and an >avoidance of review of the events? > >One reason I ask is because today in the U.S. we are seeing >scenes of widespread flooding in the U.S. midwest, devastating >communities which were built in flood plains (i.e., land areas >that a river, like the Mississippi, sometimes span over). Indeed, >the floods are pretty bad but similar floods had occurred previously >in the 1990's and periodically before that. Undoubtedly, some >people will return after the floods have gone and will rebuild their >homes in the flood plain, only to have them flooded again at some >time in the not too distant future. Why? > >-Mike Palij >New York University >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > >--- >To make changes to your subscription contact: > >Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
