Community Disaster Vulnerability: Theory, Research, and Practice

Disaster vulnerability is rapidly increasing on a global scale, particularly for those populations which are the historical clients of the social work profession. These populations include the very young and very old, the poor, ethnic and racial minorities, and those with physical or mental disabilities.  Social workers are increasingly providing services in disasters during response and recovery periods, and are using community interventions to reduce disaster vulnerability. There is a need for a cogent theory of vulnerability and research that addresses improved community disaster practice and community resilience. Community Disaster Vulnerability and Resilience provides a unifying theoretical framework backed by research which can be translated into knowledge for effective practice in disasters. ​

Michael J. Zakour: Dr. Zakour earned an M.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology in 1980 from the Pennsylvania State University, an M.S.W. from Washington University School of Social Work in 1984, and a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1988. He taught at Tulane University School of Social Work from 1991 to 2007, where he was director of the Ph.D. in Social Work from 1998 to 2005. He currently is Associate Professor and Director of the Nonprofit and Voluntary Associations (NOVA) Institute, School of Applied Social Sciences, Division of Social Work, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. He has published in important social work journals such as the Journal of Social Services Research, Social Work, Social Work Research, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Social Development Issues, Reflections, and the Journal of Social Work Education. In 2000, he was Editor of Disaster & Traumatic Stress: Research and Intervention, which is a monograph in the series Tulane Studies in Social Welfare. He has also published numerous chapters on disaster social work. He is currently co-PI on a research project on the evacuation of persons with disabilities, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, through the U.S. Department of Education. 

David F. Gillespie. Dr. Gillespie earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is currently Professor of Sociology in Social Work at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis. He has undertaken studies for a number of government, non-profit and private organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the Health, Education and Welfare Department, the American Red Cross, and Union Electric Company. His research has been primarily focused on community dynamics and networks of interorganizational relations for disaster preparedness. He haspublished several books and numerous papers on organizations and research methodology.

David F. Gillespie. Dr. Gillespie earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is currently Professor of Sociology in Social Work at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis. He has undertaken studies for a number of government, non-profit and private organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the Health, Education and Welfare Department, the American Red Cross, and Union Electric Company. His research has been primarily focused on community dynamics and networks of interorganizational relations for disaster preparedness. He has published several books and numerous papers on organizations and research methodology.