Sociological, Physical, and Psychological Impact of the Hurricane Katrina - Case Study Example

? Section/# Hurricane Katrina: A Case Study Focusing upon the Sociological, Physical, and Psychological Impacts that this Catastrophe Denoted It is without question that catastrophic/life-changing events have the power to influence upon psychological understandings, sociological interpretations, as well as the physical realities and environmental concerns of a given region or people group. Within such an understanding, the following analysis will seek to provide something of a case study with respect to the way in which Hurricane Katrina influenced upon each of these three previously mentioned factors. Through such an interpretation, it is the hope of this author that the reader will come to a more informed dynamic understanding the way in which catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina cannot only influenced upon the environment of a given region but also with respect to the sociological and psychological interpretations and definitions that exist within such a region; and indeed within an entire nation. Accordingly, within these three main categories that it previously been discussed, the sociological impacts will be mainly concentric upon the issues of displacement and health concerns that were evidenced during and after the hurricane itself. With regards to the physical impacts that the hurricane had, this level of analysis will be concentric mainly upon the destruction to the natural environment, the impacts of agriculture business that were affected, and the impact of pollution. Finally, with respect to psychological impacts that Hurricane Katrina had, this will be mainly concentric upon the interpretations of worth and race that came to be denoted as a result of the failed FEMA response and overall lackadaisical government engagement with the issue (Letten, 2013). Firstly, with regards to the issue of displacement, it must be noted that up Hurricane Katrina was somewhat unique with regards to the way in which displacement took place. For instance, almost each and every year, tens of thousands of individuals flee mainland Florida as approaching hurricanes threaten the property and lives of stakeholders within a given region. However, this mass exodus from Florida is somewhat different than what took place within Louisiana and the surrounding regions. Ultimately, Florida is a region that has been populated primarily by wealthy individuals who are either retiring or occupying a secondary property within this region; denoting the fact that extent economic resources exist for these individuals. However, due to the unique nature of the way in which Louisiana and the surrounding regions exhibit economic hardship and disparity as compared to other regions throughout the United States, the availability of transit and the wherewithal to escape from the oncoming hurricane was drastically reduced; as compared to a more wealthy region of the United States. However, this fact notwithstanding, the government commandeered bus service and began running mass transit lines out of Louisiana and almost each and every direction; away from the path of danger. Although at face value, this particular approach seemed to have a relevance and in point in mind, the fact of the matter is that this effectively created a situation through which mass displacement came to be effected to the residents and the society within and around New Orleans. Ultimately, even though many thousands of these individuals were taken from the path of harm and placed elsewhere throughout the region, the ability of these individuals to return and the resources that they had to exist once they had been removed from their homes was not an issue that the government had thoroughly engaged or considered; blending to a sociological disaster that saw many individuals who were previously not homeless displaced throughout the United States and given few if any opportunities to set their lives back on track. Secondary sociological impact that was affected during and after Hurricane Katrina is with regards to the litany of health issues that came to be represented. Any time a mass casualty event takes place and/or any time in which a catastrophic incident occurs, the framework of public health is oftentimes one of the most strained. As a means of understanding this dynamic, the reader can and should engage with the fact that a fundamental disruption to the hospital system and the public health is affected as a direct result of the catastrophe itself. However, adding a further level of complication is the fact that the naturally low – lying areas of New Orleans and the surrounding region were inundated with a flawed of seawater as a result of hurricane. Due to the fact that the levees themselves had failed/broken, this inundation of water came to be a breeding ground for disease, pollution, and the ill effects on health that are the result of both of these factors. However, regardless of the impacts that have thus far been listed, it must also be understood that physical impacts of Hurricane Katrina were also profound and continue to impact upon the viability, sustainability, and economic parity that the region in and around New Orleans can promote. For instance, the destruction to the environment of New Orleans itself was profound (Harrell-Carter, 2012). As a result of the fact that the levees had failed and almost the entire region of New Orleans had been flooded by 8 to 10 feet of seawater, the ability of any business interest and/or any sociological function to engage with this environment was immediately destroyed. Aside from tourism, the region in and around Louisiana was specifically concentric on agriculture and the production that the land, as well as the fishery stocks, could provide (Santella et al., 2010). Moreover, the inundation of seawater also caused a secondary physical impact with regards to the way in which pollution was spread throughout the region. Ultimately, even though a great deal of emphasis has been placed upon the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon incident that the BP was responsible for, the pollution that was spread as a result of Hurricane Katrina has arguably impacted upon the physical realities of the individuals, the environment, and business within this region to even a greater extent than did the Deepwater Horizon fiasco (Trumbo et al., 2011). However, in linking the physical and the sociological impact of this particular incident, it must be noted that the wealthier, tourist attractions, of Louisiana and New Orleans naturally recuperated from the hardship that has thus far been discussed and a much more rapid manner than did those of lesser economic means. The final unit of analysis that this particular case study will engage is with regards the psychological influences and impacts that Hurricane Katrina affected. As compared to the other determinants that have been measured, the psychological impacts of this particular disaster are more difficult to engage (Rhodes & Tran, 2013). This is of course due to the fact that even though a cursory analysis of the data can yield an understanding with respect to the way in which environmental change and/or displacement or health concerns were evidenced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the overall psychological impact that this particular disaster affected are much more difficult to measure and engage. However, regardless of this difficulty, it can most certainly be understood that the impacts of Hurricane Katrina fundamentally shifted the interpretation of worth and race; at the very least within the affected regions and communities in question. In order to understand this particular dynamic, the reader must engage with the fact that even though the media and society oftentimes discusses the level of racial equality that exists within current society, the civil rights movement, at the time of Hurricane Katrina, was only decades in the past. Moreover, the reality of living within the deep South, a region that has become well-known for its level of racial discord and strife, denotes the fact that racial disparity underlies almost each and every aspect of society and integration of economics, life, and/or business that takes place upon a daily basis (Lambert & Lawson, 2013). As such, it is not surprising that with the first breakdown in governmental response and an understanding of the fact that the stakeholders within New Orleans were basically on their own to attempts to survive the ravaging impacts of the disaster that had befallen them, cries of racism and interpretation of the belief that the government and/or white society did not care concerning their fates, began to be evidenced almost immediately. Seeking to answer whether or not this conspiratorial and/or accusative stance was right or wrong is not the purpose of this particular analysis; rather, the author wishes to engage the reader with an understanding of the fact that the psychological impacts of Hurricane Katrina were ultimately formulated around racial understandings and upon the manner and level to which society and an interpretation of governance was predicated upon racial lines (Palaseanu-Lovejoy et al, 2013). Moreover, seeking to understand Hurricane Katrina and its psychological impacts without addressing the way in which stakeholders throughout the region understood and integrated with governance would be missing a major psychological impact that this particular catastrophe affected. Although it may be seen as “splitting hairs” to differentiate between racial interpretations and the means through which the government is capable of addressing the needs of its stakeholders, this fact must nonetheless be represented. Ultimately, stakeholders in and around Louisiana, regardless of their political orientation and/or racial composition, came to the understanding that the government was ill-prepared, ineffective, and ultimately uncoordinated with regards to its catastrophe response. This was noted upon almost each and every level as the government was not only incapable of reaching those who were cut off from the outside world, it was also evidenced with respect to the time that it took to provide drinking water, facilities, housing, and basic services to the individuals within the affected region. This ineffective level of governance and the means through which an entire branch of the United States government had directed money, energy, time, and effort in order to affect a change upon a given region during a time of catastrophe helps to underscore the fact that regardless of age, race, or political orientation, the means through which the United States government could organize and effective response was limited to say the least (Nicholls & Picou, 2013). Even though this particular understanding of the psychological impacts of Hurricane Katrina might not seem as profound as the others that is thus far been listed, it is extraordinarily profound due to the fact that a consent of the governed is a fundamental determinant of a democratic society. As such, as soon as a level of distrust, dissatisfaction, and even hatred is exhibited towards the institution of democratic governance, the ultimate level to which it can continue to be effective, and meet the needs of the stakeholders involved is ultimately thrown into question (Edmondson et al., 2013) From the information that is thus far been engaged, it must be understood that the impacts of Hurricane Katrina have been profound. With regards to the sociological, physical, and psychological impacts, this catastrophic event has affected individuals within a litany of different life circumstances, races, and/or political orientations. As such, understanding the impacts that Hurricane Katrina has affected with regards to an interpretation of life and the realities within the region cannot merely be delineated based upon a simplistic understanding of racial determinants. Even though these determinants make up a very large portion of the discussion and extent literature that helps to define Hurricane Katrina and the response and subsequent impacts of it, the analysis that is thus far been engaged helps to point the reader to the fact that the scope and impact of this catastrophic event is in fact much larger than many individuals would like to admit (Moynahan, 2012). Whereas the majority of the analysis that has been conducted helps to underscore the ineffectiveness, disparity, and hardship that was experienced during and after the response to Hurricane Katrina, it must also be denoted that the United States government and stakeholders within the search and rescue community have utilized this particular failure as an incentive to engage their resources and plan their responses more effectively. As such, the government, in tandem with stakeholders at almost every level of society have utilized Hurricane Katrina as a rallying call so that the physical, psychological, and sociological impacts, almost all of which were overwhelmingly negative, will not be exhibited in the event that a similar catastrophe takes place within the United States anytime in the near future. References Edmondson, D., Gamboa, C., Cohen, A., Anderson, A. H., Kutner, N., Kronish, I., & ... Muntner, P. (2013). Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Hospitalization Among Hurricane Katrina Survivors With End-Stage Renal Disease. American Journal Of Public Health, 103(4), e130-e137. doi:10.2105/10AJPH.2012.301146 Harrell-Carter, A., & Lambert, J. T. (2012). ENVIRONMENTAL JOLT OF HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA: THE REALIGNMENT AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE LOUISIANA SENIOR ASSISTED LIVING INDUSTRY. Business Studies Journal, 4(2), 55-75. Lambert, S. F., & Lawson, G. (2013). Resilience of Professional Counselors Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 91(3), 261-268. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00094.x Letten, J. (2013). Crisis Response an d Continuity of Operations: A Personal Account of My Experiences During and After Hurricane Katrina. Tulane Law Review, 87(5/6), 1245-1280. MOYNIHAN, D. P. (2012). Extra-Network Organizational Reputation and Blame Avoidance in Networks: The Hurricane Katrina Example. Governance, 25(4), 567-588. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.2012.01593.x Nicholls, K., & Picou, J. (2013). The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Trust in Government The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Trust in Government. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 94(2), 344-361. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00932.x Palaseanu-Lovejoy, M., Kranenburg, C., Barras, J. A., & Brock, J. C. (2013). Land Loss Due to Recent Hurricanes in Coastal Louisiana, U.S.A. Journal Of Coastal Research, 97-109. doi:10.2112/SI63-009.1 RHODES, A. M., & TRAN, T. V. (2013). MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE OF SEVEN SELECTED ITEMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE ADULT SURVIVORS OF HURRICANE KATRINA. Psychological Reports, 112(1), 60-71. doi:10.2466/02.08.09.PR0.112.1.60-71 Santella, N., Steinberg, L. J., & Sengul, H. (2010). Petroleum and Hazardous Material Releases from Industrial Facilities Associated with Hurricane Katrina. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 30(4), 635-649. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01390.x Trumbo, C., Lueck, M., Marlatt, H., & Peek, L. (2011). The Effect of Proximity to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Subsequent Hurricane Outlook and Optimistic Bias. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 31(12), 1907-1918. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01633.x Read More