Structural and Personal Social Processes in Disaster

The psychological, social and cultural aspects of the disaster victims are studied to enable disaster managers to identify, make sense, and keep track of the psycho-social and cultural harm done to victims, and of their progress towards recovery and rehabilitation. The shock of dissolution of victims' identity, sense of self and customary and socially construed perception of reality following disruption of accustomed social structures are discussed along with the recovery processes that facilitate victims' construction of substitute functional equivalents.