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I am interested in seeing how social ties and networks have been used to cope with (un)natural disasters. My research focus on places under disasters conditions such as Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria, in which social ties have made the difference between life and death. Furthermore, “natural” disaster has been used to approved austerity measures and unjust policies to impoverished communities like in New Orleans after Katrina. These policies were not new, as they are rooted in structures of power to preserve the status quo. Yet, people have resisted, “through a network of branches, cultures, and geographies” that has stimulated a reflective process of looking within for solutions rather than outside. As often this outside solutions are not only detached from community’s reality but can perpetuate social injustices and inequalities.

McKittrick, K., & Woods, C. A. (Eds.). (2007). Black geographies and the politics of place. South End Press.

Bullard, R. D., & Wright, B. (Eds.). (2009). Race, place, and environmental justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to reclaim, rebuild, and revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Westview Press.

The main arguments presented in this article is the history of disasters in the United States and the cause of buildings’ demise due to structural discrepancies. The historical accounts of the burning of the capital and the Iroquois theatre fire show how disaster investigation started and then evolved to the investigation of 9/11.

They rely on the internet, videos, blogs and first hand accounts in order to spread awareness.

The methods, tools and data used to produce the claims in the article include: creating an argument- having separate sections of the paper: a cause, an effect and the resounding outcome. The authors created a story through describing the horrible accounts of what happened during and after Katrina. The cause is the hurricane which caused displacement of most of the population due to the flooding from the broken levee. This caused the government to hire outside resources to house and “collect” citizens. This ultimately caused rent to increase,=, and pushed the poor out of New Orleans. Through developing a solid argument; the paper gains credibility. The claims were also supported through direct quotes and government statistics.

The development of the system was funded by IBM, capital factory, telemental health institute, health wildcatters.

This article has been referenced and discussed by health professionals annually , as well as by the government to establish a need to address mental illness after disasters.