This volume is a testament to how the study of disaster has come of age. It is a stimulating and innovative set of studies of the intersection of everyday politics with global issues including natural hazards, armed conflict and international assistance policy. Case studies from four continents and thematic chapters draw upon history, anthropology and political science, to integrate the understanding of governance, development and conflict. This book will be an important resource for students and practitioners alike.
–Alex de Waal, World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School, USA
This is a very useful collection. Each chapter draws important theoretical and policy conclusions from granular ethnographic cases. Together, they unravel a variety of ways that people and institutions engage effectively (or not) to frame and overcome the challenges of survival and governance in disaster, conflict and post-conflict crises.
–Hugo Slim, University of Oxford, UK
Disaster, Conflict and Society in Crises is a timely, important and thematically diverse anthology that brings a holistic perspective to the study of international interventions. It covers policy and practice in the humanitarian arena, and offers a rich array of analysis. Both, academics and practitioners will find much to stimulate their thinking in this book.
–Sultan Barakat, University of York, UK
Dorothea Hilhorst tells us this book describes the everyday politics of disasters, but it does far more than that. It gets right down into the weeds of the way disasters and crises change society and people’s lives. It delves into the ebb and flow of local power, the ways in which governance changes, and how love and deep relationships are shaped. This book provides a beautifully human portrayal of disasters, but with all the rigor of science.
–Peter Walker, Tufts University, USA
This book brings together a timely sociological study of humanitarian crises and aid. It adds value to our understanding of post-conflict/disaster transitions by exploring how local institutions and communities recover. Drawing upon a wide range of case studies, it challenges a number of common assumptions that drive policy and practice.
–David Connolly, University of York, UK
