Communicating with Vulnerable Populations
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Communicating with Vulnerable Populations John Lindsay Brandon University
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Communicating with Vulnerable Populations. John Lindsay Brandon University. This is vulnerability…. Understanding vulnerability. What determines vulnerability? How do we communicate to the most vulnerable? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Communicating with Vulnerable Populations
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
This is vulnerability…
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
Understanding vulnerability
What determines vulnerability? How do we communicate to the most
vulnerable? How do the most vulnerable perceive the
risks and the information we are putting out?
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
More than just exposure
“Vulnerable populations are those most at risk, not simply because they are exposed to hazard, but as a result of a marginality that makes of their life a ‘permanent emergency’.”
Bankoff, G. 2001. “Rendering the World Unsafe: ’Vulnerability’ as Western Discourse” Disasters 25(1) pp19-35
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
Determinants of vulnerability Vulnerability is determined by social,
economic and physical characteristics. These factors influence not only how
people cope in crisis but also the resources for everyday living – sometimes called their health.
Lindsay, J. 2003 “The Determinants of Disaster Vulnerability: Achieving Sustainable Mitigation through Population Health”. Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, March 2003, Volume 28, Issue 2-3.
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
Determinants of Health Income and social status Social support networks Education Employment and
working conditions Social environments Physical environments
Biology and genetic endowment
Personal health practices & coping skills
Healthy child development
Health services Gender Culture
Health Canada 2002
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
How does vulnerability affect preparedness?
People who are more vulnerable to a particular hazard will require more help during an impact.
Reducing vulnerability (increasing resiliency) will help solve problems before they occur.
However, the factors that increase vulnerability also hinder traditional preparedness activities.
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
Why does risk perception matter?
People have different views about hazards and these views affect their decisions and actions.
These views are also influenced by the same set of factors that increase vulnerability.
Haque C.E., J. Lindsay, J. Lavery and M. Olczyk. 2004 “Exploration into the Relationship of Vulnerability and Perception to Risk Communication and Behaviour: Ideas for the Development of Tools for Emergency Management Programs”. Report prepared for the Ideas Program, Directorate of Research and Development, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness.
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
How does it affect response? People’s vulnerability and their risk
perceptions influence their decisions during a response too.
Sometimes people can’t respond as we would like them to and sometimes they ‘choose’ not to.
Either way the same factors are at work.
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
Canada’s Efforts
A survey in 2004 looked at how municipal and provincial emergency management programs were identifying and communicating with vulnerable populations.
Brandon UniversityCommunicating with
Vulnerable Populations
What can be done about this? Increasing our resiliency will be a positive
spin-off of the work done to improve communities’ overall social, economic and physical wellbeing.
Understanding the determinants and kinds of vulnerability will help communities avoid or mitigate unwanted affects.
Questions & Comments
John Lindsay
Assistant Professor and Chair
Department of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies
Brandon University
(204) 571-8555
http://www.brandonu.ca/academic/ADES/
