13/12/2021
“What makes people vulnerable in disasters?” This question is at the basis of the LINKS deliverable 2.1., developed by Università degli Studi di Firenze.
In recent years, disaster studies literature has increasingly recognized vulnerability as a dynamic condition. This dynamicity is based on the idea that a disaster can simultaneously produce experiences of vulnerability and resilience and that a contextual analysis of the ways in which they interact is needed. However, another point is here considered: recently and have acquired an increasing role in disaster risk management and how this process impacts on needs to be in depth studied.
With the aim to answer to this point and based on the literature review carried out, an interpretative framework for social vulnerability, based on four dimensions, has been provided. , , and are used to discuss vulnerability in relation to the digital space and to identify potentials and challenges of the use of these platforms in disasters.
As result of this analysis, most of the studies highlight both positive and negative consequences. In particular, the use of social media and crowdsourcing as information and communication tools is usually associated to an increase of social and geographical disparities, and consequently to a reduction in people capacity to deal with disasters. On the other hand, social media and crowdsourcing platforms could become an important space where people could obtain more visibility highlighting their needs and capacities and reduce distances promoting collaboration and spontaneous collective initiatives.
Accordingly, the purpose of this deliverable was to build the basis for the research work that will be finalized to produce a tool that can guide people in a more effective use of social media and crowdsourcing in disasters.
To read the full version of the deliverable, click here 👉http://links-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1.5.pdf