An Innovation of Anthropology of Disaster: Exploring Alternatives to the Disaster Management Cycle Model

Keywords

Anthropology of Disaster、Crisis、De-reconstruction

Objectives

Today, crises—such as natural disasters, social violence, and environmental destruction—are not isolated but interrelate, accumulate damage, and have persisting impacts on our lives. The objective of this research project is to expand the existing anthropology of disaster into a new anthropology of disaster that deals with the crises of our time. Considering that the current scheme of disaster management, which frames crises as a linear process from outbreak to reconstruction and then to preparedness, no longer functions in real life, we introduce a new scheme of “de-reconstruction.” The purpose of this shift is to reexamine the conventional anthropological approach that focuses on the reconstruction phase and explore how people live with crises when reconstruction cannot be completed. To achieve its objective, the research project will address questions such as (1) what kind of descriptions would be effective to understand and intervene in multiplexing crises, (2) how to view the diverse temporalities surrounding crises and related politics, and (3) what are measures to sustain the connections to support those affected by ongoing crises.