1.1. Cultural and (Disaster) Risk

Hello everyone, welcome to the lecture series on disaster recovery and build back better, in this lecture we will discuss about culture and risk particularly in disaster risk. This lecture would provide an idea, the kind of perspective about why culture is so important in disaster risk management or understanding risk perception also, we will look into what is the meaning of culture, why culture exists in society.

In this part of the lecture, the instructor introduces the topic of how culture relates to disaster risk management. He emphasizes that understanding culture is crucial because it shapes how people perceive risk. The lecture aims to explore the meaning and significance of culture in society and its influence on people's awareness and interpretation of disaster risks.

Consider a community where people have different traditions about natural disasters. For instance, some might view an earthquake as a sign of divine anger, while others might see it as a natural event with scientific explanations. This differing cultural perspective will influence how each group prepares for or reacts to such disasters.

Generally, in the conventional theory, they think that individual's perception of risk matter, how big the hazard is; the exogenous variable. If the hazard is bigger in size in magnitude, then people have greater, higher risk perception but it’s a very conventional idea now...

This chunk discusses the traditional theory of risk perception, which posits that the size and magnitude of a hazard directly influence an individual's perception of risk. For instance, a tall building swaying during an earthquake is more likely to raise perception of danger than a small building. However, this view is increasingly seen as limited because it assumes individuals passively receive risk information without accounting for their personal experiences and interpretations.

Think of a child in a swimming pool. If the pool is deep, the child might perceive it as a risky situation and be hesitant to swim. However, if another child has prior swimming lessons and confidence, they may see the same depth as an exciting challenge. Thus, risk perception is influenced by individual context rather than solely the hazard itself.

And for them, the particular way of communicating risk or risk communications in case of early warning, there is a recipient that is the source, they send the message and through some particular channels like mass media...

This segment outlines the conventional model of risk communication, describing how information about risks is transmitted from experts (the source) to the at-risk population (the recipients). This traditional approach focuses on clearly conveying probabilities and potential impacts of hazards via mass media channels such as television, radio, and newspapers.

Imagine a weather forecast warning about an approaching hurricane. The information is broadcasted through TV and radio to tell people about the storm's severity and expected impact. While this communication is crucial, it assumes that everyone will interpret the warning the same way, which is not always the case.

But people are arguing or from our practices, from the field notes, researchers are reporting from their studies that this is may not be enough... it varies from individual to individuals, groups to groups...

In this part, the speaker argues that the conventional model of risk communication is insufficient because it overlooks how different cultural backgrounds and individual experiences shape people's understanding of risk. For example, what one community sees as a life-threatening hazard, another might see as a manageable event.

Consider different reactions to a flood warning. In one town, residents might evacuate immediately, taking it seriously based on their previous experiences. In another town, people may stay put, believing the warning is exaggerated because they have faced many warnings that turned out to be unfounded. Their distinct cultural experiences and interpretations lead to varied responses.

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