When you picture a disaster, how do you know that's the way it will really go? The fact is, you don't - and neither do movie directors making badass semi-classics like San Andreas or The Day After Tomorrow. Where do these ideas about disasters come from, how true are they and are they helping us managing these crises that keep whacking us across the face like we're Bruce Willis in Die Hard? Lindsey Thomas (author of Training for Catastrophe) and John Carr (co-author, with Sam Montano of The Landscape of Disaster Film) join Jordan and Mitch to discuss those grab a gun moments, how movies crossover into disaster education, and how it all shapes what we see when we imagine a disaster.

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AI Generated Show Notes

Chapters

00:00 Introduction of guests

04:16 Defining disaster movies and favorite picks

07:49 The construction and impact of disaster movies

11:54 The influence of disaster movies on real-world disasters

17:31 The standardization and normalization of disaster

30:50 Analyzing the accuracy of disaster movies

37:18 The role of literature in constructing disaster imaginaries

39:54 The limitations of preparedness training exercises

41:01 Inaccurate Disaster Scenarios and the Why

43:01 Religion and Politics in the Disaster Imaginary

46:51 Misinformation and the Blurring of Fact and Fiction

50:55 Improving the Way We Imagine Disasters

57:03 Limitations of Current Disaster Preparedness Efforts

01:01:56 The Power of Storytelling to Reshape the Disaster Imaginary

01:16:12 Dry Transition.mp4

01:16:40 The Influence of Disaster Movies

01:17:35 Nostalgia and Western Flavors

01:18:01 Shoot-Them-Up Action in Disaster Movies

01:18:18 Ending Tough Shift vHigh.mp4

Takeaways

Disaster movies shape societal perceptions of real disasters.

Preparedness strategies have historical roots dating back to WWII.

The impact of 9/11 has changed disaster narratives significantly.

Cultural artifacts influence how we understand and respond to disasters.

Training exercises often rely on fictional narratives to prepare for real events.

Diverse perspectives are crucial in disaster planning and response.

The normalization of disaster narratives can lead to misconceptions.

Realism in training exercises is essential for effective preparedness.

Disasters are often compounded and not singular events.

Public perception of disasters can be influenced by media and storytelling.

Summary

This conversation explores the complex relationship between disaster movies, societal perceptions of disasters, and the preparedness strategies employed by emergency management. The guests discuss how cultural artifacts shape our understanding of disasters, the historical context of preparedness, and the impact of events like 9/11 on disaster narratives. They emphasize the need for diverse perspectives in disaster planning and the importance of realism in training exercises, while also critiquing the limitations of current preparedness frameworks.

Keywords

disaster movies, preparedness, emergency management, societal response, cultural narratives, 9/11 impact, disaster training, fictional narratives, societal resilience, disaster perception

Carol Hay and Jeff Schlegelmilch join us on a journey through Covid, disaster policy and .... polyamory? How do we improve our responses these terrible events - and what does it have to do with how couples who practice BDSM keep each other safe? How do we change the incentive structures within in our society to improve disaster risk, and what does this have to do with the threesome with Immanuel Kant that Mitch and Jordan have been in for the last decade? All this plus the story of the 1927 flood, and our epistemological drinking game.

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Quick reading list:

Think Like a Feminist (Carol): https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Feminist-Philosophy-Revolution-ebook/dp/B085RN1328?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Catastrophic Incentives (Jeff): https://cup.columbia.edu/book/catastrophic-incentives/9780231555432

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Show Notes (Auto Generated)

summary

The conversation explores the handling of disasters and the problems it causes, as well as the reasons behind it. The guests discuss the impact of COVID-19 on disaster response and how it has challenged traditional conceptions of disasters. They also touch on the need for a shift in disaster recovery goals, moving away from simply restoring the pre-disaster state and towards addressing underlying inequalities. The conversation highlights the importance of perception shifts, collective creativity, and explicit goals in shaping disaster response. The conversation explores the influence of pop culture on society and the allocation of funds for disaster recovery. It highlights the disconnect between data and dominant cultural narratives, as well as the tension between individual rights and collective action. The discussion also delves into the role of government in addressing collective action problems and the need for a shift in crisis epistemology. The importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in emergency management is emphasized, along with the challenge of navigating different value systems. The conversation concludes with the recognition that redefining the role of government and changing crisis-focused mindsets are crucial for promoting disaster resilience and social change. Disasters can reveal the underlying structures of privilege and oppression, as well as challenge our notions of community response. In times of crisis, even those committed to social justice may feel threatened and resort to self-defense. The surge in new gun owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women and people of color, highlights this response. Disasters provide an opportunity to bring feminist philosophical tools into the conversation and practice of disaster management. The tools from a feminist toolkit that could be useful include Rawls' difference principle and the concept of epistemic injustice.

keywords

disasters, handling, problems, COVID-19, impact, traditional conceptions, recovery goals, inequalities, perception shifts, collective creativity, explicit goals, disaster response, pop culture, society, disaster recovery, data, cultural narratives, individual rights, collective action, government, crisis epistemology, diversity, equity, inclusion, emergency management, value systems, social change, disasters, privilege, oppression, community response, social justice, self-defense, gun ownership, feminist philosophy, Rawls, difference principle, epistemic injustice

takeaways

• The handling of disasters often leads to problems and raises questions about the underlying reasons and approaches.
• COVID-19 has challenged traditional conceptions of disasters and highlighted the need for a shift in disaster response.
• Disaster recovery goals should move beyond restoring the pre-disaster state and address underlying inequalities.
• Perception shifts and collective creativity play a crucial role in shaping disaster response.
• Explicit goals and a focus on addressing inequalities are essential in...

Andrew McMahan (NYU, Dukes of Hazards Podcast) joins Jordan and Mitch to lay out how disaster response is failing us, why Audre Lorde can help us imagine it differently, and what this season of Tough Shift is all about. Plus, the word "epistemology" definitely needs a drinking game.

Learn more and buy the book at at http://www.disastersandsocialchange.org/

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(Some AI-generated info below)

Keywords

disaster policy, response, reimagining, brokenness, epistemology, knowledge systems, solidarity, social movements, positive social change, disasters, community, response, social change, positive change, epistemology, equity

Takeaways

• Disasters reveal the brokenness of society and the need for change in disaster policy and response.
• Epistemology plays a crucial role in understanding disasters and how our current knowledge systems can hinder progress.
• Solidarity and social movements are essential for shaping positive social change during disasters.
• The Tough Shift podcast aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of disasters and offer practical solutions for a better future. Inappropriate responses to disasters can weaken communities and lead to the breakdown of society.
• Disasters have the potential to bring about positive social change if they prompt the formation of new communities and coalitions.
• Changing the epistemological structures and tools that guide disaster response and recovery is crucial for more inclusive and equitable outcomes.
• Disaster response and recovery should focus on strengthening communities and allowing for new futures to be imagined.

Titles

• Reimagining Disaster Policy and Response
• The Role of Epistemology in Disaster Understanding The Impact of Inappropriate Responses to Disasters on Communities
• The Potential for Positive Social Change in the Aftermath of Disasters

Sound Bites

• "This season on Tough Shift, we're gonna do something different."
• "We've got to throw out maybe 300 years of disaster thinking."
• "The way we understand disasters is part of the problem."
• "If they weren't culturally appropriate, if they didn't focus on this question of strengthening the community, right? Bringing everybody together, which they never did because federal resources aren't incentivized to do that, right? The community would break apart a little more."
• "We were motivated to answer was this question of sort of like, okay, it does seem like there's general agreement that disasters produce social change. It seems like sometimes, there's sort of, there's this story that they produce positive social change."
• "What disasters do is they sort of reveal the skeleton that's holding everything up the rest of the time."

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Personal Experiences with Disasters

05:23

Examining Disaster Policy

01:04:42

Analyzing the 1985 Mexico City Earthquake

01:06:09

Solidarity and Social Movements in the COVID-19 Pandemic

01:06:34

Reimagining Disaster: A Shift in Perception

01:06:42

Practical Approaches to Handling Disasters

01:07:05

Ending Tough Shift vHigh.mp4