Abstract
The purpose of my Independent Study is to explore anthropological contributions to disaster research with a focus on an ethnographic study of first responder culture. An important dimension of my research includes understanding how first responders prepare for disasters and unknown situations, as well as how their job changes in response to changing conditions in contemporary U.S. society. I do this through an anthropological literature and theory review, conducting interviews of first responders, and analyzing transcripts for anthropological themes. I use Victor Turner’s theory of Liminality and Communitas as a lens to frame and understand the culture of first responders.
Advisor
Frese, Pamela
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Tierney, Diane Elise, "Running with Responders: Exploring Anthropological Contributions to Disaster Response and An Ethnographic Study of First Response Culture" (2021). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 9287.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/9287
Disciplines
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Keywords
First Responder, Culture, Liminality, Communitas, Disasters, Emergencies
Publication Date
2021
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2021 Diane Elise Tierney