SOCSCI 105 WEEK 1-2

a. The impact of disasters is not experienced equally by all members of society. Why is this
so?
As said in the readings given, disasters are more than just a natural phenomenon,
they are constructs made by us humans, a social phenomenon where social processes
become laid out in the open. Disaster risk shows us how power dynamics are in society,
and how resources are distributed in consideration to one’s culture, race, gender, age,
class, nationality, and many other factors. Although people in authority may deem
disaster risk to be handled with a neutral framework, it clearly overlooks the specific
needs of people.
b. Those who experience disasters are not a homogenous group. What is the impact on men?
On women?
Both men and women have different experiences when it comes to facing
disasters: from the challenges of recovering, to the division of labor. Men are expected to
exert an inhuman amount of strength and effort in order to survive: things such as
becoming the pillar of the family during and after disasters, handling physical labor such
as repairing and manual labor, and are expected to lead the community in a path to
recovery. In difficult times, men are expected to generate income, therefore programs that
incentivize men to do manual labor for the community are created, such is the example
after typhoon Yolanda. Women, on the other hand, are expected to tend to both herself,
her family, and her close community. Recovering becomes difficult with limited
resources, lack of hygienic products such as pads and tampons. In the modern age,
women are expected to not only take care of their family, but to find work as well. Little
to no programs are opened for the talents and skills of women. Taking care of children
become extremely harder when disasters happen. When other factors such as race, culture
and class are taken into consideration, which it always should, experiences between men
and women become even more varied.
c. Who is more vulnerable during disasters? Why is this so?
Unfortunately, women are more vulnerable during disasters simply because our
society has been shaped to cater to the needs of men. Although this statement makes men
look like trash, it is not intended to give off that opinion. It is said to acknowledge that
programs such as disaster risk and reduction programs mostly cater to men because we
have been living in a mostly male-dominated society, with little to no representation for
women, and if there are women, they have achieved a high position because they have
internalized and embodied the misogyny that allows you to survive there. Women are
vulnerable because their needs are not catered to, because their situations are not thought
of thoroughly, and become overlooked by a gender-neutral framework of approaching
disasters.
d. In what way are the vulnerabilities same? Different?
Vulnerabilities are experienced by all genders, both men, women, and gender
minorities alike. They are a reflection of how their communities function in a normal day.
In a sense, individuals can experience poverty, violence, and intense labor. However,
similar vulnerabilities are experienced differently by different genders. While men
encounter more violence, women are intensely anxious when violence becomes possible.
While poverty can affect all individuals, men have differing experiences to women. In
labor, women are expected to join the line of work that focuses on providing service and
comfort, while men are expected to work on more physically taxing, more self-serving
works.
e. How does gendered division of labor impact women’s vulnerability?
On the article stated, much emphasis comes on the fact that women find
themselves to cater more to the needs of the family before themselves. In this modern
age, when met with a disaster, women find themselves stretched by taking care of the
family and providing for them. In a critical event, women take care of the needs of their
dependents first, becoming more observant and vigilant when it comes to little children
and their elderly, as well as striving to create a comfortable and safe environment for
them. Because of this, women put their needs and safety first, unable to develop proper
self-rescue habits to help them survive better.
My personal experience with how labor is gendered was during the aftermath of
typhoon Haiyan. I saw how focused my mother was in taking care of me, my sister, and
my grandmother who we hosted for the whole duration, and I watched how my father
focused solely on rebuilding the community first. I remember the time he insisted on
going to manila to find work for us on December that year, and how my mother debated
with him, insisting that she could not take care of us alone. Still, my father insisted, and
left us alone for the whole Christmas. I was reminded of this experience when I read the
article, and agreed with how much more vulnerable women became during disasters.
Being left alone during such a crucial time, my sister, my grandmother and I became
more of a burden for my mother, who had to take care of us alone. I could only imagine
the fear and helplessness the displaced women and children in rescue shelters would have
felt.

f. How do disasters exacerbate women’s preexisting vulnerabilities?

When disasters happen, it shows the country’s most bare and fragile state, where
we see, in its most basic form, how its societal structures operate. In times like these,
things such as gender norms can be observed more clearly. As stated above, when placed
in a dire situation, women cater to the needs of the family first, hampering any self-rescue
efforts they may display. Violence in the household become more frequent as tensions to
recover quickly become high and any other vices may be unavailable for the man.
Women’s physiological needs may not be met due to lack of resources. Pregnant women
 who are already vulnerable become extremely vulnerable due to the restrictions in
movement.
g. Why is there a need to include gender in disaster studies?
If those in authority view disasters as a social phenomenon rather than just simply
a natural one, then they could be able to view disaster risk and response with a new, fresh
perspective. Similar to how, when faced with danger, individuals of faith depict their god
in different ways, people who experience the same disaster may respond to it in different
ways, given their circumstances. A society cannot expect to recover fully from a
catastrophic phenomenon using a neutral-gendered framework when they operate with
strict gender norms. Such as how programs are made in order to utilize the strength of
men on the aftermath of disasters, if a society deems women to be the pillars of the
family, those who primarily take care of them, then they must provide the resources and
services for women to be able to continue to do so.

h. The response to disasters like vulnerabilities are also gendered, how so? In what way?
Although vulnerabilities affect all people regardless of gender, the impact they
have on the experiences of individuals differ greatly when it comes to which genders. For
example, poor women are more likely to be weaker than men due to food insecurity and
lower calorie intake. Because living in poverty has already put them in crisis, the effect of
disasters makes them become more vulnerable to things such as violence, dependency on
community-based services, and mental distress. Poor women and gender minorities who
are displaced onto rescue shelters and housings that expose them to harm. Gender
minorities are heavily affected, due to discrimination against them and their living habits.
Violence against women are also a big issue, as the rates increase during disasters.
Women, especially displaced women who either become separated with their families or
decide to do so to find work to support them, become more susceptible to sexual abuse.
When it comes to the division of labor, men, women and gender minorities have
different experiences. While men work manual labor and such to rebuild communities,
they focus on providing for families. In doing so, they make themselves more prepared
for disasters and crisis. Women’s labor is mostly focused on helping their families for
preparedness. Similarly, when placed on temporary homes or shelters, it falls on the
women to create a sense of comfort and safety for the family. Mothering becomes even
more difficult, as surviving children become harder to take care due to the lack of
resources. Gender minorities, also, are expected to become flexible enough to provide for
the family, as well as to take care of the family and their dependents.