Social Science Experts Available to Discuss Issues of Class, Race, and the Environment, and the Nature of Responses to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster:

Social Science Experts Available to Discuss Issues of Class, Race, and the Environment, and the Nature of Responses to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- To assist journalists covering Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the Environment and Technology Section of the American Sociological Association has compiled a list of sources and information related to the class and race issues exposed by the storm, and the ensuing disaster response.

These resources include: the names and contact information of experts; university-based research centers focused on disasters and related topics; and key articles and books available online. They are listed below.

Research in environmental sociology also provides a number of important perspectives journalists can use to guide their reporting on the causes and effects of a hurricane such as Katrina:

- 'Natural' disasters have clear patterns based on social organizations.

- Disasters and the failure of emergency responses are normal, not
special, events.

- Worst cases can be expected.

- The response to Katrina followed a typical (dysfunctional) pattern.

- Who suffers is not random - minorities and the poor bear the brunt of
environmental risks.

- Disasters can create pressure for positive political and social change.

Expert Contacts on Disaster Response"