February 3, 1999 Special Presentation

by Jennifer Wilson
and
Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel

Doctoral Candidates
Florida International University


Emergent Coordinative Groups and Women’s Response Roles in the Central Florida Tornado Disaster,
February 23, 1998



Contents:

Summary
Online Transcript
Download Transcript (MS Word File)

About Jennifer Wilson
About Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel

Quick Response Report #110
NWS Melbourne Photos of Tornado Damage

SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Library Online Presentation

Emergent Coordinative Groups
and
Women's Response Roles
in the Florida Tornado Disaster

Jennifer Wilson
Doctoral Candidate in Comparative Sociology
Florida International University, Miami, Florida

Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel
Doctoral Candidate in Comparative Sociology
Florida International University, Miami, Florida

EIIP Moderator: Avagene Moore

Jennifer and Arthur presented the results of their study of the participation by emergent women's groups in response to the Florida tornadoes last year. They conducted interviews of emergency management organization personnel, government and non-profit disaster relief organization personnel and citizen/victims, primarily in Osceola County.

They found that the official response was considered to have been effective, and as a result, a spontaneous coordinative role by women's groups was not a significant factor. However, they noted key participation by women in the official response, and were of the opinion that these women may have had a positive impact on the adaptivity of the response and in meeting the needs of the community. In addition, the damage, though severe, was relatively localized.

Jennifer and Arthur are planning to expand the study on the Central Florida tornadoes into mitigation and preparedness issues, specifically advance warnings and public outreach, and would like to expand into comparative analysis of other tornadoes around the nation, their response and recovery and the role of emergent organizations.

JENNIFER WILSON

Doctoral Candidate
Florida International University


Jennifer Wilson is a doctoral candidate in Comparative Sociology at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Her areas of research interest include the professionalization of emergency management, vulnerability, gender and disaster, and emergent organization after disaster. She is currently writing her dissertation entitled, "The Relationship between Professionalization, Organizational Structure and Work Culture in County Offices of Emergency Management in Florida."

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ARTHUR OYOLA-YEMAIEL

Doctoral Candidate
Florida International University


Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel is a doctoral candidate in Comparative Sociology at Florida International University. His research focuses on development and conservation of nature, with implications for sovereignty and security issues, conflict and its resolution, and vulnerability and social change. He has worked in Patagonia, Argentina, Panama and South Florida. Currently, he is writing his dissertation entitled, "Towards the Formation of a Sustainable South Florida: Analysis of Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative."

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