Accidents and Catastrophes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accidents and Catastrophes - Essay Example , meaning depending on the number of casualties and destruction done or according to the nature of the accident, that is whether it was caused by human or natural factors (Quarantelli, 1987). The linear model of classifying accidents uses ‘size’ to categorize and give different names to accidents (UN, 1992). An emergency can be termed as being an unanticipated occurrence that threatens life and property and calls upon immediate and urgent reaction from the relevant authorities within the given social set up. It is to be found that each social set up has its own way of coping with emergencies and, that there are different pre-arranged response depending on the magnitude of the emergency situation (Porfiriev, 1995). A disaster is an occurrence that causes extensive damage to the infrastructure within a given societal set up that is so severe to the extent that the resources available within the society itself are not adequate to function a response. At the same time a disaster jars the day to day activities of the society (Porfiriev, 1995). While a disaster might disrupt the functioning within a social set-up, a catastrophe brings a society to a standstill. A catastrophe throws a community into total mayhem where institutions of leadership may completely disintegrate and other institutions like schools and hospitals may be wholly destroyed. Catastrophes call for international intervention if the society affected is so crippled that it does not have the capacity to help its own survivors and casualties (Quarantelli, 1987). Although there is no unanimous agreement as to how accidents are to be listed using the linear model, it is generally accepted that, from the smallest to the most dire the order is an incident emergency, disaster and catastrophe. There are other terminologies that occur frequently when dealing accidents and their nature. A calamity is an occurrence that, like a disaster brings about large-scale disruptions in the normal functions of a

Gender Roles in the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker Essay

Gender Roles in the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Essay Example The entire story of the book is told through the narration of Celie, the protagonist, who undergoes several troubles during her early childhood before being sold by the name of marriage. Struggling through her dark past, where she is violently raped by her perverted stepfather, she goes through another doomed phase in her life. She gets severely beaten up every day by her husband, who also refuses to inform Celie about the letters from her sister Nettie. Still, Celie goes through all these torments and comes out as a winner at the end of the story. The book is a story about the progress of the will of a woman to counter all the struggles she faces in life, a display of power of friendship and faith in motivating a person and, delivering the message of happiness that one gets by being self-satisfied. The Color Purple, during its time of release, created a flurry of arguments about the themes written about in the story. One of the major themes that drew many of the critics’ attention was the theme of gender roles. Although, Walker had established the default characteristics of men and women in the book, there was this subtle element of versatility present in each and every character of the book that completely abolishes any notions of traditional qualities that were displayed through these roles. Some of the examples that could be given for this change include the change of thought process in the minds of Albert, Celie’s husband and in the submissive role played by his brother, who is unable to bring his wife under control and as a result, gets to work under his wife. The representation of unconventional treatment of the gender can be first viewed through the role of Mr.__________, as introduced by Celie and commonly known to everyone as Albert. Albert, having lost his first wife, looks out for a second wife to assist him and his children. Having known to everyone has an unpopular girl, Celie