Disasters and History

Abstract

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Accounting for natural disasters from a historical perspective: A literature review and research agenda

“…Although the analysis does not intend to be exhaustive, we are confident that the selected volumes suggest an interest in the historical investigation internationally. Below is a brief analysis of the following volumes: Aldrete (2007), Ayalon (2017), Courtney (2019), Schenk (2017) and Van Bavel et al (2020).…”

“…The edited work by Van Bavel et al (2020) portrays a wide-ranging historical overview of disasters, temporally moving from the Black Death to the more recent Fukushima disaster. In particular, the findings of the book show that different reactions and outcomes are identified in different contexts and within the same community in relation to different social, ethnical or gender groups.…”

“…In particular, the findings of the book show that different reactions and outcomes are identified in different contexts and within the same community in relation to different social, ethnical or gender groups. The book encourages a focus on studies of natural disasters and disaster victims, going beyond societal history and shifting towards communities and households to analyse how communities and households coped with disasters’ impact (Van Bavel et al, 2020).…”

“…The brief perusal of volumes has highlighted an increase in interdisciplinarity natural disaster investigations. Historical researchers have begun to use data deriving from natural sciences, while social and natural scientists have started to employ historical series in investigations connecting historical climatic variability to plague outbreaks and productivity in agriculture (Van Bavel et al, 2020). If disaster historians and natural and social scientists have already experienced interdisciplinarity (Van Bavel et al, 2020), accounting historians still have to engage in the field.…”

“…Historical researchers have begun to use data deriving from natural sciences, while social and natural scientists have started to employ historical series in investigations connecting historical climatic variability to plague outbreaks and productivity in agriculture (Van Bavel et al, 2020). If disaster historians and natural and social scientists have already experienced interdisciplinarity (Van Bavel et al, 2020), accounting historians still have to engage in the field. The accounting investigation in this historical and interdisciplinary dimension is inadequate, and even when accounting tools are considered, the investigation is covered by other scientists (e.g.…”