Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Weathering Storms And Flooded Waters: Anthropological Perspectives Of Policy And Risk In Toronto, Ontario, Jennifer Spinney

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation examines how the interactive processes of policy construct social relationships, influence expert and lay perceptions of risk, and contribute to practices of risk management and decision making. In the context of weather and flooding in Toronto, Ontario, I first show how meteorologists at Environment and Climate Change Canada enact their roles as experts and attain operational success while adhering to policy constraints during ‘non-severe’ weather perceived as risky. Then, through an analysis of face and drawing on the concept of Goffman’s interaction ritual and Collins’s interaction ritual chain, I illustrate the role that ambiguous river flood situations play …