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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

When Communities Face Drinking Water Crises, Bottled Water Is A 'Temporary' Solution That Often Lasts Years--And Worsens Inequality, Daniel Jaffee Oct 2023

When Communities Face Drinking Water Crises, Bottled Water Is A 'Temporary' Solution That Often Lasts Years--And Worsens Inequality, Daniel Jaffee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a sociologist, I study the social and environmental effects of the rapid growth of bottled-water consumption in the U.S. and beyond, and how it is linked to distrust of public tap water. In my new book, “Unbottled,” one chapter examines how these dynamics played out in Flint. As its example shows, communities can end up relying on bottled water – often at great expense – for years after a crisis.


Storm Surge Risk Assessment In Coastal Communities In The Rio Grande Valley: An Application Of Gis-Based Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis With Analytical Hierarchy Process, Dean Kyne May 2023

Storm Surge Risk Assessment In Coastal Communities In The Rio Grande Valley: An Application Of Gis-Based Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis With Analytical Hierarchy Process, Dean Kyne

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cameron County, which is located in the Rio Grande Valley, maintains records of storm surges associated with noticeable property damage, fatalities, and injuries. This study investigates storm surge inundation risk in Cameron County using storm surge hazard datasets from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with American Community Survey 2019 block group datasets. Using a GIS-based spatial multicriteria decision analysis with an analytical hierarchy process method, the study estimates that storm surge water levels could be above 6.1 m (20 ft) in category 4 and 5 hurricane events, whereas about 37% of the county’s population (159,659 people) could be …


Unequal Trust: Bottled Water Consumption, Distrust In Tap Water, And Economic And Racial Inequality In The United States, Daniel Jaffee Jan 2023

Unequal Trust: Bottled Water Consumption, Distrust In Tap Water, And Economic And Racial Inequality In The United States, Daniel Jaffee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviewing public health, nutrition, and social science literature, this article examines how bottled water consumption and spending in the United States differ along lines of race, ethnicity, and income, how these consumption patterns have changed in recent years, and how those shifts map onto perceptions of the safety and trustworthiness of tap water supplies, both before and since the Flint water disaster. It also addresses the differential impact of bottled water spending on household income. The findings challenge the truism that bottled water consumption is positively correlated with income, instead showing a bimodal racial and class consumption pattern that reflects …


The Tornado Warning Process: A Review Of Current Research, Challenges, And Opportunities, Jerry Brotzge, William Donner Nov 2013

The Tornado Warning Process: A Review Of Current Research, Challenges, And Opportunities, Jerry Brotzge, William Donner

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

With the unusually violent tornado season of 2011, there has been a renewed national interest, through such programs as NOAA's Weather Ready Nation initiative, to reevaluate and improve our tornado warning process. This literature review provides an interdisciplinary, end-to-end examination of the tornado warning process. Following the steps outlined by the Integrated Warning System, current research in tornado prediction and detection, the warning decision process, warning dissemination, and public response are reviewed, and some of the major challenges for improving each stage are highlighted. The progress and challenges in multi-day to short-term tornado prediction are discussed, followed by an examination …


Tornado Warnings In Three Southern States: A Qualitative Analysis Of Public Response Patterns, William Donner, Havidan Rodriguez, Walter Diaz Oct 2012

Tornado Warnings In Three Southern States: A Qualitative Analysis Of Public Response Patterns, William Donner, Havidan Rodriguez, Walter Diaz

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent research in three Southern states supplied data describing the role community structure and culture played in shaping public response to tornado risks. The following study identifies and describes how residents received, made sense of, and ultimately used information to make decisions about responding to warnings. In addition to a range of theoretical concerns, research was also intended to develop a set of safety policies derived from what the data reveals about the social psychology of risk perception, economic constraints to shelter, and the cultural aspects of response.Data analysis reveals a diverse set of social factors governing community response to …