A Critical Assessment to Literature on Socially Oriented Earthquake Studies in Turkey

This article presents results of research based on secondary data analysis. I critically analyse the literature while paying particular attention to methodological issues. Both establishing a comprehensive data set on social dimensions of earthquake experiences and its methodological analysis are unique attempts in the literature. The main objective of this article is to contribute to the institutionalization of disaster studies in Turkey, as such it belongs also to the sociology of science/knowledge literature. The institutionalization of a scientific field requires that theoretical and methodological principles, formulation of problems, presentation of innovations, criticisms and discussions are produced and updated systematically, thus constructing the community as well as its discourse. When such outcomes are not achieved in the earthquake/disaster studies, the influence of the field on disaster risk management practices remains low. The findings presented in this article provide evidence that the accumulated knowledge does not help us understand problems and solutions adequately by making comparisons across time, space and target goups. This outcome is partly related to an approach that research is conducted mainly when crises have occured without relating it with a collective agenda prepared for improving societal resilience. Better capacity building mechanisms are needed accompanied with paying more positive interest to each other’s work systematically, upgrading methodological and theoretical knowledge and skills, establishing better communication between social and natural sciences. Scientific journals have potentials to create opportunities to overcome insufficiencies observed in the field if trans-disciplinary approach and social dimensions of disaster risk management are adopted seriously