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- Title
A Social Phenomenon of Risk Perception: Saskatchewan Firefighters on the Yarnell Hill Fire Fatalities.
- Authors
Scott, Robert I.
- Abstract
Although researchers have indicated how "environmental" factors can influence organizations and their "risk systems," few have examined the influence of globalization on risk systems. Drawing on Saskatchewan firefighters' responses to the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire fatalities, this paper demonstrates the impact of globalization on risk perceptions in risk systems. Analysis of interview data shows how information, communication, and transportation technologies have influenced structural and symbolic risk system boundaries and consequently, risk perceptions. In a highly mass-mediated world, Saskatchewan firefighters received news of the Yarnell Hill Fire fatalities quickly. The news prompted them to consider themselves in the position of those who died. In trying to understand why the fatalities happened, Saskatchewan firefighters compared their own risk positions to those they associated with the dead. Regardless of the accuracy of their perceptions, they believed that their overall risk position was lower than that of their American counterparts. They thought, the difference in risk contributed to the fatalities. It seems the passage of time and the comparison of risk positions moderated firefighters' intense emotions related to the fatalities, providing firefighters some sense of security. This phenomenon might similarly occur for others in risk systems and could affect risk system performance across contexts.
- Subjects
SASKATCHEWAN; FIRE fighters; SOCIAL facts; WILDFIRE fighters
- Publication
Qualitative Sociology, 2023, Vol 46, Issue 3, p429
- ISSN
0162-0436
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11133-023-09540-y