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The social response to the wildfire disaster
Climate change will make wildfires more frequent and easier to occur as the temperature continues to increase. Everyone is affected by wildfire smoke, but not everyone suffers equally. If people do not have the education and knowledge they will not have the resources to save themselves. Unless there are dramatic changes made to the way our culture operates, we will continue to have more fatalities causing increasing issues of inequality. People with lower socioeconomic status tend to suffer more from the effects of climate change and wildfires than people who have more Social Cohesion.
Social Cohesion is the glue that provides a structure in society. A structure can be created through religion, institutions, or social groups. According to Lewis Coser, where there is cohesion there are bound to be conflicts. These conflicts can disrupt the flow of energy within structural situations. Conflict can also reinforce the camaraderie and connection between the individuals in the group. The closer individuals are within their social structure, the less likely there are to be social conflicts. This is because people who are close to one another tend to avoid situations of conflict. However, when conflicts do occur and arise, individuals who are very close to one another do not know how to confront and deal with them. They do not have a history of dealing with conflict, this conflict can become uncomfortable and tug at the structure of one’s social circle. Coser argued that conflicts are helpful for having a healthy relationship and being able to grow together as a group. Conflicts can strengthen and provide clarity in understanding one another better. It can help to patch up obstacles and learn how to move on for the better. This can result in amending rules within social structures creating an even stronger cohesion than before the conflict.
Social structures have their downside too. They have the potential of creating systems where people feel that they are “insiders” in their social structure and those who are not a part of their circle are “outsiders.” This sort of cohesion can also result in a social structure where segregating people according to their race or class becomes the norm. These kinds of systems can have detrimental effects on people of lower socioeconomic status who have no control over what they are being excluded. This has happened in the past with redlining and blockbusting in real estate where people didn’t want people of color living among them.
Robert Merton writes that there are “unintended consequences” for people and governments, these “unintended” effects are bound to occur. Merton speaks about knowledge (knowledge can refer to scholarly knowledge or learned skills such as language or music) and how it can leave an effect on people who do not fit into various social structures. People from different socioeconomic backgrounds have different access to society. Someone who speaks many languages and is a musician is more likely to be hired as a teacher than someone whose dream was to be a teacher but is also an immigrant. The immigrant is more likely to get a blue-collar job and struggle to make ends meet with earning a minimum wage. Sometimes people are not aware of the opportunity to expand their knowledge. This can occur if someone speaks another language and isn’t able to access the resources they need to escape from a wildfire. An individual who lacks social intelligence to successfully thrive in their surroundings can be debilitating for someone who speaks a different language and may have different social customs than the people around them.
The current wildfires in the west of the United States are having detrimental effects on life and wildlife there. These ramifications are even worse for people of lower socioeconomic status. People with fewer resources are more likely to be segregated in areas where there are unhealthy levels of air pollution from factories which puts them at a greater risk of developing health problems. People living in dense numbers in cities around the world are a consequence of industrial civilization. This is the kind of condition where disease thrives.
There are Farmers who live in rural areas and survive in low-income housing who are facing these hazards on a daily basis with no option but to remain there. The air quality in the fields is hazardous but they need to work to support themselves and their family. They do not have the funds to move elsewhere. Health concerns such as asthma, lung disease, and heart disease are exacerbated by the smoke from the fires. In these small towns, there are not always enough local firehouse resources to tend to all the fires in the area. In more affluent areas in the West, people have their belongings packed up and ready to go in case they have to evacuate in a moment’s notice. People with lower incomes are stuck with a lack of options.
The wildfires could worsen existing gaps between people. It is essential to recognize and respond to the disasters addressing everyone’s needs whether rich or poor, healthy or sick. We need to ensure that all Americans have access to safe housing, healthy lifestyles, and good education. The problems going on now needs political engagement. In a time of crisis, it is time to band together and organize. Getting through these crises will take community engagement and collaborative work to change the fundamental structures of these problems. We can look at the mistakes we have made in the past and learn to do better. We need to dismantle the systems we have and create more reforms in the system even if it’s in small ways. In the moment of a crisis, it is the time to think big and how to fundamentally transform these issues in society. It is imperative that we work on these issues like climate change and inequality continue to wreak havoc on so many.
