The book "The Social Construction of Disaster in Turkey: The Sociology of Earthquakes in Turkey," edited by Prof. Dr. Ulaş Sunata, Founding Director of Bahçeşehir University Migration and Urban Studies Research and Application Center (BAUMUS), and published by Nika Publishing, is now available to readers.
Edited by Prof. Dr. Ulaş Sunata, the book was published by Nika Publishing in January 2024 and has already made its way to the shelves. More than just highlighting the collective academic collaboration that brought together sociologists, urban planners, architects, civil engineers, political scientists, public administrators, civil society actors, journalists, and search and rescue teams after the February 6 earthquake, the book provides a sociological perspective on earthquakes in Turkey. It examines the social fault lines of disasters through concepts such as culture, politics, the relationship between disaster and catastrophe, risk, danger, vulnerability, space, urban planning, migration, construction and zoning policies, volunteerism, and solidarity.
Additionally, the book emphasizes the connection between buildings and people, stating:
"To understand an earthquake, one must, of course, understand the land—but more importantly, the buildings on it. Understanding a building is only possible by understanding people. The people who construct the buildings, conduct the measurements, grant the zoning permits, and live inside them are all human. And when an earthquake strikes, those trapped under the rubble are also human. The first responders, those who display altruism, and those who stand out for their selfishness—all are human. Though humans may not cause the ground to shake, they are the ones who turn an earthquake into a disaster."
Consisting of six main sections, the book expands and details these sections with subtopics, offering readers an in-depth analysis of earthquake sociology in Turkey. It also examines earthquakes from multiple perspectives, including migration, justice, and urban planning.
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