Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
DOI
10.70013/z4l8xj7
Degree Name
D.S.W. Social work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Dr. Juliana Svistova
Second Advisor
Dr. Janice Gasker
Third Advisor
Dr. Keith Massie
Abstract
This work presents a comprehensive study of the disaster discourses generated by key social media user groups in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria, the third most destructive hurricane in American history, resulted in billions of dollars in damage and the loss of nearly 3,000 lives. Disasters result in widespread geophysical impacts as well as social, political, and economic upheavals for individuals, families, communities, and nation-states in the storm’s wake. The discourses that emerge on social media are significant in how they frame public narratives in the aftermath of disaster. The social construction of disaster points to the contested nature of these frames as they vie for dominance in the public sphere, including social media communicative spaces. The literature suggests that there are numerous key interpretive communities and narratives present at any given time. The current study explores six of these communities (individuals, government, military, media, nonprofits, and others) and their corresponding disaster narratives as communicated via Twitter. By utilizing a social constructionist/critical theoretical framework, the prevalent frames embedded in the disaster discourses are identified. These frames include the political frame, destruction frame, victim/hero frame, military/humanitarian aid frame, and counter-narratives.
Recommended Citation
Fogarty, Barbe A., ""We Are Forgotten." Framing Disaster via Twitter in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria: Implications for Social Work Policy Practice" (2020). Social Work Doctoral Dissertations. 11.
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/socialworkdissertations/11
