The effect of race and ethnicity on perception of risk

The same study is also informative on the effect of race and ethnicity on risk perception. Although there are studies that demonstrated that racial and ethnic minorities express higher level of perceived risk from both technological (e.g. Vaughan & Nordenstam, 1991) and natural disasters (e.g. Major, 1999), bearing in mind results from the study of Flynn and colleagues (Flynn et al., 1994), we might conclude that the increased level of risk perception found in minorities is, in fact, the consequence of perceived vulnerability.

Note: See source document for full reference.

Cultural Factors: Ethnicity

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens

Recommendations:

• Develop guidelines for disaster practitioners that take into consideration the different needs of and approaches to different ethnical groups
• Develop risk assessments methodologies, which consider cultural factors, the manner in which people cognitively process information and which employ a gender perspective