1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910557301803321

Autore

Shepherd Dean A.

Titolo

Spontaneous venturing : an entrepreneurial approach to alleviating suffering in the aftermath of a disaster / / Dean A. Shepherd and Trenton A. Williams

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge, : The MIT Press, 2018

Cambridge : , : MIT Press, , 2018

ISBN

0-262-34960-4

0-262-34959-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (249 pages)

Collana

The MIT Press

Disciplina

363.34/8

Soggetti

Disaster relief

Social entrepreneurship

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction -- Disaster and suffering -- Limitations of command-and-control disaster response -- Spontaneous venturing to organize compassion in the aftermath of a disaster -- Spontaneous ventures brokering to alleviate suffering -- Self-help by spontaneously venturing to help others -- A focus on building better resilience rather than providing sustenance: venturing to alleviate suffering in a least developed country.

Sommario/riassunto

Identifying a new approach to disaster response: spontaneous, compassionate, and impromptu actions to alleviate suffering. In Spontaneous Venturing , Dean Shepherd and Trenton Williams identify and describe a new approach for responding to disaster and suffering: the local organizing of spontaneous, compassionate, and impromptu actions -- the rapid emergence of a compassionate venture. This approach, termed by the authors "spontaneous venturing," can be more effective than the traditional "command-and-control" methods of large disaster relief organizations. It can customize and target resources and deliver them quickly, helping victims almost immediately. For example, during the catastrophic 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Australia -- the focal disaster for the book -- residents organized an impromptu relief



center that collected and distributed urgently needed goods without red tape. Special bonds and friendships formed among the volunteers and victims; some were both volunteer and victim. Many victims were able to mobilize resources despite considerable personal losses. Shepherd and Williams describe the lasting impact of disaster and tell the stories of Victoria residents who organized in the aftermath of the bushfires. They consider the limitations of traditional disaster relief efforts and explain that when victims take action to help others, they develop behavioral, emotional, and assumptive resilience; venturing leads to social interaction, community connections, and other positive outcomes. Finally, they explore spontaneous venturing in a less-developed country, investigating the activities of Haitians after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The lesson for communities hit by disaster: find opportunities for compassionate action.