Cultural Impact
On
Disaster Relief
New Jersey Preparedness Consortium (NJ-PTC), Funded by
the US Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
Jane Harkey, MSW, RNC
The Institute for Families, Continuing Education & Professional
Development Program, School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Building 4161,
Livingston Campus, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
732-445-3173 X160; (fax) 732-445-0580; jharkey@rci.rutgers.edu
Goals & Objectives
• Discuss the cultural composition of NJ
• Define Culture
• Identify at least 3 ways individuals within a
given cultural group may respond during a
disaster
• List at least 4 strategies to meet the needs
of various cultures in order to provide
disaster relief
NJ Quick Facts
• 4th smallest state in the US
• Most densely populated state in the US
• One of the most religiously and ethnically
diverse states in the US
NJ Ethnic Demographics
2006 US Census
Total Population – almost 9 million
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White – 76.4%
Black or African American – 14.5%
Hispanic or Latino – 15.6%
Asian – 7.4%
Other Races – 5.4%
Two or more Races – 1.3%
NJ Religious Diversity
• 2nd largest Jewish population by % in US
• 2nd largest Muslim (Islamic) population by
% in US
Culture
Learned and transmitted knowledge of
values, beliefs and lifeways of a particular
group that are generally transmitted
intergenerationally and influence thinking,
decisions and actions in patterned ways
Why Culture is Important in an
Emergency
• People prepare, respond, and recover from disaster
within the context of their culture.
• Culture offers a protective system that is both
comforting and reassuring.
• It defines appropriate behavior and furnishes a
support system, and identifies a shared vision for
recovery.
• Despite the strengths of culture, responses from
some groups may make them more vulnerable than
others.
Understand Audience Beliefs and Bias
• What cultural groups (ethnic, racial, and
religious) live in the community?
• Where do they live, and what are their special
needs?
• What are their values, beliefs, and primary
languages?
• Who are the cultural brokers in the community?
Important Considerations When Interacting
With People of Other Cultures
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Communication
Personal Space
Social Organization
Time
Environmental Control
Strategies to Meet the Needs of
Various Cultures
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Profile of area’s cultural composition
Alliances with leaders
Bilingual and bicultural staff
Dissemination of emergency information
Strategies to Meet the Needs of
Various Cultures (Con’t)
• Natural support networks
• Help-seeking behaviors, customs &
traditions
• Accessible, appropriate & equitable
services
• Cultural competence training
Engage Community
• What resources and supports would community
and cultural/ethnic groups provide during or
following a disaster?
• Who are the key informants/ gatekeepers of the
impacted community?
• Has a directory of cultural resource groups, natural
helpers, and community informants who have
knowledge about diverse groups been developed?
• Are the community partners involved in all phases
of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
operations?