Loading [MathJax]/jax/output/CommonHTML/jax.js
Skip main navigation

Cookies Notification

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. By continuing to browse the site, you consent to the use of our cookies. Learn More
×

System Upgrade on Tue, May 28th, 2024 at 2am (EDT)

Existing users will be able to log into the site and access content. However, E-commerce and registration of new users may not be available for up to 12 hours.
For online purchase, please visit us again. Contact us at customercare@wspc.com for any enquiries.

SEARCH GUIDE  Download Search Tip PDF File

  • articleNo Access

    POST-MACROECONOMICS: LESSONS FROM THE CRISIS AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AHEAD

    The global crisis has not invalidated everything about macroeconomics. However, it has highlighted some of mistakes of the discipline's dominant intellectual framework. Post-macroeconomic thinking recommended in this paper should not be understood as another metanarrative of the end of metanarratives. The use of the prefix post here suggests and emphasises much more than temporal posterity. Post-macroeconomics should follow from macroeconomics more than it follows after macroeconomics. The theorising of post-macroeconomics is therefore neither systematically oppositional, nor hegemonic. It does not advocate a "dialectic opposition" between macroeconomics and post-macroeconomics. Rather, it suggests that the latter builds on the former and goes beyond it.

  • articleOpen Access

    An Assessment of Resilience Capacities in Local Disaster Management: A Case Study of Tabriz, Iran

    Regarding the approach of reducing risks of settlements, a system is considered to be resilient if it can address temporary and permanent risks and adapt itself to rapidly changing conditions without losing its functionality. To this end, a dynamic management approach on a local scale is needed for realizing resilience. Due to the importance of local management in improving resilience in cities, this study aims to assess the resilience capacity of the local risk management in terms of exposure to various crises in Tabriz, Iran. The findings in this study show that integrity and coordination in decision- or policy-making, enhancement of organizational and local capacities, and confrontation or rehabilitation approaches in critical conditions and after that are not desirable in Tabriz. Also, the centralized and top-down approaches lead to no proper local planning and management that can facilitate the resilience measures. In light of no spatial equilibrium in Tabriz and the inefficiency of conventional planning and management systems, technocrat-oriented and top-down, changing the management practices and emphasizing the local and bottom-up approach are necessary for the thorough understanding of facilities and limitations and implementation of realistic planning.

  • articleOpen Access

    Ready.gov: Who’s Ready, Really? Examining Principles of Inclusivity and Universal Design in Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness Public Information Websites

    Nearly 20 years ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched Ready.gov, a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies such as natural and technological disasters. To date, little is known about the accessibility and adaptability of this information for vulnerable populations including persons with disabilities (PwDs) and those with limited English proficiency (LEP). This computer-automated analysis seeks (1) to determine the general web, mobile and language accessibility of state websites which extend and/or amplify the Ready.gov national campaign goals, (2) to evaluate the document accessibility of downloadable emergency preparedness information, and, based on findings, (3) reflect upon improvement opportunities for disaster and emergency management preparedness messaging processes to vulnerable populations. An exploratory, quantitative content analysis relying on computer-automated software is used to assess the web, language, mobile and document accessibility of Ready.gov state-affiliated websites dedicated to providing public information for emergency preparedness and disaster response. Additional factors such as the use of CAPTCHA, adherence to the Matterhorn Protocol, disclosure of accessibility policy statements, and the presence of tailored information are evaluated. No significant differences among FEMA regions were found. The most frequent errors were likely to impact the POUR dimensions of perceivability and operability. In all, 76% of the Ready.gov state-affiliated websites had WCAG Level AA detectable accessibility failures on the home pages. Furthermore, 62% of the sites offered translational language formats for LEP users, while only 6% (n=3) explicitly provided PwDs an option to report accessibility-related user experiences to the agency. Document accessibility was deemed to be poor with 80% of the websites disseminating downloadable .pdfs such as emergency planning guides and preparedness kits in inaccessible digital formats. These findings identify opportunities for improvement specifically, in the web, mobile and document accessibility of information associated with the Ready.gov national campaign. We argue that improvement and compliance is expected to reduce the likelihood of litigation, increase the resilience of vulnerable populations, and improve user experiences.