5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Research on disasters in the Global South, including disaster risk reduction, tends contain well-rehearsed forms of labelling. The most common ones are the lack of funding and technically prepared professionals or scholars, the institutional weakness and unpreparedness, and weak policy planning or delivery capacity. Therefore, research and policy in disaster reduction and response in the Global South have been dominated by a subtle form of colonial cognitive capitalism. The ideas developed by decision-makers and scholars from the Global North still dominate the research and practice in the Global South. The session calls for first-hand research, projects, management and field practices from the Global South to contribute to a broader understanding of positive contributions made in the Global South. The session’s objective is to open up a space for reflection where the contours of what is generally defined as risk prevention or post-disasters reconstruction might resonate through the voices of those who are less heard. Contributions from women, young researchers, and those involved in social and cultural processes of resistance to financial and political powers are particularly welcome