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Eric Klinenberg's Social Autopsy Of The 1995 Chicago Heat Wave

693 Words3 Pages

Introduction: Summer of 1995 the city of Chicago experienced a massive heat wave. For three days’ high humidity levels and soaring temperatures caused the city to endure the deadliest stretch of heat recorded. During the dramatic climate disaster vulnerable residents of low socioeconomic neighborhoods experienced power outages and significant water shortage. During this time city leaders, politicians, and local officials implemented no effective plan of action to secure the well-being of its citizens. When addressing the public’s concerns during the heat wave at a city hall press conference, Mayor Richard A. Daley simply stated “let’s not blow it out of proportion. Yes, we go to extremes in Chicago. And that’s why people love Chicago. We …show more content…

history (Angel, 2009). Description (Step 1): Eric Klinenberg’s social autopsy of the Chicago heat wave, aims to address the experienced controversial and ethical issues. Through his ethnographic study and unconventional approaches, Klinenberg adequately illustrates multi dimensions of the event. His case study further examines the outcomes of negligence, response failures, and addresses the disproportional ratio of deaths among the African American community. Klinenberg’s unique assessment also explores the media coverage of the event in addition to the unethical lack of support from politicians, public health officials and local emergency personnel. The thorough analyzation considers the components of geography, race and group disenfranchisement as continues attributes to isolation and discrimination even in the midst of a crisis. All of these highlighted factors in his case study attribute to the avoidable deaths in highly vulnerable communities. Ethical Evaluation: Specifications, Evaluation, Synthesis (Steps …show more content…

The study’s’ unfolded truths benefits public health professionals by allowing them to pinpoint errors and reevaluate approaches when protecting the people, especially underserved communities. The positive impact of Kleinberg’s work provides deprived communities with answers and explanations behind ineffective measures. The progression of this awareness and information empowers the vulnerable populations to demand overlooked essentials and pressure officials to do their part in the promotion of health for their communities. Possible alternatives in addressing the extreme climate was organizing well equipped shelters to low socioeconomic areas that lacked adequate air conditioning. in addition to lower transportation fees to these sanctuaries. Even the implementation of a temporary policy to force individuals to these shelters for their own protection would change the right of autonomy but provide a better outcome for community and their collective health. Overall the challenges and issues were ignored by several with no effective guidance from public health workers, police, medical community, or even local

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