ABSTRACT
Everyone is familiar with the critical reactions to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, whether related to the slow response of the U.S. government to life/death circumstances; the racism, classism, and sexism that have been evident in recovery plans; or recent colonialist discourses that characterize a diverse city like New Orleans as a den of violence (Denzin, 2007; Giardina & Hess, 2007; Kellner, 2007; Troutt, 2007). “Saviors” have traveled to disaster locations around the United States to sell manufactured housing, corporatize public schools in the name of recovery and achievement, or study the “psychological effects” of disaster experiences. Further, as various stakeholders and others interact within a context that fosters the fusion of physical/emotional survival with corporatization/profiteering, the dire circumstance can result in the shifting of power that is irregular, constant, and unpredictable.
