ABSTRACT
This chapter defines and examines sources of social change and empowerment, and addresses how disasters can influence social change. The chapter also discusses the impacts of several disaster events-the September 11th, 2001, bombings in the United States, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in India, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti-to highlight the challenges and impediments to empowerment and social change faced by disadvantaged communities. Each case study emphasizes the unique roles played by nongovernmental and community-based organizations in helping such communities overcome these challenges while bringing about social change at the grassroots level.
