2004 Tsunami Effects, Essay Example

The tsunami that swept through various communities in Asia on December 26, 2004 drastically affected thousands of inhabitants. From ravaged homes to deaths, residents and visitors of destroyed areas suffered tremendous loss. Although everyone in the Tsunami suffered detrimental effects after enduring one of the worst storms in history, some were forced to deal with more worse conditions than others. In particular, farmers in India and Thailand experienced more loss than individuals residing in the Indonesian province of Aceh. When considering social class in relation to the 2004 Tsunami it is best to use the conflict theory to analyze the effects of the disaster.

Created by Karl Marx, the conflict theory is a perspective of sociology that places an emphasis of the social, political, and material inequality of a group of people. Whereas speculation that underpaid women in Czechoslovakia are given less because of gender differences is an example of the conflict theory at work, posing that such women are not given equal pay because of weather conditions that prevent them from working everyday is not an example of the perspective. Many sociologists use the conflict theory when describing the disproportionate distribution of wealth in Third World nations.

Although wealth or wages is not an initial concern when discussing the 2004 Tsunami, the fact that the working classes in India and Thailand suffered more detrimental effects than businessmen in Indonesia raises speculation about the storm aftermath. According to an essay written by four scholars,

“The greatest damage was suffered by the fishing industry. A large number of boats were damaged or lost. A large part of the coastal population depends on fishing and other allied industries for its livelihood. Most of the fishermen in affected areas lost fishing nets. For some time after the tsunami, the fishermen were advised to avoid fishing until the sea had stabilized. The few fish that were caught did not find buyers, because there was fear that the fish had become poisoned” (Sheth, Sanyal, Jaiswal, and Gandhi 37).

In the midst of trying to recover losses and rebuild many fishermen were hindered. Such individuals were ultimately forced to either find another occupation or wait one year after the storm to begin selling again.

On the contrary to what fisherman in India experienced, residents of the wealthier Aceh were able to return to their occupations less than three months after the storm. In February 2005 BBC News reported,

“Thousands of people in Aceh still remain dependent on outside aid. But amid the despair, there are signs the region is beginning to rebuild…Despite the devastation, some businesses are now gradually reopening, and hotels and cafes are bringing in revenue by catering for foreign aid workers” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4274747.stm).

While it can easily be argued that fishermen were affected more than residents in Aceh because the storm came off the water, such claim does not explain why individuals within the working class who suffered more devastation from the storm were not given more aid than those who lived and worked farther from the sea.

Although more insight into the 2004 Tsunami effects is needed to establish a professional conclusion, the conflict theorists could speculate that aid was given according to social class standing. Whereas individuals with businesses and other forms of wealth were provided the first and best assistance that the government had to offer, persons who did not have significant social standing were given what was leftover. Such dispensation essentially left the fishermen of India and Thailand in need but afforded business professionals in Aceh the opportunity to rebuild at a rapid pace.

Works Cited

BBC News. “Overview: Aceh after the tsunami.” Web. 18 February 2005. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4274747.stm>

Sheth, Alpha; Sanyal, Snigda; Jaiswal, Arvind; Gandhi, Prathibha. “Effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on the Indian Mainland.” Web. 4 March 2012. <http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/RP/2006_Effect_EQSpectra.pdf>