THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF CRISIS MAPPERS
Time and Crisis Mapping: Tools, Analytics and Data Collection
As part of my reflecting on the FABULOUS meeting of minds over the past three days in Cleveland-- -(once again big THANK YOU's to Patrick, Jen and the entire team for a superb organizing job) I keep coming back to the role that "time" plays in the discussion.
So am putting out there a few ideas that I'd like to see "bandied about".
The main idea that I am thinking about is that "time" is a social construct. That is, humans "live" time with respect to interactions between themselves---both as individuals as well as a member of a group---and their environment. Time is then a descriptive variable that is used by member of a group (family, tribe, clan, community, municipality, nation) to give meaning to experience.
When events are "quick" and the implications for action are immediate---then some cultures label that as "crisis" (ie. "life and death"). When events are paced in an "accepted" manner (that is paced according to social norms of action that maintain health and well being of individuals and cultures) then time is labelled as "normal".
The question for those of us who are field practitioners and pragmatic researchers is to understand "time" with respect to social action so that we know what "methods", "techniques", and "tools" are the most appropriate for us to use so that we can understand what is going on, make decisions---and ultimately, hopefully, "help".
As the focus of the conference was on "crisis mapping" I thought it would be helpful to have a visual example to help illustrate what I mean.
So I am putting up a little diagram that seeks to show time as a variable that is best measured along a continuum. This continuum is also related to a continuum of "social action"----from crisis related actions to development related actions. (ie., recovery and humanitarian assistance) that taken together (perception of time and type of social) will help us understand what kind of "methods", techniques" "tools" etc. are needed to
support analysis and synthesis----needed for solutions and response.
As this is the very beginning of a conversation, I'd really like feedback, additions, examples etc.-----and ultimately would like to use this as the beginning of a "taxonomy" that can help us define what we mean by "crisis mapping" and all the related "visual" work...
So am putting out there a few ideas that I'd like to see "bandied about".
The main idea that I am thinking about is that "time" is a social construct. That is, humans "live" time with respect to interactions between themselves---both as individuals as well as a member of a group---and their environment. Time is then a descriptive variable that is used by member of a group (family, tribe, clan, community, municipality, nation) to give meaning to experience.
When events are "quick" and the implications for action are immediate---then some cultures label that as "crisis" (ie. "life and death"). When events are paced in an "accepted" manner (that is paced according to social norms of action that maintain health and well being of individuals and cultures) then time is labelled as "normal".
The question for those of us who are field practitioners and pragmatic researchers is to understand "time" with respect to social action so that we know what "methods", "techniques", and "tools" are the most appropriate for us to use so that we can understand what is going on, make decisions---and ultimately, hopefully, "help".
As the focus of the conference was on "crisis mapping" I thought it would be helpful to have a visual example to help illustrate what I mean.
So I am putting up a little diagram that seeks to show time as a variable that is best measured along a continuum. This continuum is also related to a continuum of "social action"----from crisis related actions to development related actions. (ie., recovery and humanitarian assistance) that taken together (perception of time and type of social) will help us understand what kind of "methods", techniques" "tools" etc. are needed to
support analysis and synthesis----needed for solutions and response.
As this is the very beginning of a conversation, I'd really like feedback, additions, examples etc.-----and ultimately would like to use this as the beginning of a "taxonomy" that can help us define what we mean by "crisis mapping" and all the related "visual" work...
Tags: and, assistance, change, crisis, development, methods, of, perceptions, social, theories
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Perceptions of time flow.ppt, 254 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adeel Khamisa on -
It's good to hear someone speak of the relative nature of time within a social context. I think one thing your going to find is that as technology affords action to occur in a faster manner, the relative measure between "crisis" , and let's say an "equilibrium" is going to shift.
We see an example of this in emergency response times where, so to speak "every minute", counts for patients such as hear attack victims. The approach medical technology is trying to take is extending every minute by slowing the body's clock down; the same cycles occur within a slower period of time.
I think crises are going to experience a similar phenomena on a much larger scale as technologies allow events such as genocides and what not to be observed in real time (see some of the projects submitted for Project10tothe100). Simply this means the moment between action and reaction decreases; the relative measure of crisis based on the temporal aspect will decrease.
If you're looking for additional theory in the social aspect and construction of time give David Harvey's "The Condition of Postmodernity" a read. Although the whole book is insightful, Part III "the experience of time and space" does a great job of explaining the influence on technology and the perception of time.
Note: My underlying assumption is that method and practice in fields such as crisis mapping will eventually be embodied in a form of technology where possible. Just give it some time.
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