From Aberfan to the ‘Canvey Factor’: schools, children and industrial disasters
Article
Preston, J. 2014. From Aberfan to the ‘Canvey Factor’: schools, children and industrial disasters. British Journal of Sociology of Education. 37 (4), pp. 607-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2014.961596
Authors | Preston, J. |
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Abstract | Children, and schools, are potent symbols of victimhood in industrial disasters. In the case of historical industrial disasters such as Aberfan and Flixborough, and in terms of preparation for future industrial disasters under Control of Major Accident Hazard regulations, communities are seen as passive responders to accidents. Moreover, following industrial accidents, communities are frequently accused of culpability or profiting from the disaster. There is hence a double pathologisation in play, with communities seen as comprising passive victims and manipulative survivors. Using an historical approach, the official accounts of the Aberfan and Flixborough industrial accidents are challenged with a focus on schools and children. Rather than being passive victims of these accidents, schools and children demonstrated agency in terms of their tacit knowledge, reporting potential accidents and recording their consequences. This provides a lens through which to interrogate current policy on industrial safety as it relates to schools and communities. |
Keywords | schools; disasters; agency; class; race; archives |
Journal | British Journal of Sociology of Education |
Journal citation | 37 (4), pp. 607-622 |
Year | 2014 |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Accepted author manuscript | License CC BY-ND |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2014.961596 |
Web address (URL) | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01425692.2014.961596 |
Publication dates | |
28 Oct 2014 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 09 Sep 2014 |
Accepted | 05 Aug 2014 |
Funder | Economic and Social Research Council |
Copyright information | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article accepted for publication in British Journal of Sociology of Education, to be made available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01425692.2014.961596 |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/8588z
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