Description: Charles Fritz (1961) once noted that disasters are natural
laboratories for studying underlying social processes. In
September of 1989, Hurricane Hugo swept upon the South Carolina
coast, creating havoc for many who lived there. Following the
devastation of that storm, many groups organized themselves around
what they saw as significant problems produced by or aggravated by
the storm. The purpose of this paper is to look at how certain
groups came to define and own particular social problems and what
the consequences of those definitions have been for action. More
specifically, it argues that those groups who are in positions
which are more visible and powerful are able to define, describe,
and own social problems in ways convenient to their interests,
goals, and/or underlying organizing ideologies.
