The use of a crossculturally valid level of living scale for measuring the social and economic effects of earthquakes and other disaster and for measuring progress in recovery and reconstruction as illustrated by the case of the Guatemalan earthquake of 1976

ABSTRACT

This discussion illustrates the utility of a level of living scale for measuring the impact of a disaster and for monitoring the recoveryprocess. Future scale designed specifically tobe cost weigthted can easily employ a different set of items more reflective of the cost of maintaining a given level of living. It is believed, however, that the work in Guatemala demonstrates the utility of using such scales as a maens of obtaining reliable measures of disasters impact and recovery. Belcher has demonstrated in his work that these scales have cross-cultural relevance (AU)