Shipwrecks, Risk, and Social Constructions of Disaster, 1565–1761

Abstract

This paper considers shipwrecks as a form of disaster and studies historical shipwreck accounts to gain insights into social constructions of disaster. Theoretical debates address global inequalities in disaster experience, response, and research, and notably identify the concept of risk as a key to understanding social constructions of disaster. We analyze shipwrecks, a recurring but diverse risk, as a series of material and psychological stages that allow us to explore three facets of the social construction of shipwrecks. In the sixteenth century, Labrador whaling outfitters left shipwreck accounts that reveal how they converted the systemic risk of winter weather into an insurable natural hazard. In the seventeenth century, transatlantic fishermen blamed summer storms for their shipwreck losses, but also took responsibility as professionals for risk management and workplace security. In the eighteenth century, passengers’ accounts begin from an etic (observer) perspective and, at a certain stage of the shipwreck, shift to an emic (participant) perspective, enabling them to convert their experience into cultural capital within the emerging middle class. These facets of shipwreck accounts hold analogies for critical disaster studies, by revealing the role of social position in the perception, calculation, and cultural commodification of risk.