Investigating the participation strategies of popular organizations in natural disaster management: A qualitative analysis of research over the last three decades in Iran.

Document Type : researcher

Authors
hoda emami 1
Ismail Aalizad 2
Saideh Amini 3
1 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences ALLAMEH Tabataba'i University , Tehran, Iran
2 Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba 'i University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/scm.2025.549575.1954
Abstract
Social participation is defined as a conscious, voluntary, and purposeful process, meaning the active and influential presence of individuals and institutions in the sphere of collective life. This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the participation strategies of public and social organizations in disaster management resulting from natural hazards over the past three decades. The method of this study is the qualitative content analysis of texts and previous research in this field.



Despite the existence of numerous studies in the field of disaster management and social institutions, a clear research gap is felt in the systematic literature on the subject and the presentation of a comprehensive strategic model. The research findings indicate the extraction of fourteen main themes, which were categorized into three phases of disaster management:



In the pre-crisis phase: Creating spiritual values, cultural education, theoretical participation, practical participation, and the development of social and cultural capital.



In the during-crisis phase: Establishing effective communications, providing social work and rehabilitation services, mobilizing social participation, identifying demographic variables, supplying human resources, and ensuring security and basic needs.



In the post-crisis phase: Documentation and collection of collective memories, utilizing mass media and social networks, and reconstructing social identity.



The findings show that social organizations, focusing on these strategies, can play a vital role in enhancing community resilience and the effective management of all stages of a crisis.
Keywords
Social participation
popular organizations
crisis management
natural disasters
qualitative content analysis
Subjects
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Society Culture Media
Volume 14, Issue 57
Winter 2026
Pages 11-56

  • Receive Date 27 September 2025
  • Revise Date 28 September 2025
  • Accept Date 01 October 2025