Navigating ‘riskscapes’: The experiences of international health care workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa

TY - JOUR

T1 - Navigating ‘riskscapes’

T2 - The experiences of international health care workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa

AU - Gee, Stephanie

AU - Skovdal, Morten

PY - 2017/5/1

Y1 - 2017/5/1

N2 - This paper draws on interview data to examine how international health care workers navigated risk during the unprecedented Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It identifies the importance of place in risk perception, including how different spatial localities give rise to different feelings of threat or safety, some from the construction of physical boundaries, and others mediated through aspects of social relations, such as trust, communication and team dynamics. Referring to these spatial localities as ‘riskscapes’, the paper calls for greater recognition of the role of place in understanding risk perception, and how people navigate risk.

AB - This paper draws on interview data to examine how international health care workers navigated risk during the unprecedented Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It identifies the importance of place in risk perception, including how different spatial localities give rise to different feelings of threat or safety, some from the construction of physical boundaries, and others mediated through aspects of social relations, such as trust, communication and team dynamics. Referring to these spatial localities as ‘riskscapes’, the paper calls for greater recognition of the role of place in understanding risk perception, and how people navigate risk.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - Ebola

KW - Risk

KW - Health worker

U2 - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.03.016

DO - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.03.016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28391128

SN - 1353-8292

VL - 45

SP - 173

EP - 180

JO - Health & Place

JF - Health & Place

ER -