Problem: Erikson's recent work on social disasters focuses on the consequences of what he calls "a new species of trouble" that is particularly common in urban industrial societies. The trouble may take the form of toxic spills, nuclear accidents, mercury poisoning, or many other disasters attributable to human negligence, greed, or combinations of both. The result is often an abrupt and shattering loss of community. Erikson and other sociologists who do similar research point out that disasters, especially those caused by negligence or criminal behavior of corporations, are not distributed randomly across societies. On the contrary, they occur with far greater frequency in low-income and minority communities because dangerous facilities, dump sites, and tank farms are often located on the boundaries of those communities. This ecological pattern has been labeled environmental racism. 4Erickson and other sociologists who study disasters hope that as a consequence of their research-and their successes in court-there will be more safeguards against negligence and more emphasis on anticipating the risks of natural disasters. In the near term, however, Erikson fears that the balance of power is shifting toward corporations and other powerful actors, to the disadvantage of the victims or potential victims of community disasters. Need Assignment Help?