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George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conflict Analysis and Resolution

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George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conflict Analysis and Resolution SEVEN DAYS in the CRESCENT CITY KATRINA'S HANDLERS, CRISIS DISCOURSE, and STORY LINES by Cynthia S. Mazur A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conflict Analysis and Resolution Committee: Marc Gopin, Chair ofCommittee Daniel Rothbart Hugh Gusterson Sandra Cheldelin, Graduate Program Coordinator 0\\ Andrea Bartoli, Director, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Date: rn ctvC h 3D) (1_0' \ Spring Semester 2011 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Seven Days In The Crescent City Katrina’s Handlers, Crisis Discourse, And Story Lines A dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at George Mason University By Cynthia S. Mazur Master of Laws Georgetown University Law Center, 1991 Juris Doctor Syracuse University School of Law, 1986 Masters of Divinity Princeton Theological Seminary, 1980 Bachelor of Arts Hartwick College, 1976 Director: Marc Gopin, Professor Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Spring Semester 2011 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Copyright: 2011 Cynthia S. Mazur All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my Beloved Parents, June and Chet Mazur, and Ken Kuntz, my best friend and the joy of my life. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my Committee Chair, Dr. Marc Gopin, and the Committee Members, Drs. Daniel Rothbart and Hugh Gusterson. They have all taught me a great deal, been very helpful and patient, and pushed me to be a deeper thinker. Many people brought accuracy and clarity to this work including William Lokey, Michael Hirsch, William Cumming, and Kathleen Carter. People gave generously of their time and advice, such as Dolph Diemont, Mike Herman, Frances Omori, Gretchen Reynolds, Terrence Lyons, Chris Mazur, Julie Shed, and Mark Whitney. Others did more to help than they will ever know, especially Karen Marsh, Judy Cohen, Ruth Shinn, Dean Pruitt, Alex Mazur, John Windmueller, and friends at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in D.C. I want to thank Ken Kuntz for building me a study, buying me filing cabinets, and hanging up maps. Finally, this dissertation project began with the tremendous support and insight of the late Dr. Wallace Warfield. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... viii I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 A. Prologue .................................................................................................................... 1 B. Research Questions and Brief Overview .................................................................. 7 C. Research Methodology .............................................................................................. 9 D. The Crisis Period and Key Parties .......................................................................... 10 E. Future Disasters ....................................................................................................... 11 F. Conflict Management Linkage to Emergency Management ................................... 13 G. Positioning Theory as an Epistemological Tool ..................................................... 15 H. Positioning Is Revealed through Discourse ............................................................ 21 I. Using Positioning Theory to Advance Conflict Analysis and Resolution .............. 23 J. Background ............................................................................................................. 24 K. The Way Forward ................................................................................................... 62 II. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 65 A. Grounded Theory .................................................................................................... 65 B. Discourse Is Nested in Narrative Analysis .............................................................. 67 C. Research Data .......................................................................................................... 70 III. RESEARCH QUESTION ONE: HOW DID THE SPEECH ACTS AMONG GOVERNOR BLANCO, MAYOR NAGIN, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EVINCE A SOCIAL POSITIONING SYSTEM THAT UNDERCUT THE INITIAL HURRICANE KATRINA RESPONSE? ......................................................................... 72 A. Warnings ................................................................................................................. 72 B. Assurances and Affirmative Positioning ................................................................. 74 C. Disruptions .............................................................................................................. 76 D. The Fog of Conversation ...................................................................................... 113 IV. RESEARCH QUESTION TWO: DOES THE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT LITERATURE OFFER RELEVANT MODELS FOR DECREASING CONFLICT AND INCREASING UNDERSTANDING? ........................................................................... 117 A. Gopin ..................................................................................................................... 117 B. Lederach ................................................................................................................ 118 C. LeBaron ................................................................................................................. 119 v D. Hicks ..................................................................................................................... 120 V. RESEARCH QUESTION THREE: HOW COULD A CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL INTERVENE TO SHIFT POSITIONING SYSTEMS AND PROMOTE A MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE? ..................................................................................... 122 A. How Should the Ombuds Position Her/Himself? ................................................. 124 B. Assume the Role of the Principal Federal Official ............................................... 168 C. Possible Contenders .............................................................................................. 175 D. Fill the Void .......................................................................................................... 179 VI. LIMITATIONS........................................................................................................ 185 VII. BROADER IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................ 190 A. Next Steps ............................................................................................................. 190 B. What’s Next for New Orleans? ............................................................................. 191 VIII. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 193 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 200 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1 Civil Defense Symbol......................................................................................... 11 Figure 2 Positioning Triad. ............................................................................................... 17 Figure 3 New York Daily News Feb. 15, 2006 ............................................................... 48 Figure 4 Photo of G. W. Bush Fly-over on Wednesday August 31 ................................. 55 Figure 5 Narrative Inquiry Space ...................................................................................... 69 Figure 6 Float from 2006 Mardi Gras .............................................................................. 99 Figure 7 Pictures of Katrina Coverage ........................................................................... 105 Figure 8 Float from 2006 Mardi Gras ............................................................................ 110 Figure 9 Float from 2006 Mardis Gras--Brown's Out to Dinner .................................... 111 Figure 10 New Orleans’ Flooded Buses ........................................................................ 122 Figure 11 Float from 2006 Mardi Gras .......................................................................... 144 Figure 12 Joint Field Office. .......................................................................................... 170 Figure 13 New Orleans Flood Depth Map ...................................................................... 197 Figure 14 New Orleans Neighborhoods ......................................................................... 198 vii ABSTRACT SEVEN DAYS IN THE CRESCENT CITY KATRINA’S HANDLERS, CRISIS DISCOURSE, AND STORY LINES Cynthia S. Mazur, Ph.D. George Mason University, 2011 Dissertation Director: Dr. Marc Gopin Hurricane Katrina is one of the most important events of our lifetime. The issues raised by the response to Hurricane Katrina, stated one congressional committee, could not be more critical to America’s sense of itself in this moment in history. Some even assert that Hurricane Katina is a harbinger of America’s
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