Are conflict situations such as the ethnic clashes in Yugoslavia or Rwanda, terrorist attacks and riots, the same kind of social crises as those generated by natural and technological happenings such as earthquakes and chemical explosions? Are they both disasters and what practical or theoretical difference does it make if the same label is applied or not applied in different situations? In What is a Disaster?, social science disaster researchers from six different disciplines advance their views on what a disaster is, giving reasons for taking different perspectives, and suggesting implications for taking one view over another. A reaction paper to each set of views is presented by an experienced disaster researcher; in turn, the original authors provide a response to what has been said. What is a disaster? sets out the huge conceptual differences that exist concerning what a disaster is, and presents important implications for both theory, study and practice. Some argue for a continuation of the traditional approach to disasters where knowledge about social behaviour is sought through an objective scientific framework, others using a postmodernist framework contend that behavioural aspects of disasters can only be understood by looking at them subjectively, particularly from the viewpoint of victims. Wolf Dombrowsky, Christian Albrechts University, Germany, Russell Dynes, University of Delaware, USA, Claude Gilbert, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble, Franc