| In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grassroots environmental movement brought national attention to the issues related to inequities in environmental quality. Previous research addressing these environmental inequities has progressively increased and advanced methodologically. However, the arguments and focus have been primarily limited to examining the socio-demographics in an ongoing debate of race and class. This thesis extends past the methodological stalemate focusing on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using survey data in an environmental justice case study of a community in south Florida. This approach examines the social, health and environmental impacts of a Superfund site on a low income, minority community. Using geo-coded survey (N = 223) and environmental data (ash deposition patterns), this thesis employs path analysis to test the hypothesis that "exposure matters." The "exposure matters" hypothesis suggests exposure (perceived, self-reported and actual) is a significant predictor of physical and psychological health. Results discuss significant findings, and then compare them with previous disaster and trauma-related research and present directions for future research. |
