Categories: just-for-fun, radio
Date: 28 January 2009 08:38:05
A fascinating [to me] radio interview on whether social norms and altriusm holds in high-pressure situations, with a look at the Titanic in particular. A number of news articles, such as this was one from The Sydney Morning Herald.
More women and children were saved than men, which seems reasonable and proper. Crew were more likely to survive, due to their familiarity with the ship and their knowledge. Being a man in First and Second Class also helped you to survive, those in First Class having 40% more chance of survival [women were saved regardless of class].
Interestingly, if you were English you were 7% more likely to perish whereas if you were American you were 8-9% more likely to survive; however if you were Swedish or Irish [the other two largest cultural groups] your chances did not change. No-one can definitely say why, but perhaps given norms at the time this was due to the British queueing and having ideals shaped by the Edwardian era they were in.
Interesting to ponder.