N. Emel Ganapati

SHELTER RECOVERY IN URBAN HAITI AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE: The Dual Role of Social Capital

This paper documents the culture-specific understanding of social capital among Haitians and examines its benefits and downsides in post-disaster shelter recovery following the 12 January 2010 earthquake. The case study of shelter recovery processes in three socioeconomically diverse communities (Pétion-Ville, Delmas and Canapé Vert) in Port-au-Prince suggests that social capital plays dual roles in post-disaster shelter recovery of the displaced population in Haiti. On the one hand, it provides enhanced access to shelter-related resources for those with connections. On the other hand, it accentuates pre-existing inequalities or creates new inequalities among displaced Haitians. In some cases, such inequalities lead to tensions between the haves and have-nots and instigate violence among the displaced.

Downsides of Social Capital for Women During Disaster Recovery: Toward a More Critical Approach

This article examines the downsides of social capital (networks of citizens) for women affected by disasters, an issue little understood in the public administration literature. Studying this issue is important due to women’s unique vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of disasters. Based on the case study of the epicenter of the August 17, 1999, earthquake in Turkey (in-depth interviews, participatory site observation, a focus group, and review of secondary sources), this article suggests that despite its benefits, social capital has its downsides. It helps perpetuate gender-based assumptions and could put women in conflict with the state authorities.

Mother-Daughter Attachment and Drug Abuse among Latinas in the United States

Although the risks and protective processes influencing substance use behaviors of adult Latinos have been increasingly examined in the literature, substance abuse among adult Latinas remains a relatively understudied area. This study examined associations between mother-daughter attachment and substance abuse among 158 Latina mothers and their adult daughters (N = 316). Dyads of mothers and daughters were categorized into four groups: (a) mother/daughter both drug or alcohol abusers (Dyad 1), (b) mother abuser and daughter non-abuser (Dyad 2), (c) mother non-abuser and daughter abuser (Dyad 3), and (d) mother/daughter both non-abusers (Dyad 4). Dyad 1 participants reported lower levels of attachment to each other than all other types of dyads. Participants born in the U.S. reported more substance abuse than their non-U.S. born counterparts. Future longitudinal research is recommended to determine the presence of a mother-daughter attachment threshold that, if established early and maintained, may act as a protective mechanism against the intergenerational co-occurrence of substance abuse among adult Latinas.

Measuring the processes and outcomes of post-disaster housing recovery: lessons from Gölcük, Turkey

Despite a growing literature on post-disaster recovery, our understanding of how housing recovery is measured remains limited. This paper is a step in filling the gap in the literature by presenting an overview of how recovery organizations measured post-disaster permanent housing recovery in Gölcük, Turkey, following the August 17, 1999 earthquake. Based on in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and review of secondary sources, the paper highlights the limitations of measuring housing recovery as the number of permanent housing units built in a timely manner. It suggests that recovery organizations need to measure post-disaster housing recovery by developing context-specific, process- and outcome-oriented measures. In the case of Gölcük, process-oriented measures could have been related to the land appropriation, public participation processes, and inter-organizational collaboration while outcome-oriented measures could have been related to the level of satisfaction with homes built and equity among the housing beneficiaries.

Analysing Greek-Turkish disaster-related cooperation: A disaster diplomacy perspective

This article contributes to the disaster diplomacy literature in examining the conditions under which disasters can lead to long-term disaster-related collaboration (e.g. in disaster response, recovery or risk reduction) at both governmental and non-governmental level among states in conflict. In particular, the article focuses on the role of the 1999 earthquakes in enhancing such collaboration between Greece and Turkey over the past decade. While acknowledging the diversity and complexity of disaster diplomacy situations, the article suggests that disasters can lead to long-term disaster-related cooperation among states in conflict when: (1) one party providing disaster relief to another party is followed by a similar reciprocal gesture (i.e. tit-for-tat diplomacy); (2) there is a realization and acceptance that neighbours should come to each other’s assistance in times of disaster; and (3) there is an enabling broader context (e.g. a rapprochement process) conducive to sustaining the long-term cooperation.

Out of Sync: World Bank Funding for Housing Recovery, Postdisaster Planning, and Participation

AbstractThe World Bank is increasingly at the forefront of housing reconstruction in countries affected by disasters. Yet, the literature on the World Bank’s postdisaster housing projects is rather thin. This paper examines the postdisaster housing reconstruction processes of two disaster projects financed by the World Bank in India and Turkey following the 2001 Gujarat and 1999 Marmara earthquakes. Based on interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and a review of secondary sources, the authors focus on the Bank-related factors that affected the housing recovery processes and outcomes. While acknowledging the role of the recipient governments of India and Turkey in housing recovery, the authors argue that the housing reconstruction components of both projects reflected a sense of urgency about completion in part because of the Bank’s emergency recovery loan mechanism and measures of project success. In addition, the projects were not flexible enough to allow for addressing the challenges faced d...

Expecting the unexpected: field research in post-disaster settings

The purpose of this article was to examine field research after disasters by focusing on fieldwork challenges in post-disaster research settings. We describe and evaluate post-disaster fieldwork based on three separate research projects: A study of land use change adaptation strategies following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami; a study of long-term housing recovery following the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake in India; and a study of the role of social capital in shelter recovery following the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. The main findings of this study deal with some of the unique set of challenges that accompanies fieldwork in post-disaster settings. Our findings indicate six aspects that researchers might consider prior to undertaking fieldwork in a disaster setting: the critical role of language, logistics of transport and living accommodation, methodological matters, the researcher’s position in the field (i.e., gender, ethnicity), fieldwork blues and ethical concerns. Potential solutions to these challenges include understanding the target community prior to embarking on fieldwork, having flexibility in the field to deal with unexpected issues and problems, planning ahead for institutional review board approvals, forming research collaborations and having strategies in place to manage stress in the field.

Spatial Disparity of HIV/AIDS Service Providers: The Case of Miami-Dade County

This paper examines the spatial disparity between the HIV/AIDS service providers and the HIV/AIDS patients. The empirical focus is on Miami-Dade, a large metropolitan county in the United States with a Latino population majority and a high AIDS incidence rate. This exploratory study contributes to the existing literature on geographical access to health providers. Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to examine the spatial disparity between the service providers and the patients. The study reveals that aggregate-level analysis masks the reality of the spatial disparity. Miami Dade Countys Health Department focuses on aggregate zones for prioritizing its resources. At this level, there is little spatial disparity. However, evidence of spatial disparity emerges at the ZIP-code–level analysis. The major lesson from the study is that health policies need to be based on a finer-grained analysis to address spatial disparity.

Linking Development to Disasters in Turkey: Moving Forward After the Marmara Earthquake

This chapter presents the disaster management reforms that have been introduced after the Marmara earthquake in Turkey in the context of a development and disaster relationship. Defining development as a process of reducing vulnerability to disasters, the chapter focuses on several reforms that were initiated after the Marmara earthquake—both in terms of organizational structure and legislation. It suggests that the government of Turkey needs to put disasters back in national-level development plans, integrate social vulnerability to the national-level strategy on earthquakes and give a voice to local actors (e.g., local governments, community based organizations) for vulnerability reduction.

In their Own Words: Resilience among Haitian Survivors of the 2010 Earthquake.

Abstract:Social sciences literature highlights the importance of resilience in relation to risk and trauma. The 2010 Haitian earthquake compounded trauma for a nation that has endured slavery/despotic leadership, structural violence and poverty. Since 2010, various sources broadly describe Haitian survivors as resilient. We reviewed definitions of resilience published between 1990 and 2013, comparing them with perspectives of earthquake survivors from economically diverse communities in Haiti who, participated in semi-structured interviews (n=38) and in six focus groups (n=63) between 2010–2011. Haitian resilience accords with some definitions from the literature. It also comprises independent, discrete, and isolated contextual resignation and intentional choice to survive and function—when there is no alternative course of action. Understanding Haitian resilience, can inform health/mental health and policy interventions, if these are taken as cultural resources. Intervention efforts should incorporate survivors’ input as key informants on what constitute resilience and reconstruction goals for them.