Understanding the impacts of post-disaster relocation on family dynamics and resilience

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to arrive at a conceptual roadmap that may be used to analyze the impacts of post-disaster relocation on a family’s dynamics and how this, in turn, affects their resilience to future disasters. Existing literature shows that the role of the family as a social unit is often overlooked in disaster research. Ultimately, this paper seeks to elevate the place of the family and its internal dynamics as a vital determinant of family resilience in a post-disaster relocation setting. Design/methodology/approach The study is a result of a systematic literature review of four interrelated topics, namely, families in disasters; post-disaster relocation; disaster resilience and family resilience. Findings The literature review resulted in an exploration of the experiences of families amidst post-disaster relocation. Such findings were linked towards potential impacts on family dynamics, which then resulted in the study’s proposed roadmap. Originality/value The study is a novel attempt at coming up with a conceptual framework that may guide future scholars in determining the effects of family dynamics on a family’s overall disaster resilience amid post-disaster relocation. It is hoped that the use of such a framework will guide policymakers in crafting institutional reforms that take into account family cohesion in disaster relocation efforts.

Postdisaster relocation and its impacts on family dynamics: a case study of typhoon Ketsana relocation in the Philippines

“…These underlying experiences went to deeply influence the seven major changes observed within the families following postdisaster relocation, as was earlier proposed by Samonte (2021): family composition and structure; members’ roles; parenting; parents’ marital relationship; familial relationship; family member’s personalities; and death and disabilities. …”

“…This paper sought to interrogate how postdisaster relocation impacts family dynamics and cohesion and ultimately supported Samonte’s (2021) earlier work suggesting that the experience of disaster and the consequent mobility that results from it alter family dynamics in least seven ways: family composition and structure; members’ roles; parenting; parents’ marital relationship; familial relationship; family member’s personalities; and death and disabilities. …”