Gender & Parenting Post-Katrina
8/31/09
Project Description:
The findings summarized below come from a study of families conducted over a two-and-a-half year period following Hurricane Katrina. The researchers conducted interviews with 32 children and 64 adults. The adult sample included mothers and fathers of diverse marital status, extended family members, and others who worked closely with families after the storm. Research focused on three aspects of the post-disaster parental experience: 1) strategies that mothers and fathers developed; 2) the role of “advocates” in assisting parents; and 3) the importance of kin networks.
Key Research Findings:
- Parents often evacuated earlier and more aggressively pursued help because they were concerned about their children; a number indicated that they would not have made crucial decisions if they had not felt the need to prioritize their children’s welfare.
- Over half of the married mothers evacuated with their children, but without their children’s fathers. Many women evacuated with their children without coordinating with fathers.
- When possible, mothers turned to kin networks and others for assistance in finding resources for them and their children. Mothers who had no kin networks were at a disadvantage, and those women who cared for both children and aged relatives faced intensified challenges.
- White, middle-class respondents were more likely than low-income, African American respondents to receive aid through their employers and this helped them maintain a sense of stability that contributed to quicker household recovery.
- Volunteers, religious leaders, and other disaster responders played an important role in providing support and resources for low-income, African American families struggling to rebuild.
- To cope with uncertainty and precarious living conditions, many parents devised plans that emphasized maintaining their children’s everyday routines.
- Parents who were forced to seek housing in shelters struggled the most, particularly parents of special needs children.
Researcher Recommendations:
- Given the central role that women play in preparedness and evacuation decision-making, emergency managers should ensure that risk messages reach mothers of all backgrounds.
- The creation or restoration of affordable childcare options must be made a priority in post-disaster contexts in order for families to recover.
- The contributions of family advocates should be recognized and actively encouraged.
- Representatives for the very young, the very old, and disabled populations should be better integrated into emergency planning activities.
Research Contacts:
Alice Fothergill, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Vermont, (802) 656-2127, Alice.Fothergill@uvm.edu.
Lori Peek, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, (970) 491-6777, lori.peek@colostate.edu.
Related Bibliography:
1) Lori Peek and Alice Fothergill. 2008. “Displacement, Gender, and the Challenges of Parenting after Hurricane Katrina.” NWSA Journal, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 69-105.
The SSRC Katrina Task Force oversees a range of research projects
on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and acts as a clearinghouse for
information emerging from those projects. For additional literature on
Hurricane Katrina see our Research Bibliography. For more information about the SSRC Katrina Task Force see the Katrina Hub or contact Siovahn Walker at
walker@ssrc.org. For other Research Bulletins see our Archive.
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