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Disruption of Routine Behaviors Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Abstract
This paper frames the unfolding impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a process of lifeway disruption, analyzing the degree to which residents of spill affected communities were prevented from undertaking routine behaviors during the disaster. Special attention is paid to the influence of time, natural resource employment, and community sentiment. Drawing on data from the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey, the results show that people in the spill impacted region were prevented from engaging in routine behaviors, though this disruption has steadily decreased over time, suggesting a general trend toward recovery. Consistent with the renewable resource community concept, the results also show that those with ties to the fishing industry were more likely to be prevented from undertaking routine behaviors than were nonfishers. Finally, community sentiment is shown to ameliorate routine behavior disruption, thus, promoting resilience. Overall, these results challenge notions of monolithic paths to disaster recovery.
... A central determinant of mental health may be the ability to maintain routine daily activities which has been associated with resilience in the face of mass trauma (Hou et al., 2018;Miller and Rasmussen, 2010). The ability to maintain regular daily activities has been evident among survivors of various natural disasters (Fukuda et al., 1999;Parks et al., 2018), and evidence shows that restoration of pre-disaster daily routines relates to lower psychological distress over time (Goodwin et al., 2020). Among international forced migrants who have been exposed to continuous sociopolitical unrest in their home countries, disruptions of personal, social, and materialistic dimensions of daily routines in host countries relate to higher levels of different psychiatric symptoms over and beyond the adverse mental health impact of pre-migration trauma exposure . ...
... Further work will be needed to reconcile the different prevalence of probable depression under civil unrest in Hong Kong reported by different studies. We showed high prevalences of probable depression and anxiety over time among persons with high daily routine disruptions relative to those with low disruptions; these findings were consistent with previous evidence in different populations (Fukuda et al., 1999;Goodwin et al., 2020;Lai et al., 2020;Parks et al., 2018). Although we are not aware that this has been demonstrated in population-based studies after multiple traumas, other work suggests that this is consistent with our ...
... Probable depression and anxiety were associated only with combined high unrest-COVID-19 stress among persons with low daily disruptions, suggesting that this group is protected against lower levels of stressors. This suggests that groups with disruptions to daily routines are more vulnerable to the adverse mental health impact of large-scale stressors (Goodwin et al., 2020;Parks et al., 2018). ...
Both COVID-19 and unrest are posing a significant threat to population mental health across the globe. This study examined trends of probable depression and anxiety during a time of civil unrest and concurrent COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Four random digit dialing telephone surveys were conducted in July 2019 (n = 1112), February–March 2020 (n = 2003), April–May 2020 (n = 2008), and July–August 2020 (n = 2034). The prevalence of probable depression increased from 25.7% (95% CI: 23.2–28.3) in July 2019 to 28.2% (95% CI: 26.2–30.1) in February–March 2020, and then decreased to 15.3% (95% CI: 14.0–17.0) in April–May 2020 and 13.7% (95% CI: 12.2–15.2) in July–August 2020. The prevalence of probable anxiety was 19.2% (95% CI: 17.5–20.9) in February–March 2020 and then stabilized in April–May 2020 and July–August 2020 (14.1%, 95% CI: 12.0–15.8). Probable depression and anxiety were more prevalent among persons with high relative to low daily routine disruptions. Combined high unrest-COVID-19 stress was associated with probable depression and anxiety across all persons; high unrest stress alone was associated with probable mental disorders at high daily routine disruptions. Civil unrest and COVID-19 are jointly associated with depression and anxiety among Hong Kong citizens. While population mental health improved, daily routine disruptions is a risk factor of mental disorders at every time-point.
... Prior research on the health effects of the DHOS has largely focused on adult residents of affected communities (e.g., Cope et al. 2013;Drakeford et al. 2020;Fan et al. 2015;Gould et al. 2015;Osofsky et al. 2011;Parker et al. 2019;Parks et al. 2018Parks et al. , 2020Peres et al. 2016). However, because they are dependent on the adult caregivers in their lives for safety and well-being, children are uniquely vulnerable in disaster contexts Osofsky and Osofsky 2018;Peek 2008;Williams et al. 2008). ...
... Long after the moratoria, chronic impacts on families tied to the fishing industry remained. These impacts stemmed from public fears regarding food safety, concern over polluted fishing grounds, effects on fish stocks, lifeway disruption, and litigation, all of which amplified psychosocial stress for fishers compared to non-fishers (Cope et al. 2013(Cope et al. , 2016Gilbert 2013;Gill et al. 2012;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018Parks et al. , 2020Ritchie et al. 2018;Simon-Friedt et al. 2016;Singleton et al. 2016). ...
... In short, economic loss can lead to negative impacts on child health through material deprivation and psychosocial stress in family units, and these considerations combined with broader lifeway disruption and protracted litigation are especially pronounced for fishers following marine oil spills. Anxiety and depression, uncertainty and recreancy, social disruption, and avoidance coping behaviors are more prevalent and chronic among fishers and their families in the aftermath of such disasters (Cope et al. 2016;Gill et al. 2016;Parks et al. 2018Parks et al. , 2020Ritchie et al. 2018). ...
The historic 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS) led to public distress regarding potential impacts on children in nearby Gulf Coast communities. Using a community-based South Louisiana panel study of households with children, we examined the effect of fishing industry employment on changes in a subjective measure of general child health and whether economic and physical DHOS exposures played a mediating role. Fishing industry employment had a negative effect on child health compared to other industries. Economic exposure and physical exposure both mediated the effects of the fishing industry on child health, with economic exposure mediating a larger share (49.3%) of the relationship compared to physical exposure (40.5%). The importance of economic oil spill exposure in these findings highlights the significance of social determinants of health at the intersection of disasters and child vulnerability.
... Disruption of routine behaviors was more likely for individuals with ties to the fishing industry (both fishing alone and in combination with oil work) than for those employed in the oil industry, as shown in Figure 13 Rung et al., 2017. 14 Gill, Picou, and Ritchie, 2012;Gill et al., 2014;Cope et al., 2013;Cope et al., 2016;Safford, Ulrich-Schad, and Hamilton, 2012;Parks et al., 2018. 15 Cope et al., 2016. ...
... 11 Mayer, Running, andBergstrand, 2015. 12 Parks et al., 2018;Abramson et al., 2015. 13 Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2011. ...
... Safford, Ulrich-Schad, and Hamilton, 2012;Lesen et al., 2019; Petrun Sayers et al., 2019. 17 Parks et al., 2018. ...
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest in U.S. history, releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The scale of the disaster motivated diverse stakeholders to examine the human dimensions of the spill and how communities' resilience to similar threats could be improved. This examination is needed because, as long as humans depend on extracting oil and gas for energy, coastal regions are at risk for spills. In this report, the authors explore how communities, government officials, nongovernmental organizations, businesses, and scientists can build community resilience to large oil spills. Researchers found mixed evidence of distress associated with the DWH disaster and a variety of factors that affected the nature and severity of people's experiences.
... Disruption of routine behaviors was more likely for individuals with ties to the fishing industry (both fishing alone and in combination with oil work) than for those employed in the oil industry, as shown in Figure 13 Rung et al., 2017. 14 Gill, Picou, and Ritchie, 2012;Gill et al., 2014;Cope et al., 2013;Cope et al., 2016;Safford, Ulrich-Schad, and Hamilton, 2012;Parks et al., 2018. 15 Cope et al., 2016. ...
... 11 Mayer, Running, andBergstrand, 2015. 12 Parks et al., 2018;Abramson et al., 2015. 13 Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2011. ...
... Safford, Ulrich-Schad, and Hamilton, 2012;Lesen et al., 2019; Petrun Sayers et al., 2019. 17 Parks et al., 2018. ...
... Thus, disaster-related outcomes are predicated on 1) preexisting social structures and 2) the significance of these structures for both individual and collective responses (Chhotray and Few, 2012;Picou et al., 2004;Smith, 2006;Smith and Dennis, 2007). Disasters, then, should be viewed as systemic processes "that permeate community social structure, producing social responses that are both emergent and constraining" (Picou et al., : 1495; see also Cope et al., 2018;Dynes, 1974;Kreps, 1989Kreps, , 1998Parks et al., 2018). ...
... Since its introduction, numerous studies have confirmed the applicability of the systemic community model in understanding these outcomes (e.g., Beggs et al., 1996;Brown, 1993;Cope et al., 2015;Flaherty and Brown, 2010;Gerson et al., 1977;Krannich and Greider, 1990). Furthermore, research in diverse contexts has shown significant linkages between individual well-being and sense of community-a feeling of belonging, closeness, and connection to one's community (e.g., Davidson and Cotter, 1991;Grzeskowiak et al., 2003;Kimweli and Stilwell, 2002;St John et al., 1986), including in the context of technological disasters (Cope et al., 2013;Hawkins and Maurer, 2011;Lee and Blanchard, 2012;Parks et al., 2018). ...
... Community sentiment, the dependent variable in our analysis, is measured with a six-item index. Items included in the measure were drawn from the Knight Soul of the Community project, a research partnership between Gallup and the Knight Foundation (2012) and have been used in previous investigations of the social impacts of the DHOS (e.g., Cope et al., 2013;Lee and Blanchard, 2012;Parks et al., 2018). Significantly, these measures are analogous to those used in previous research of the social correlates of social disruption/change and community attitudes (e.g., Brown, 1993;Kasarda and Janowitz, 1974;Smith et al., 2001). ...
A fundamental concern in the social science scholarship on disasters is understanding community impacts and recovery as a social process. This study examines community sentiment in the aftermath 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS), including the influence of time and the explanatory utility of two major theoretical perspectives—the systemic community model and the corrosive community model—in predicting community sentiment in the context of this disaster. Specifically, our objectives are to assess how community sentiment in the wake of the DHOS: 1) changes over time; 2) is related to the systemic model; and 3) is related to the corrosive model. To meet these objectives, we analyze four waves of data from a unique repeated cross-sectional household survey data—the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey (COSS)—collected between 2010 and 2013. Our results demonstrate that 1) accounting for other factors, community sentiment community sentiment was significantly greater in later time periods compared to 2010, and 2) the simultaneous and complimentary utility of the systemic and corrosive community frameworks for understanding community sentiment in the wake of the DHOS.
... Other work has indicated associations between post-disaster exposure, demographic factors and distress: family and housing loss were associated with greater distress following a hurricane, 5 and women suffered greater post-traumatic stress following the 2004 South-East Asian tsunami. 6 Subsequent resources and behaviours, such as the provision of social support 7 and the maintenance of daily activities, [8][9][10] have also been shown to be protective against mental illness across different natural disasters, whereas temporary prefabricated housing was associated with greater distress following the Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake. 11 However, much of the data collected has been cross-sectional, or has followed modest samples over time. 1 Furthermore, work has been primarily conducted at a single level, despite evidence that losses and opportunities are unevenly distributed across communities following disaster 5,7 and that shared environments are critical to the accumulation of resources over time. ...
... Conservation of resources theory (COR) argues that maintenance of daily activities after a disaster can ameliorate the 'lifeway disruptions' frequently associated with post-disaster recovery. 10,12 Although there was no notable change in levels of activity post-disaster, with approximately half of our survivors maintaining their pre-disaster activity levels across waves (48-51%, by sample), positive associations between individual activity and low distress suggested that the maintenance of stable daily activities is important for resilience over time. 9 However, contrary to COR, actual loss of family members or physical housing did not have a significant impact on psychological distress, when considered alongside demographic, social support and activity indicators. ...
... Relatively little research has combined individual-and communitylevel factors on post-disaster recovery, although both are important in avoiding the cycles of loss and threats to resources that often accompany disaster. 10 In a study examining post-traumatic symptoms and depression following Hurricane Sandy in the USA, community-level factors (social capital) interacted with individual-level exposure to influence resilience. 5 In a further example, using data from the first two waves of our sample living in prefabricated housing, 7 individual-level support and social participation combined with community-level support to predict psychological distress 1 year later. ...
Background
The Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011 led to the relocation of 300 000 survivors. Studies following disasters focus primarily on data collected in the immediate aftermath and neglect the influence of wider community factors.
Aims
A three-level prospective study examining associations between survivors' psychological distress and individual- and social-level factors in the 6 years following a complex disaster.
Method
We drew on two multi-wave data collections in the 6 years after the earthquake, using residents from different forms of housing. Sample 1 included six waves of private-housing residents from 2011 to 2016 ( n = 1084 per wave), sample 2 five waves of residents living in prefabricated housing from 2012 to 2016 ( n = 1515 per wave). We analysed prospective associations between distress and time (level 1), pre-existing disorders and disaster experiences and behaviours (level 2) and city-wide measures of support and physical activity (level 3).
Results
Multilevel models with random coefficients demonstrated greater distress in earlier waves (samples 1 and 2 respectively, adjusted β = −15 and β = −0.16, P < 0.001), among female respondents ( β = 0.58, P = 0.01 and β = 1.74, P = 0.001), in those with a previous psychiatric history ( β = 2.76, β = 2.06, P < 0.001) with diminished levels of activity post-earthquake ( β = 1.40, β = 1.51, P < 0.001) and those lacking in social support ( β = 1.95, β = 1.51, P < 0.001). Support from spouses and friends was most protective of psychological health. City-level support was negatively associated with distress, but only among those in prefabricated housing.
Conclusions
Psychological distress diminished with time, but varied across gender, psychiatric history, housing, levels of activity and availability of social support. Practitioners should consider individual- and city-level factors when devising effective interventions.
... Instead, these effects emerge later as disaster processes unfold over time ( Gill et al. 2014Gill et al. , 2016Osofsky et al. 2011). These effects are often distributed unevenly across groups, challenging the assumption that time will necessarily or uniformly predict recovery for all people ( Gill et al. 2016;Kroll-Smith, Baxter, and Jenkins 2015;Parks et al. 2018). Understanding social vulnerabilities and risk factors associated with mental health impacts in the years following the DHOS is critical for improving public health outcomes and promoting resilience in the context of inevitable future disasters in the Gulf Coast region (Cutter, Boruff, and Shirley 2003). ...
... Though the moratoria were ultimately lifted, fishing/ seafood workers continued to face uncertainty related to the contamination of fishing grounds as well as consumers' negative perceptions of seafood safety (Simon-Friedt et al. 2016;Singleton et al. 2015). As such, social disruption and stress stemming from the initial spill have continued for years, especially among those in the fishing/seafood industries ( Cope et al. 2013Cope et al. , 2016Gill et al. 2012;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018). Gulf Coast fishers have not only had to contend with the DHOS in recent years, but also hurricanes, environmental change, and increasing competition from global markets (Harrison 2017). ...
... In addition, we use a continuous variable to control for age (years), as well as indicator variables for sex (female = 1), race (white = 1), marital status (married = 1), educational attainment (dummy variables for less than high school, high school, and bachelor's degree or more, with technical degree or some college = reference), residency in the region during the DHOS (resident = 1), and an ordinal measure of religiosity (not religious at all = 0, somewhat religious = 1, fairly religious = 2, very religious = 3). These controls are motivated by previous research on resilience and vulnerability in the context of the DHOS ( Cope et al. 2013;Drakeford et al. 2019;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018). ...
This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on mental health in the aftermath of disasters by examining depressive symptoms among residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast region 6 years after the onset of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). Using data from the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity in Neighborhoods in the Gulf (STRONG), we test how social support and ties to the fishing industry are related to the likelihood of a positive depression screen. The results show that, among most residents of the Gulf Coast region, social support holds an inverse relationship with the likelihood of a positive depression screen. However, among fishing households, greater social support is associated with a higher probability of screening positive for depression. By showing that fishing households with greater social support are more susceptible to depressive symptoms in this setting, our results uncover a potentially important mechanism that contributes to the unique vulnerability of fishers, which in turn holds implications for differential impacts across social groups in environmental disaster contexts.
... Research has underscored stress among individuals residing in areas impacted by DHOS. A consistent finding within this vein of literature is that DHOS exposure has been linked to a litany of deleterious consequences such as negative affective states, mental distress, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and physical distress (Lee and Blanchard 2012;Cope et al. 2013;Drescher et al. 2014;Fan et al. 2015) as well as social impacts such as the disruption of routine behaviors (Parks et al. 2018). Moreover, ties to natural resource-based industries have been shown to comprise a particularly salient predictor of DHOS-related disruption, a reflection of the challenges faced by those who depend on a healthy natural environment for their livelihoods (Lee and Blanchard 2012;Cope et al. 2013;Parks et al. 2018). ...
... A consistent finding within this vein of literature is that DHOS exposure has been linked to a litany of deleterious consequences such as negative affective states, mental distress, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and physical distress (Lee and Blanchard 2012;Cope et al. 2013;Drescher et al. 2014;Fan et al. 2015) as well as social impacts such as the disruption of routine behaviors (Parks et al. 2018). Moreover, ties to natural resource-based industries have been shown to comprise a particularly salient predictor of DHOS-related disruption, a reflection of the challenges faced by those who depend on a healthy natural environment for their livelihoods (Lee and Blanchard 2012;Cope et al. 2013;Parks et al. 2018). ...
... First, the results presented by Gould et al. (2015) concern alcohol misuse on an aggregate level. Empirical research, though, has indicated that DHOS-related distress may be differentially experienced by certain subpopulations within Gulf communities (Cope et al. 2013;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Teich and Pemberton 2015;Parks et al. 2018). Resulting from this distinction is that although there has been little change in alcohol misuse at a macro-level, particular groups within the region may be more vulnerable to maladaptive coping such as alcohol misuse. ...
While a wide body of research has indicated that social resources may be enhanced through religious practice, few studies have explored how social resources are impacted by the intersection of the social and individual domains of religion. Using data from the recently conducted Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity among Neighborhoods in the Gulf, this study employs multilevel analysis to examine the impact of religious context on alcohol misuse among individuals impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Our findings indicate that residence in areas that have high levels of religious concentration may magnify the risk of problem drinking among disaster-affected individuals for whom religion is not very salient, suggesting that religious context may influence the distribution of social resources differently between the religious and irreligious.
... Large scale disasters could have huge impact on affected populations through significant mental health tolls and behavioral changes (Beaglehole et al., 2018;Clay and Greer, 2019;Parks et al., 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the world populations' daily routines under a variety of infection control measures, such as lockdown, quarantine, and social distancing, while high prevalence of mental health problems was consistently reported (Vindegaard and Benros, 2020). ...
... For example, among Rohingya refugees in refugee camp in Bangladesh, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with everyday food problem rather than prior trauma exposure (Riley et al., 2017). In a similar vein, restoration of pre-disaster daily routines was associated with lower psychological distress (Parks et al., 2018). During this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence suggests that mental health is positively linked to sustainment of daily routines among different populations across the globe. ...
This study examined the mediating effects of coping resources in the prospective associations between daily routine disruptions in the acute phase of COVID-19 and persistent probable anxiety and depression. A prospective, population-representative cohort of 1318 Hong Kong Chinese respondents completed a baseline survey between February and July 2020 (T1) and a 1-year follow-up survey between March and August 2021 (T2). Respondents reported demographics and disruptions to primary and secondary daily routines at T1, coping resources (i.e., self-efficacy and meaning making) at T2, and anxiety and depressive symptoms at T1 and T2. We found that 8.1% and 10.0% of respondents reached cutoff scores for probable anxiety and depression respectively at both T1 and T2. Logistic regression showed that T1 daily routine disruptions were positively associated with heightened risk of persistent probable anxiety and depression amid COVID-19. Path analysis showed that 15.3% and 13.1% of the associations of daily routine disruptions with persistent probable anxiety and depression were explained by coping resources, respectively, while the direct routine-outcome associations remained significant. Daily routine disruptions predict higher odds of persistent probable anxiety and depression directly and partially through reducing coping resources. Sustainment of regular daily routines should be advocated and fostered to enhance coping resources and reduce the risk of poorer adjustment among the affected populations amid public health crises.
... Short-term fishing moratoria were enacted immediately following DWH (see Seafood Safety section), and even when the moratoria were lifted, uncertainty about the contamination of fishing grounds continued for fishers and seafood workers (Simon-Friedt et al., 2016). In addition to preexisting economic pressures (Harrison, 2020), the ongoing disruption and stress from the DWH spill contributed to the unique vulnerability of these workers (Gill et al., 2012;Lee and Blanchard, 2012;Cope et al., 2013Cope et al., , 2016Parks et al., 2018). While greater social support is typically helpful in bolstering mental health, it may operate differently among renewable resource communities (Freudenburg, 1992;Gill et al., 2014). ...
... The index was significantly higher (indicating more health concerns) among fishing households, and while the index declined in subsequent survey waves for those not involved in the fishing industry, it grew stronger over time for people in the industry. Parks et al. (2018) used the same data source to examine disruption of routine behaviors, including sleep, following the spill. On average, respondents reported difficulty with about one-third of the activities. ...
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill is the only declared Spill of National Significance in US history, and it significantly impacted the health of people and communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. These impacts amplified adverse effects of prior disasters and may compound those of future traumas. Studies, both to date and ongoing, show some negative mental and physical health outcomes associated with DWH in some spill workers, as well as some coastal residents in all Gulf States. The spill was also associated with negative effects in the living resources, tourism, and recreation sectors, at least in the short term. Compared with others, people dependent on these sectors reported more health and financial concerns. Consumer concerns about the safety and marketability of seafood persisted well after data demonstrated very low risk. Parents were concerned about possible exposures of children as they played on beaches, but this risk was found to be minor. Spill-related stress was an overarching factor associated with adverse health outcomes, and some residents reported greater stress from navigating the legal and claims processes following the spill than from the spill itself. Research revealed a serious lack of baseline health, environmental, and socioeconomic data against which to compare spill effects. This finding highlighted the need for ongoing observing systems to monitor health and socioeconomic parameters and establish continuous baselines of such information.
... In such cases, "corrosive communities" often emerge: contexts defined by chronic uncertainty, competing narratives of impacts and blame, deterioration in the trust of institutions tasked with protecting the public from the risks of modern technology (i.e., recreancy), and protracted litigation (Cope et al. 2016;Erikson 1994;Freudenburg 1993Freudenburg , 2000Gill and Picou 1998;Gill et al. 2016;Kroll-Smith and Couch 1993;Picou et al. 2004;Ritchie et al. 2018). These dynamics have been evident since the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 in Prince William Sound, Alaska (see Gill et al. 2016), and there is growing evidence that in terms of its psychosocial consequences, the DHOS is in many respects an "Exxon Valdez rerun" (Ritchie et al. 2011; see also Cope et al. 2016;Gill et al. 2012;Gill et al. 2014;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018;Parks et al. 2020). Notably, Erikson (1994) termed these types of disasters a "new species of trouble," while Perrow (1984) warned that "normal accidents" would become more common in complex and tightly coupled systems managing catastrophic risk (see also Beck 1992). ...
... Moreover, the use of a diverse array of physical health measures in future work could deepen our understanding of the range of exposure impacts and help elucidate mechanisms. In addition, among adults, DHOS exposure has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and psychosocial stress related to lifestyle disruption (Ayer et al. 2019;Cope et al. 2013;Gill et al. 2014;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Osofsky et al. 2011;Parks et al. 2018;Parks et al. 2020;Ramchand et al. 2019;Rung et al. 2016;Rung et al. 2017). One potentially fruitful path for research going forward could involve replicating this study with a focus on child mental and behavioral health outcomes. ...
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) created widespread concern about threats to health among residents of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. This study uses data from the Resilient Children, Youth, and Communities study—a longitudinal cohort survey of households with children in DHOS-affected areas of South Louisiana—to consider the effect of DHOS exposure on health trajectories of children, an especially vulnerable population subgroup. Results from latent linear growth curve models show that family DHOS exposure via physical contact and job/income loss both negatively influenced initial child health. However, the effects of physical exposure dissipated over time while the effects of job/income loss persisted. This pattern holds for both general child health and the number of recent physical health problems children had experienced. These findings help to bridge the literature on disaster impacts and resilience/vulnerability, with the literature on socioeconomic status as a fundamental cause of health outcomes over the life course.
... Heightened uncertainty and worry, competing narratives of responsibility and blame, and loss of trust in institutions tasked with protecting the public from risk act to catalyze "corrosive" community dynamics. Corrosive contexts are characterized by social fragmentation and discord, negative mental and physical health impacts, and protracted litigation (Cope et al. 2013(Cope et al. , 2016Drakeford et al. 2020;Erikson 1994;Freudenburg 1993Freudenburg , 2000Gill and Picou 1998;Gill et al. 2012Gill et al. , 2016Kroll-Smith andCouch 1991, 1993;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018Parks et al. , 2019Picou et al. 2004;Ritchie et al. 2018). ...
... Such differences hold implications not only for attitudinal but also behavioral divergence going forward. These findings contributed to the extant literature documenting differential social consequences based on whether people perceive the origins of a disaster to be "natural" or "technological" (e.g., Cope et al. 2013Cope et al. , 2016Drakeford et al. 2020;Erikson 1994;Freudenburg 1993Freudenburg , 2000Gill and Picou 1998;Gill et al. 2012Gill et al. , 2016Kroll-Smith andCouch 1991, 1993;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2018Parks et al. , 2019Picou et al. 2004;Ritchie et al. 2018), and expanded this to the consideration of "natech" disasters (e.g., Cruz and Suarez-Paba 2019;Gill and Ritchie 2018;Picou 2009). We also contributed to the emerging social science literature on Hurricane Harvey specifically (e.g., Thomas et al. 2018). ...
Researchers have traditionally conceptualized hazards that give rise to disasters as “natural” or “technological.” An extensive literature has documented differential social consequences based on this distinction, including the emergence of corrosive community dynamics in the context of technological disasters. There is also growing recognition that many disasters can be conceptualized as “natech”—processes characterized by a combination of natural and technological hazards. On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the central Texas Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding and extensive releases of industrial toxins. We examined variation in institutional trust and future storm worry in the aftermath of Harvey, paying special attention to differences between those who viewed the disaster as being primarily natech and natural. Drawing on the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity in Neighborhoods in the Gulf, we analyzed two waves of cohort panel data collected from households on the Texas Gulf Coast in 2016 and 2018 (before and after Hurricane Harvey). Our findings showed that those who perceived Harvey as natech (compared to natural) were significantly more likely distrust major institutional actors and be worried about the impacts of future storms, even after accounting for pre-hurricane characteristics. Implications for community dynamics and future research are then discussed.
... While these findings have implications for broader disaster and environmental hazard research, we also specifically add to growing research on adult and child wellbeing following exposure to the BP-DHOS (Ayer et al., 2019;Beedasy et al., 2020;Cope et al., 2013Cope et al., , 2016Drakeford et al., 2020;Gill et al., 2014;Lee & Blanchard, 2012;Osofsky et al., 2011;Parker et al., 2020;Parks et al., 2018Parks et al., , 2020Peres et al., 2016;Ramchand et al., 2019;Ritchie et al., 2018;Rung et al., 2016;Slack et al., 2021b;Stroope et al., 2022b). Given the time lag for the BP-DHOS to affect a person's health and that person's health to in turn impact another family member's health, the total effects of the disaster should be expected to span many years. ...
This study (1) assessed whether parent health mediated associations between exposures to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (BP-DHOS) and child health, and whether child health mediated associations between BP-DHOS exposures and parent health; and (2) assessed bidirectional longitudinal associations between parent health and child health following the BP-DHOS. The study used three waves of panel data (2014, 2016, and 2018) from South Louisiana communities highly impacted by the BP-DHOS. Parents with children (aged 4–18 at the time of the interview) were interviewed based on a probability sample of households. Focal measures included economic and physical BP-DHOS exposures, self-reported parent health, and parent-reported child health. Health measures were gathered at three time points. The analyses included mediation analysis and estimating and comparing effect sizes of longitudinal cross-lagged effects between parent health and child health. Results showed that parent health partly mediated associations between BP-DHOS exposures and child health, and that child health partly mediated associations between BP-DHOS exposures and parent health. Paths from prior waves of parent health to subsequent waves of child health were positive and statistically significant as were paths from prior waves of child health to subsequent waves of parent health. The differences in size of the child-to-parent health effects and the parent-to-child health effects were not statistically significant. This study’s results extend evidence for the post-disaster effect of parent health on child health and the effects of child health on parent health. These findings support the contention that harm to the health of one’s family member following disasters operates as a form of resource loss deleterious to one’s health.
... Changes in context can disrupt routine execution. For instance, studies show that environmental events like natural or man-made disasters (i.e., hurricanes and oil spills) resulted in general routine disruptions for surrounding residents (Parks et al., 2018;Smith et al., 2011). Disruptive events, then, provide a rich context in which to further examine the relationship between routines and MIL. ...
People feel that their lives are more meaningful while engaging in behaviors more closely aligned with their routines. Does the behavioral content of these routines and the contextual factors surrounding their enactment matter for this relationship? In two experience sampling studies ( N = 93, 1,512 episodes; N = 97, 1,629 episodes), we test whether the relationship between routines and meaning in life (MIL) depends on the content of the activities. We found that the degree to which one’s current activity is a routine positively related to momentary MIL beyond other meaningful features (e.g., relationships, goals, prosociality) of that activity. We conducted Study 2 in the context of mass routine disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found even stronger relationships between routine enactment and concurrent MIL in this context which held controlling for factors, including perceived chaos, mood, and anxiety. These findings suggest that routines uniquely relate to MIL, beyond the meaningfulness of their content and across contexts.
... Research suggests that having a daily routine can balance the adverse effects of stress exposure during periods of crisis [84][85][86]. The transformation of education due to the COVID-19 crisis greatly impacted the daily routines of students, teachers, and parents alike. ...
Secondary education is the second stage of formal education and traditionally begins after primary school, usually about age 11 to 13. The COVID-19 pandemic caused immeasurable changes to the educational system which inevitably greatly impacted secondary education. The current entry describes the changes in secondary education imposed by the pandemic and explores the accompanying challenges.
... As such, community desirability is often conceptualized as the degree to which a resident favorably or unfavorably perceives their community and their interest in residing in that community over a period of time (past, present, or future) (e.g., Brown 1993, Brown et al. 2000Olson 2019). Importantly, research has demonstrated significant linkages between favorable community attitudes and individual well-being across diverse contexts (e.g., Cope et al. 2015;Davidson and Cotter 1991;Grzeskowiak et al. 2003;Kimweli and Stilwell 2002;Muir et al. 2020;Parks et al. 2018;St. John et al. 1986), including positive impacts on mental and physical health outcomes (e.g., Mak et al. 2009;Morita et al. 2010;O'Brien et al. 1994;Prezza et al. 2001;Young et al. 2004) and access to resources such as health care (Sanders et al. 2015). ...
This study examines how disassociation with a majority religion influences subjective perception of community desirability in rural communities. Current community literature shows that religious affiliation identification can influence community sentiment, while other studies suggest the possibility of either mixed or inconclusive results. To further clarify the relationship between religious affiliation and community desirability, we draw upon data from the 2017 Rural Utah Community Study. We find that even when accounting for the length of residence, age, and perception of local services, a resident’s religious affiliation continues to be associated with community desirability. These findings have potential implications for understanding other communities with a large, singular religious presence.
... A recent model suggested that psychological resilience during trauma and chronic stress conditions is largely determined by the regularity of daily routines 8 . Survivors of natural disasters successfully sustain the regularity of daily activities to deal with post-disaster stress 9 , with the restoration and sustainment of pre-disaster daily life associated with decreased psychological distress in the 6 years following the Great East Japan Earthquake 10 . Amongst conflict-affected migrants, the disruptions of different types of daily experiences was associated with higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and general psychological distress 11 . ...
This study examined prevalences of anxiety and depression and their correlations with daily routines among Hong Kong Chinese during the COVID-19 pandemic. Random digit dialing recruited two population-representative samples of 6029 residents during a period of low infection and limited intervention (survey 1: n = 4021) and high incidence and intensive measures (survey 2: n = 2008). Prevalence of anxiety for survey 1 and survey 2 were 14.9% and 14% and depression were 19.6% and 15.3%, respectively. Increased odds of anxiety and depression were associated with disrupted routines and lower socioeconomic status in both surveys, whereas depression was inversely related to the novel preventive routine of avoiding going to crowded places in survey 1. The prevalences of anxiety and depression were higher than preceding public health/social crises. A heavier burden of psychiatric conditions was evidenced amongst people experiencing disrupted daily routines across different phases of the pandemic and without novel preventive routines in the early phase.
... Regularized routines have been found to buffer the adverse impact of stress exposure on mental health . Survivors of natural disasters tend to maintain regular daily activities in response to post-disaster stress (Fukuda et al., 1999;Parks et al., 2018), with the restoration or preservation of pre-disaster daily routines predictive of lower psychological distress prospectively in the years following the Great East Japan Earthquake (Goodwin et al., 2019). Meta-analysis of conflict-affected forced migrants found that a disruption in different types of daily experiences mediated the positive association between premigration trauma exposure and postmigration psychiatric symptoms, with premigration trauma related to more disrupted daily living and greater mental health problems in postmigration settings (Hou et al., 2020c). ...
Background
This study examined the associations between components of psychological resilience with mental health at different levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors.
Methods
A population-representative sample of 4,021 respondents were recruited and assessed between February 25th and March 19th, 2020. Respondents reported current anxiety symptoms (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), cognitive components (perceived ability to adapt to change, tendency to bounce back after adversities) and behavioral components (regularity of primary and secondary daily routines) of resilience, worry about COVID-19 infection, and sociodemographics.
Results
Logistic regression revealed that cognitive and behavioral components of resilience were not correlated with probable anxiety (GAD-7≥10) among those reporting no worry. Among respondents who were worried, all resilient components were inversely associated with probable anxiety. Specifically, propensity to bounce back and regular primary routines were more strongly related to lower odds of probable anxiety among those reporting lower levels of worry.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Second, other resilient components and some key daily routines that could be related to better mental health were not assessed. Third, generalizability of the findings to other similar major cities is uncertain because cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in Hong Kong have been comparatively lower.
Conclusions
To foster mental health, cultivation of confidence in one's ability to adapt to change and a propensity to bounce back from hardship should be coupled with sustainment of regular daily routines. Such assessment and intervention protocols are more relevant to those who suffer heightened levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors.
... As the DTT theory is a relatively new framework, there has not been an abundance of empirical research that directly applies it. However, the body of research literature based on which the DTT theory was formulated is generally indicative of the role of daily stressors of various kinds, such as ongoing social unrest (Hou & Bonanno, 2018;Hou et al., 2020;Lai, Hall, Liang, Galea, & Hou, 2020;Rosshandler, Hall, & Canetti, 2016), natural disasters (Bonanno, Galea, Bucciarelli, & Vlahov, 2007;Goodwin, Sugiyama, Sun, Aida, & Ben-Ezra, 2020;Parks, Drakeford, Cope, & Slack, 2018), and diagnosis of terminal illnesses (Bonanno, Kennedy, Galatzer-Levy, Lude, & Elfström, 2012). In this article, we shall adhere to the DTT framework in making sense of the relationship between chronic multimorbidity (daily stressor) and daily routines (fabrics). ...
Limited by conventional data collection methods, it is unclear how community-dwelling multimorbid people's daily routines are affected by their co-occurring illnesses. This study investigated the differences in everyday life schedules between multimorbid and nonmultimorbid people. Three hundred community-dwelling adults, representative of the Hong Kong Chinese population, provided real-time self-reports of daily routines over a 7-day study period. Stratified by baseline multimorbidity status, we implemented generalized linear mixed models (binomial) for each of the four outcomes: meal, chores, conversation, and work/school, with time intervals as independent variable and potential confounders adjusted. The odds of engaging in these activities were compared between multimorbid and nonmultimorbid participants by time intervals. Significant differences were identified. Unlike nonmultimorbid participants, late evening (22:00–24:00) was estimated to be the most frequently observed meal time among multimorbid participants (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.59–26.01 vs. 14:00–16:00), who also did chores significantly earlier in the morning (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.09–3.58 in 8:00–10:00 vs. 14:00–16:00). Conversations were significantly less likely among multimorbid participants throughout the day. Last, multimorbid participants seemed to have less typical working/schooling hours. Further studies are warranted to investigate how these disruptions may lead to lower levels of quality of life and poorer mental health.
... The DWH spill has been a long-lasting life event for residents of the GOM, disrupting routine behavior, increasing anxiety, straining economic resources, and negatively affecting mental health (Ayer et al., 2019). Those employed in, and dependent upon, the oil and fishing industries were particularly vulnerable, suffering disproportionately during and after the disaster (Ayer et al., 2019;Cope et al., 2013;Cope et al., 2016;Lee & Blanchard, 2012;Parks et al., 2017). ...
Abstract The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established in 2010 with $500 million in funding provided by British Petroleum over a 10‐year period to support research on the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and recovery. Contributions of the GoMRI program to date focused on human health are presented in more than 32 peer‐reviewed papers published between 2011 and May 2019. Primary findings from review of these papers are (i) the large quantity of dispersants used in the oil cleanup have been associated with human health concerns, including through obesogenicity, toxicity, and illnesses from aerosolization of the agents; (ii) oil contamination has been associated with potential for increases in harmful algal blooms and numbers of pathogenic Vibrio bacteria in oil‐impacted waters; and (iii) members of Gulf communities who are heavily reliant upon natural resources for their livelihoods were found to be vulnerable to high levels of life disruptions and institutional distrust. Positive correlations include a finding that a high level of community attachment was beneficial for recovery. Actions taken to improve disaster response and reduce stress‐associated health effects could lessen negative impacts of similar disasters in the future. Furthermore, GoMRI has supported annual conferences beginning in 2013 at which informative human health‐related presentations have been made. Based on this review, it is recommended that the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 be updated to include enhanced funding for oil spill impacts to human health.
... However, over time, these stronger connections proved to be valuable buffers against negative psychosocial responses. Our findings also differ from those of Cope, Slack, Blanchard, and Lee (2016) three years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (see also Parks, Drakeford, Cope, & Slack, 2018). They found community attachment helped to alleviate stress over time, rather than being a source of stress. ...
Building upon the growing body of empirical social science research examining psychosocial stress following natural, technological, and human-caused disasters, this article presents new research findings specifically regarding stress response avoidance behaviours. In this article, we present a conceptual model of factors contributing to such avoidance behaviours as measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES) Avoidance subscale. We empirically test the model using data collected in the aftermath of the 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill in Roane County, Tennessee. Conceptually, the findings support some of what is known about how gender, age, socioeconomic status, event experience, risk perceptions, being a claimant, personal relationship disruption, and various types of resource loss influence psychosocial stress. In contrast to previous studies, however, our findings reveal that in the case of the TVA spill, community involvement is associated with higher levels of IES Avoidance behaviours. These findings have potential to inform community mental health needs following technological disasters. In particular, mental health professionals should be aware of the counter-intuitive findings related to community involvement and chronic stress response avoidance behaviours and seek ways to reconcile this issue.
... In addition, variables for whether respondent's households had people employed in the oil industry (1 = yes) or fishing industry (1 = yes), employment status (1 = currently employed), household annual income (measured in dollars), respondent's level of education (measured in years), race (1 = white), age of respondent measured in years, household size (no. of people), number of children (aged 17 or younger) currently living in the household, respondent's marital status (1 = married), and respondent's sex (1 = male) are controlled for in our models. These controls are suggested by previous research on resilience and vulnerability along the Gulf Coast in consideration of natural resource dependent occupations and other dimensions of social stratification (e.g., Cope et al. 2013;Lee and Blanchard 2012;Parks et al. 2017). Last, we introduce controls for survey mode to account for potential response bias related to the type of survey respondents chose to complete, with the modal category (mail) serving as the reference. ...
This study examines the effects of geographically differentiated social network support resources on perceived household preparedness and resource adequacy for coping with environmental hazards. The guiding notion is that socially close but spatially distant network resources will become critical for resilience in disaster contexts when the efficacy of local network resources become compromised due to community-wide disruption. Results from a random sample household survey of 928 coastal Louisiana residents confirm that perceived preparedness and resource adequacy for coping with environmental hazards is higher among those with strong support resources that are more than 2 h away from where they live, whereas access to support from local neighbors plays a lesser role. The implication is that efforts intended to build resilient communities by way of enhancing social network resources can benefit from considering the importance of promoting regional, in addition to localized, social ties.
This study examines the factors predicting willingness to move, in the face of environmental threats, among residents of southeast Louisiana, a region prone to disasters and facing slower moving threats, such as coastal erosion and environmental pollution. Using household-level survey data, I test the relationships that the number of perceived threats to one’s home, place attachment, and industry of employment have with willingness to move. Results indicate that the number of perceived threats is positively related with willingness to move, and place attachment and ties to the fishing industry are negatively related with willingness to move. Drawing on vulnerability and resilience paradigms, I conceptualize the connection between perceived threats and willingness to move as an adaptive capacity, and I conceptualize the connections between place attachment and ties to the fishing industry with unwillingness to move as a form of vulnerability. These analyses provide insight into an issue facing more and more Americans, elective climate-change-induced migration.
The aim of our study was to understand more about how college students have been impacted by the pandemic and how their universities can better support them by emphasizing protective factors that build resilience. The protective factors we explored were sense of community, perceived adequacy of resources, and perceived social support.We conducted an online survey, which was administered to 296 (70.4% female and Mage = 20.34) students from a private Northeastern University in the United States. There were gender and class year differences found after analysis. In addition, sense of community and perceived adequacy were found to be statistically significant. There were gender and class year differences found after analysis. In addition, sense of community and perceived adequacy were found to be statistically significant. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of sense of community and access to resources as protective factors in mitigating stress and coronavirus disease 2019‐related disruptions to daily life among college students, particularly for female students who report more adverse outcomes.
Rationale
There is a small but growing body of literature on litigation- and compensation-related stress after disasters. Results of these studies are consistent and unsurprising: compensation processes are a source of stress to plaintiffs and their families. “Litigation Response Syndrome”—anxiety, stress, and depression—is common among those exposed to the pressures of litigation (Lees-Haley 1988). However, little is known about how compensation processes—claims, litigation, and settlements—affect communities at large.
Objective
Building on prior research, we examine adverse impacts of compensation processes in Roane County, Tennessee five years following the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill. We investigate whether compensation-related stress occurs at a community level, as well as avoidance behaviors as measured by the Impact of Event Scale.
Method
Based on data from a 2014 household mail survey of a random sample of 716 residents of Roane County, we examine the relationship between compensation processes and event-related avoidance behaviors.
Results
We found that compensation-related stress is not limited to those directly involved with compensation processes. Respondents view these processes as adversely impacting the community at large. The strongest contributors to event-related avoidance behaviors are beliefs about adverse compensation impacts and the effectiveness of cleanup and restoration activities, socioeconomic status, and economic resource loss. Therefore, it appears that Litigation Response Syndrome can extend to some members of the community who were not directly involved in litigation and compensation processes.
As of June 2020, there have been at least 2,540 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT, on December 14, 2012. Some have suggested that the repeated trauma of these massacres has created a collective “emotional numbness,” lessening our empathy. This article asks whether a similar phenomenon is occurring with respect to environmental crime and harm. It considers whether we have developed “compassion fatigue” regarding environmental violence and contemplates a “workout regimen” for empathy for Gaia’s suffering. In so doing, it seeks to engage with emerging work in the penumbra of narrative criminology and green cultural criminology.
Objective
This study examines family strategies for coping and adaptation to social disruption from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) in south Louisiana.
Background
The DHOS is a technological disaster of unprecedented scale and ongoing impact, including the socioeconomic disruption of families.
Method
Using data from focus groups, grounded‐theory methods informed a thematic analysis of spill‐related economic loss and coping mechanisms among families in the spill‐affected region.
Results
Key findings were as follows: (a) long‐term economic impacts persisted but were nuanced and differed across places; (b) for families living in multistressor environments, concerns about the DHOS spilled over into other aspects of social functioning and became enmeshed with perceptions of other environmental stressors; and (c) economic exposure after the DHOS affected families differently based on social position and community social structure.
Conclusion
This study contributes to existing knowledge on technological disaster and family resilience in the face of environmental shocks and stressors, underscoring the utility of the conservation of resources model of stress in this area of research.
Implications
This research offers information about family‐level response to oil spill impacts and may be of interest to policymakers and practitioners who work to support resilience in disaster contexts.
Family resilience raises the question of how family units adapt to external shocks. One notable form of such shocks are disasters. Research shows that disasters are occurring with greater frequency and severity throughout the world. Natural and human-made hazards pose an ongoing threat to positive family functioning everywhere, making it difficult to ignore the importance of disaster resilience for research and practice concerning family wellbeing. In this chapter, we examine the issue of family resilience in the context of disaster. We begin by articulating what is meant by hazards and disasters and how that links to family resilience. In doing so, we stress the importance of adaptive capacity and trajectories over time. We then provide an illustration of ongoing research related to the Resilient Children, Youth, and Communities (RCYC) project, a joint venture between researchers at Louisiana State University (LSU) and Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), concerning family resilience in the context of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We close by outlining considerations for research, policy, and practice.
This article presents an overview of the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey (COSS), the dataset used in “Community Sentiment following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster: A Test of Time, Systemic Community, and Corrosive Community Models” [1] as well as elsewhere [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. The COSS, administered by the Louisiana State University's Public Policy Research Laboratory, consists of five waves of cross-sectional trend data attuned to the characteristics and effects of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon (BP-DH) oil spill on those coastal Louisiana residents most affected by it. Specifically, respondents were randomly drawn from a list of nearly 6,000 households in the coastal Louisiana zip codes located in Lafourche, Plaquemines, Terrebonne Parishes, and the community of Grand Isle. COSS data were initially collected in June 2010 when oil was still flowing from the wellhead, with additional data waves, corresponding to the one-year, two-year, and three-year anniversaries of the initial event, collected in October 2010, April 2011, April 2012, and April 2013. The respective response rates are as follows: June 2010, 20%; October 2010, 24%; April 2011, 25%; April 2012, 20%; and April 2013, 19%.
Survey research on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has documented both short-term and longer term effects of the spill and chemical agents on physical, mental, and environmental health, but less is known about how individuals living in and around affected areas make sense of the oil spill disaster. Prior research on disaster describes how people make sense of these events through social, political, and relational processes, yet have not explored the mediating role that work identity might play in the sense-making process. Using in-depth interviews with Louisiana shrimp fishers, I show how interpretations of the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill and its aftermath are fundamentally grounded in work identity. Findings indicate fishers recognize the role BP played in their ongoing health and environmental problems related to the spill. At the same time, they generally view BP as favorable and hold optimistic views regarding their abilities to continue to fish in grounds where they find evidence of the oil spill. Work identity filters how these fishers make sense of their experience and limits the range of responses available to them. This project, thus, centers work within research on the subjective experience of disaster, and further contributes to understanding the socially constructed nature of disaster perceptions and responses.
We examine the relationship between emplaced social vulnerability and impacts on mental health following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Through joint analysis of data from Community Oil Spill Survey and US Census Bureau products, a place-based index of social vulnerability is developed to examine how emplaced characteristics engender unique susceptibility to the disaster, with specific attention on the influence of natural resource employment and community sentiment. Results show negative mental health impacts to be more pronounced at baseline compared to later time points and that shifts in negative mental health were not uniform for localities with divergent levels of social vulnerability, where places identified with high levels of social vulnerability the effectiveness of attributes associated with resilience were muted, while the effect of vulnerability attributes was amplified. These findings contribute to the understanding of vulnerability as a multidimensional concept shaped by the social attributes that characterize people and places.
Background:
Psychological sequelae are among the most pronounced effects in populations following exposure to oil spills. Women in particular represent a vulnerable yet influential population, yet have remained relatively understudied with respect to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS).
Objective:
To describe the relationship between oil spill exposure and mental health among women living in the southern coastal Louisiana parishes affected by the DHOS.
Methods:
The Women and Their Children's Health Study administered a telephone interview to a population-based sample of 2842 women between 2012 and 2014 following the DHOS. Participants were asked about depression, mental distress, domestic conflict and exposure to the oil spill.
Results:
Over 28% of the sample reported symptoms of depression, 13% reported severe mental distress, 16% reported an increase in the number of fights with their partner, and 11% reported an increase in the intensity of partner fights. Both economic and physical exposure were significantly associated with depressive symptoms and domestic conflict, while only physical exposure was related to mental distress.
Conclusions:
This large population-based study of women in southern coastal Louisiana, a particularly disaster-prone area of the country, revealed high rates of poor mental health outcomes. Reported exposure to the DHOS was a significant predictor of these outcomes, suggesting avenues for future disaster mitigation through the provision of mental health services.
Background:
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS) is the largest oil spill in U.S. history, negatively impacting Gulf Coast residents and the surrounding ecosystem. To date, no studies have been published concerning physical health outcomes associated with the DHOS in the general community.
Objectives:
To characterize individual DHOS exposure using survey data and to examine the association between DHOS exposure and physical health.
Methods:
Baseline data from 2,126 adult women residing in Southern Louisiana and enrolled in the Women and Their Children's Health study were analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis was used to characterize DHOS exposure. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the associations between DHOS exposure and physical health symptoms were estimated using multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
A two factor solution was identified as the best fit for DHOS exposure: physical/environmental exposure and economic exposure. High physical/environmental exposure was significantly associated with all of the physical health symptoms, with the strongest associations for burning in nose, throat or lungs (OR = 4.73; 95% CI: 3.10, 7.22); sore throat (OR = 4.66; 95% CI: 2.89, 7.51); dizziness (OR = 4.21; 95% CI: 2.69, 6.58); and wheezing (OR = 4.20; 95% CI: 2.86, 6.17). Women who had high economic exposure were significantly more likely to report wheezing (OR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.79); headaches (OR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.41, 2.58); watery, burning, itchy eyes (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.16); and stuffy, itchy, runny nose (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.08).
Conclusions:
Among Southern Louisiana women, both physical/environmental and economic exposure to the DHOS was associated with an increase in self-reported physical health outcomes. Additional longitudinal studies of this unique cohort are needed to elucidate the impact of the DHOS on short and long-term human health.
To what extent does community context influence individuals’
proclivity to participate in community-oriented activities and projects? In this
article we utilize survey data from residents of 99 Iowa communities to conduct
a multilevel analysis of voluntary participation and community action,
simultaneously addressing voluntary participation at the individual level and
“community action” at the community level. Additionally, we test the
suggestion that community attachment may constitute a unique form of social
capital. The robustness of these data allows us to overcome the obstacles that
have led to the conflation of individual- and community-level attributes in
many community studies. We show that community attachment and
community-oriented action are determined almost entirely by individuals’
characteristics rather than by the characteristics of communities, and thus do
not constitute community-level phenomena, calling into question the
assumptions on which certain theoretical approaches to community are based.
The effects of urbanization on community attachment were examined using data collected in a general population survey from a random sample of individuals in four rural communities with differing levels of urban presence and pressure in Pennsylvania. Building upon Wirth's (1938) theory of urbanism, it was hypothesized that residents of the more rural communities would have higher levels of community attachment than the residents of the most urban community, net of other factors. The data did not support the hypothesis. With respect to two of the three measures of community attachment examined, residents of two more rural communities exhibited statistically significant lower levels of community attachment than those of the most urban site. Possible implications of the findings are advanced.
A number of governmental agencies have called for enhancing citizens' resilience as a means of preparing populations in advance of disasters, and as a counterbalance to social and individual vulnerabilities. This increasing scholarly, policy, and programmatic interest in promoting individual and communal resilience presents a challenge to the research and practice communities: to develop a translational framework that can accommodate multidisciplinary scientific perspectives into a single, applied model. The Resilience Activation Framework provides a basis for testing how access to social resources, such as formal and informal social support and help, promotes positive adaptation or reduced psychopathology among individuals and communities exposed to the acute collective stressors associated with disasters, whether human-made, natural, or technological in origin. Articulating the mechanisms by which access to social resources activate and sustain resilience capacities for optimal mental health outcomes post-disaster can lead to the development of effective preventive and early intervention programs.
This article examines persistent social impacts of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) by focusing on the relationship between social capital and chronic individual stress and collective trauma, using Hobfoll’s (1988) conservation of resources model of stress as an organizing framework. Data are based on in-depth personal interviews conducted 14 years after the disaster. Analyses focus on the ways in which stress-related behaviors associated with loss and threat of loss of various forms of resources have affected social capital in the renewable resource community of Cordova, Alaska. Findings reveal lower levels of trust, disruptions in associations, weakened social connections and networks, altered social discourses, diminished feelings of good will, and violations of norms of reciprocity. Behaviors associated with long-term stress related to the EVOS and to the associated protracted litigation are indicative of diminished social capital. This research highlights the critical importance of social capital as a collective resource and illustrates the ways in which decreased social capital can exacerbate individual stress and collective trauma.
In 1993, Freudenburg suggested the term “recreancy” to refer to behaviors associated with institutional failures, which he distinguished from the consequences of such failures. This article revisits issues related to recreancy associated with the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Using qualitative data collected in Cordova, Alaska, between 2002 and 2010, we examine notions about recreancy and technological disasters. Findings highlight perceptions of institutional failures associated with the spill and cleanup activities, providing insights into the social consequences of such failures for those most directly affected by them, including loss of ontological security, the emergence of corrosive communities, and diminished social capital. We extend the discussion about recreancy to include organizational processes intended to address economic, social, and environmental consequences of technological disasters. Our data reveal a persistence of beliefs about recreancy associated with the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the subsequent litigation, and their consequences for long-term community impacts.
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and the 2010 BP oil spill were the largest and most ecologically damaging releases of oil in North American history. This research provides a comparison of the social and mental health impacts of these two major technological disasters. Random samples of residents of Cordova, Alaska, and south Mobile County, Alabama, were collected 5 months after each event. A standardized indicator of event-related stress was used for both samples. The analysis revealed similarly high levels of initial psychological stress for survivors of both disasters. The strongest predictors of stress were family health concerns, commercial ties to renewable resources, and concern about economic future, economic loss, and exposure to the oil. Drawing on more than 20 years of research on the Exxon Valdez disaster, we discuss implications for residents of Gulf Coast communities.
This study advances research on the mental health impacts of disasters by examining how a mainstay of the sociological literature, community attachment, influences negative affective states such as anxiety and fear stimulated by a technological disaster. Survey data were collected in three coastal Louisiana parishes (counties) geographically proximate to the BP oil spill of 2010 while the oil was still flowing. The data reveal that community attachment is associated with higher levels of negative affect. This finding holds for those tied to the fishing and seafood industry, those tied to the oil industry, and those having no immediate links to either industry. These results highlight that although community attachment is essential for community resilience, it can also be disruptive to individual well-being when technological disasters occur in communities dependent on renewable and natural resources.
This research examines chronic community stress associated with technological disasters using data from three case studies in the United States: a train derailment and toxic spill, a community contaminated by a superfund hazardous waste site, and an oil spill. Technological disasters are distinguished from natural diasters in terms of community impacts and recovery. Sociological and psychological research suggests that long‐term disruption and stress characterize these events. Results from the three case studies indicate the presence of chronic community stress and a relationship between perceived threat to health and level of community stress. These results are discussed in terms of the characteristics of technological disasters and the programmatic needs to mitigate their consequences.
This study presents a conceptual model for examining the social impacts of the Valdez oil spill on natural resource‐dependent communities. Data on social and subsistence disruption experienced by Alaskan natives are analyzed for two time periods: 1989 and 1990. The results reveal substantial uncertainty and disruption, with indications of changing patterns for long‐term social impacts. The study concludes with recommendations for restoration and recovery suggested from the results of our data analysis and the natural resource community model.
Disaster recovery represents the least understood aspect of emergency management, from the standpoint of both the research
community and practitioners (Berke, Kartez, & Wenger, 1993; Rubin, 1991). When compared to the other widely recognized phases
of emergency management, that is, preparedness, response, and mitigation, scholars have yet to address fundamental questions,
while practitioners have failed to establish an integrated policy framework or utilize readily available tools to improve
disaster recovery outcomes (Berke et al., 1993; May and Williams, 1986; Mileti, 1999). Since the 1990s the concept of sustainability
has been adopted by hazards researchers and applied to mitigation (Berke, 1995a; Burby, 1998; Godschalk, et. al., 1999; Mileti,
1999), recovery (Becker, 1994a; Berke, Kartez, & Wenger, 1993; Eadie et al., 2001; Oliver-Smith, 1990; Smith, 2004; United
States Department of Energy, 1998), and to a lesser extent preparedness and response (Tierney, Lindell, & Perry, 2001). While
recognized as a meaningful paradigm among scholars and a limited number of practitioners, achieving sustainable recovery following
disasters is not a widespread phenomenon in the United States, owing in large part to the current recovery model in practice
today. It is therefore the intent of this chapter to describe an improved policy implementation framework focused on achieving
sustainable recovery. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the United States model of recovery and the development of specific
recommendations to improve the process. Key issues and research questions are identified in order to advance this agenda,
including the need to develop a theory of recovery that emphasizes specific factors that facilitate or hinder this approach.
Next, a review of the literature highlights the fact that while past research has addressed several recognized dimensions
of sustainable recovery, the research has not been linked to a unifying theory that helps to clarify our understanding of
how sustainable recovery can be achieved.
Mental health issues are a significant concern after disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. This study was designed to assess the mental health effects on residents of areas of southeastern Louisiana affected by the oil spill.
Telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted with residents (N = 452) assessing concerns and direct impact.
The results show that the greatest effect on mental health related to the extent of disruption to participants' lives, work, family, and social engagement, with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Given the location of the oil spill affecting communities that had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, results also revealed that losses from Hurricane Katrina were highly associated with negative mental health outcomes. Conversely, the ability to rebound after adversity and place satisfaction were highly associated with better mental health outcomes.
Enhanced understanding of mental health effects after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will help in determining directions for much-needed mental health services after the disaster and in contributing to the knowledge of complex traumatization and the ability to rebound after adversity.
Major perspectives concerning stress are presented with the goal of clarifying the nature of what has proved to be a heuristic but vague construct. Current conceptualizations of stress are challenged as being too phenomenological and ambiguous, and consequently, not given to direct empirical testing. Indeed, it is argued that researchers have tended to avoid the problem of defining stress, choosing to study stress without reference to a clear framework. A new stress model called the model of conservation of resources is presented as an alternative. This resource-oriented model is based on the supposition that people strive to retain, project, and build resources and that what is threatening to them is the potential or actual loss of these valued resources. Implications of the model of conservation of resources for new research directions are discussed.
This article documents 24 years of social science research on sociocultural and psychosocial impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) on the community of Cordova, Alaska. This study began in August 1989 and officially ended in 2013?making it the longest running study of a technological disaster in U.S. history. We followed a longitudinal field experiment design using Petersburg, Alaska as a control community. Our research utilized a mixed-methods approach that included document review, observations, interviews, and surveys. Serial cross-sectional community surveys were used and we developed a panel design for surveys of commercial fishermen and Alaska Natives. Inquiries into sociocultural and psychosocial impacts of the EVOS were guided by theories and concepts emerging from studies of numerous technological disaster events. These included ecological symbolic theory; renewable resource community; conservation of resources theory; recreancy; corrosive community; individual, collective, and secondary trauma; lifestyle and lifescape change; social capital theory; and contextual constructivist approaches to risk. Results focus on four areas: event-related psychosocial stress as measured by the Impact of Event Scale; litigation impacts; resource loss; and beliefs about recreancy. Findings document acute and chronic psychosocial stress within the community and identify involvement in litigation, resource loss, and perceptions of recreancy as significant contributors to high levels of stress. Further, the loss of the herring fishery has had adverse economic and sociocultural effects on Cordova that may persist.
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill adversely impacted many communities along the Gulf of Mexico. Effects on Gulf waters, marshes, aquatic life, and fisheries were evident in the following days, months, and years. Through studying affected communities’ perceptions regarding the DWH accident, we aim to identify behavioral changes, understand public information sources, and inform dissemination strategies that improve communications from regulatory agencies. Over a three-year period (2012–2015), residents (n = 192) from 7 coastal parishes in southeast Louisiana were surveyed about their perceptions and behaviors before, during, and after the DWH accident.
A key theoretical concept in the study of technological disasters is “recreancy,” which refers to perception that institutional actors have failed to carry out their responsibilities in a manner that engenders societal trust. Using household survey data from the Community Oil Spill Survey (COSS) to assess recreancy in the context of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we analyze four waves of the COSS collected between 2010 and 2013 to explore respondents’ perceptions of blame and distrust in relation to key institutional actors associated with the disaster, paying special attention to the influence of time and employment in natural resource occupations. We show that BP is clearly viewed as the principal responsible party at fault for the disaster and that the odds of blaming BP and the federal government have held relatively steady over time, while the odds of blaming state government increased over time. We find high levels of distrust of BP and the federal government, but show that odds of being distrustful of both institutional actors was significantly lower three years after the spill. Fishing households were significantly more likely to blame and be distrustful of institutional actors, a finding that is strongly consistent with theoretical expectations.
The definition of disaster remains a contested issue in sociology. Two contrasting definitions vie for attention: the generic and the event-quality. One definition ignores the physical dimension of disaster, focusing exclusively on social consequences. Another definition includes physical dimensions, but proponents of this approach cannot agree on just what physical features to include. This essay evaluates these two definitions, suggesting the strengths and limitations of each. It offers a third definitional strategy that adds an environmental and symbolic dimension to the event-quality definition. We offer this ecological-symbolic approach as a necessary corrective to the limitations of both the generic and the event-quality definitions. A concluding section demonstrates the utility of this third perspective by applying it to an important discussion in disaster research
Students in both social and natural sciences often seek regression methods to explain the frequency of events, such as visits to a doctor, auto accidents, or new patents awarded. This book, now in its second edition, provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of models and methods to interpret such data. The authors combine theory and practice to make sophisticated methods of analysis accessible to researchers and practitioners working with widely different types of data and software in areas such as applied statistics, econometrics, marketing, operations research, actuarial studies, demography, biostatistics and quantitative social sciences. The new material includes new theoretical topics, an updated and expanded treatment of cross-section models, coverage of bootstrap-based and simulation-based inference, expanded treatment of time series, multivariate and panel data, expanded treatment of endogenous regressors, coverage of quantile count regression, and a new chapter on Bayesian methods.
To what extent does community context affect individuals' social ties and levels of community attachment? The authors replicate Sampson's multilevel version of Kasarda and Janowitz's systemic model of community using data from a survey of nearly 10,000 people residing in 99 small Iowa communities. They improve on Sampson's work by using multilevel statistical tools, better measurement of community attachment, and data from 99 actual communities. While the authors find general support for the systemic model, their results suggest that the community one lives in actually has little effect on one's level of community attachment, calling into question many of the basic assumptions and findings of past community research.
This study investigates whether dimensions of sense of place can discriminate those residents who identify with their rural town, and prefer to stay, from those who do not, and whether patterns of association between these dimensions differ between adolescent and adult residents. Participants were 246 adults and 365 adolescents in two remote rural towns in Australia. Place identity was determined from residents’ responses on a single item, ‘I would really rather live in a different town. This one is not the place for me.’ Three groups were classified: those agreeing, undecided and disagreeing with the statement. Discriminating variables were place attachment (emotional bonding and behavioural commitment), sense of community (affiliation and belonging) and place dependence (available activities, quality and quality comparison with alternative communities). A direct discriminant function analysis showed 76.4 per cent of adults were correctly classified from one discriminant function accounting for 92 per cent of the variance. Indicators of dependence, belonging, behavioural commitment and emotional bonding, loaded above 0.45. Sixty-two per cent of adolescents were correctly classified from one discriminant function accounting for 93.6 per cent of the variance. Indicators of dependence and belonging loaded 0.45 and above. Discussion considers distinguishing dimensions of sense of place and identifying associations amongst them as ways to explore the experience of community in everyday life.
We address the research question: 'Did the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill have similar psychosocial impacts as the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill?' We answer this question by comparing survey results from a random sample of Cordova, Alaska, residents collected 18 months after the Exxon spill with a random sample of residents in the Alabama coastal counties of Baldwin and south Mobile 1 year after the BP disaster. Analysis revealed similarly high levels of psychological stress for survivors of both disasters. For residents of coastal Alabama, the strongest predictors of psychosocial stress were exposure to oil, ties to renewable resources, concerns about their economic future, worries about air quality, and safety issues regarding seafood harvests in oiled areas. Differences between south Mobile and Baldwin counties were related to the former community's economic ties to renewable resources and Baldwin County's dependence on tourism for economic sustainability.
This paper examines what recovery means in a context where vulnerability cannot be reduced to a single hazard but is an ongoing aspect of life. It analyses convergences in trajectories of livelihood and shelter for two sites in coastal Orissa, despite important differences in hazard exposure and the nature of external assistance available in the aftermath of a major disaster: the super-cyclone of 1999. It critically examines processes and prospects for recovery, in situations where entrenched ongoing vulnerability compounded by severe limitations on grassroots adaptive capacity and weak institutional support deeply undermine even recovery to a pre-disaster state let alone a condition of greater resilience. While recognising the structural constraints on institutional performance, it signals the need for a fundamental change in state approach if resilience building is to be fostered in communities that are chronically at risk from hazards.
This chapter considers a young person’s perceptions of and experiences in the residential community and how these might contribute
to the maturation of a community-minded self. The discussion is guided by an integration of perspectives from social, environmental,
developmental and community psychology. The discussion of social identity and self-categorization theories suggests how place identity, an environmental psychology concept, becomes a contextual aspect of self-identity development. Sense of community and community
attachment are described as concepts that capture the community experiences and relationships that foster community identity
as an aspect of self-identity through processes of social cohesion and social identity. In addition to proposing theoretical
links between these concepts, supportive findings from community studies with adolescents are reviewed, along with the challenges
and possibilities of creating a lifespan perspective of how people come to identify with community. The overall aims of the
chapter are to make the case that adolescents should not be omitted from our research on residential community phenomena,
and to encourage future investigations by reviewing relevant theoretical and empirical literature and describing challenges
and possibilities for the field.
Just as the beginning of Western civilization is marked by the permanent settlement of formerly nomadic peoples in the Mediterranean basin, so the beginning of what is distinctively modern in our civilization is best signalized by the growth of great cities. Nowhere has mankind been farther removed from organic nature than under the conditions of life characteristic of great cities. The contemporary world no longer presents a picture of small isolated groups of human beings scattered over a vast territory, as Sumner described primitive society1. The distinctive feature of the mode of living of man in the modern age is his concentration into gigantic aggregations around which cluster lesser centers and from which radiate the ideas and practices that we call civilization.
Survey research data permit examination of two models of community attachment in mass society. The first model, derived from the work of Toennies and Wirth, treats increasing population size and density as key independent variables influencing local community attachment. An alternative model derived from the work of W. I. Thomas, Park and Burgess, focuses on length of residence as the primary independent variable. The alternative approach views the local community as a complex system of friendship, kinship, and associational networks into which new generations and new residents are assimilated while the community passes through its own life-cycle. Goodman's modified multiple regression analysis provides consistent support for the alternative model, while little empirical support is found for the Toennies-Wirth model.
This paper selectively summarizes and highlights basic substantive and structural trends from literature that assume that a disaster is primarily a social phenomenon and identifiable in social terms. Among major structural trends have been the institutionalization of disaster are search in academic settings, the perceived relevance of disaster research to public policy and agency responsibility, and the development of a "Critical Mass" of social and behavioral scientists interested in disaster research. The paper concludes by making explicit some of the many gaps and challenges that future disaster research ought to tackle
Preface to this edition, by Steven Lukes Introduction to the 1984 edition, by Lewis Coser Introduction to this edition, by Steven Lukes Durkheim's Life and Work: Timeline 1858-1917 Suggestions for Further Reading Original Translator's Note The Division of Labour in Society by Emile Durkheim Preface to the First Edition (1893) Preface to the Second Edition (1902) Introduction PART I: THE FUNCTION OF THE DIVISION OF LABOUR 1. The Method of Determining This Function 2. Mechanical Solidarity, or Solidarity by Similarities 3. Solidarity Arising from the Division of Labour, or Organic Solidarity 4. Another Proof of the Preceding Theory 5. The Increasing Preponderance of Organic: Solidarity and its Consequences 6. The Increasing Preponderance of Organic: Solidarity and its Consequences (cont.) 7. Organic Solidarity and Contractual Solidarity PART II: THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS 8. The Progress of the Division of Labour and of Happiness 9. The Causes 10. Secondary Factors 11. Secondary Factors (cont.) 12. Consequences of the Foregoing PART III: THE ABNORMAL FORMS 13. The Anomic Division of Labour 14. The Forced Division of Labour 15. Another Abnormal Form Conclusion Original Annotated Table of Contents
Reviews the literature on community sentiment and proposes an integrative conceptualization of community sentiment in terms of sense of place. Research on community sentiment can be divided into 3 broad approaches focusing on community satisfaction, community attachment, and identity and community life. The proposed conceptualization of community sentiment is explored, using interview material from 5 contemporary Americans residing in the same city but with different senses of place. These differences are expressed in terms of rootedness, alienation, relativity, and placelessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article examines changes that have been taking place in the museum world over the past several decades—changes that have been transforming the social practice of curatorship in museums. We are seeing the emergence of more holistic, integrated and culturally relative approaches to curatorial work that acknowledge the relationships among objects, people, and society, and explore these relationships in social and cultural contexts. Through cross-cultural comparison, curating can be seen as a form of social practice linked to specific kinds of relationships between people and objects as well as to wider social structures and contexts. This approach allows us to transcend debates over whether or not museums and curatorial work should be either object- or people-focused. One approach cannot be separated from the other.
Maintaining a healthy balance between human prosperity and environmental integrity is at the core of the principles of Ecological Sustainable Development. Resource-protection policies are frequently implemented so as to regulate the balance between resource access and use, however, they can inadvertently compromise the ability of resource users to adapt and be resilient. Resource users who are especially dependent on a resource are more seriously compromised. But how do we define and measure resource dependency? And how do we assess its ability to influence social resilience? In this study, a conceptual model of resource dependency is developed in terms of: (i) occupational attachment, (ii) attachment to place, (iii) employability, (iv) family attitude to change, (v) business size, (vi) business approach, (vii) financial situation, (viii) level of specialisation, (ix) time spent harvesting, and (x) interest in and knowledge of the environment. The model of resource dependency and its effect on social resilience are (quantitatively and qualitatively) tested and explored using the commercial fishing industry in North Queensland, Australia. Results show that occupational attachment and employability were important influences as were business size and approach. Results can be used to identify vulnerability to institutional change and guide policy development pro-cesses.
Abstract This paper examines the influence of community attachment on voluntary citizen participation in rural community improvement projects. We do so by modifying the original systemic model of community attachment (Kasarda and Janowitz 1974) and combining it with tenets of rational choice and social embeddedness theories. The modified model is then extended to consider voluntary participation in community projects by accounting for the influence of community attachment through both a solidarity of interests and a solidarity of sentiments (Bell 1998). Based on survey results of almost 9,000 citizens across 99 small (500–10,000) Iowa communities, findings provide overall support for the expected positive influence of local social ties (weak informal, strong informal, and formal) on the two forms of community attachment which, in turn, positively affect voluntary participation. Attachment in the form of community interests shows a strong direct and indirect effect on voluntary participation, while sentiment's influence is largely indirect. We conclude by considering the relevance of our findings to ongoing discussions of social capital.
Conservation of Resources (COR) theory predicts that resource loss is the principal ingredient in the stress process. Resource gain, in turn, is depicted as of increasing importance in the context of loss. Because resources are also used to prevent resource loss, at each stage of the stress process people are increasingly vulnerable to negative stress sequelae, that if ongoing result in rapid and impactful loss spirals. COR theory is seen as an alternative to appraisal-based stress theories because it relies more centrally on the objective and culturally construed nature of the environment in determining the stress process, rather than the individual’s personal construel. COR theory has been successfully employed in predicting a range of stress outcomes in organisational settings, health contexts, following traumatic stress, and in the face of everyday stressors. Recent advances in understanding the biological, cognitive, and social bases of stress responding are seen as consistent with the original formulation of COR theory, but call for envisioning of COR theory and the stress process within a more collectivist backdrop than was first posited. The role of both resource losses and gains in predicting positive stress outcomes is also considered. Finally, the limitations and applications of COR theory are discussed.
Descriptions of calamities go as far back as the earliest human writings, but systematic empirical studies and theoretical treatises on social aspects of disasters have appeared only in the 20th century. The first publications in both cases were produced by sociologists. Samuel Prince (1920) wrote a doctoral dissertation in sociology at Columbia University in 1920 which examined the social change consequences of a munitions ship explosion in the harbor of Halifax, Canada. Pitirim Sorokin (1942) two decades later wrote Man and Society in Calamity which mostly speculated on how war, revolution, famine, and pestilence might affect the mental processes, behavior, social organizational and cultural life of involved populations.
One hundred twenty-five commercial fishers in Cordova, Alaska, completed a mailed survey regarding current mental health functioning 6 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Economic and social impacts of the oil spill and coping and psychological functioning (modified Coping Strategies Scales, Symptom Checklist 90-R) were measured. Multiple regression was used to test the utility of the Conservation of Resources stress model for explaining observed psychological symptoms. Current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder were associated with conditions resource loss and avoidant coping strategies. The Conservation of Resources model provided a framework for explaining psychological impacts of the oil spill. Future research is needed to identify factors related to recovery.