Fighting & Struggling for life: An Ethnographic Study of A Multi-disadvantaged Family's Post-disaster Life Experiences

• Main Authors: Li, Chun-Sian, 李俊賢
• Other Authors: Hung, Ya-Chin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/83063419061862170700

碩士 === 中國文化大學 === 心理輔導學系 === 101 === The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of multi-disadvantaged family who have been through 88 flood disasters, the family’s life story and their way to survive. The research method adopted here is Ethnographic, and the three-year research field is to concern the multi-disadvantaged family (alias: the Jasmine family) with close observation and interviews. The result is that the Jasmine family face multidimensional social deprivation in their life so that the family’s survival strategy is self-isolation and being humble. And the family cannot deal with the trauma the flood brought. There are six findings in the study: (1) The combination of the disadvantaged from multi-disadvantaged family. The father is disabled due to an accident and expected to have a baby to carry on the family's name, he married an Indonesian woman (the mother). The mother gets disappointed in the family income and she has a hard time adjusting to the new environment. However, a child is born and brings the family together. (2) Family dynamics is "Outside isolation; inside enmeshment". Under this patriarchal family, the father creates family’s close relationship in order to avoid any discrimination and judgement from the outside world, but it restricts their development at the same time. (3) Continuously being in a disadvantaged situation, the father and the mother are being passive and do nothing to get the welfare; developing a humble survival strategy and self-identity. However, this way of living is a form of resilience. (4) This disaster proves how vulnerable they are and causes them to lose their original identity. The self-isolation survival strategy causes declining social capital, putting them in a worse situation. However, being short of resources is all they have now, they fully appreciate what they have got. (5) This flood put them in a crisis, but at the same time break their current situation; the rebuilding process might be slower than the other family, but they have a chance to be in public, thus gaining help and concerns from many charities. (6) Having a belief is a strong spiritual support. Being in a disadvantaged situation often lead to misunderstandings and doubts from other people; therefore, they speak to their God and believe only God can understand what they have been through. And then the reflection of the researcher will lead to some issues regarding the disadvantaged: (1) Being in a disadvantaged situation is not being weak. (2) Being "disadvantaged" is what we define, but that's all their life. (3) social positive consciousness is somehow an oppression to the disadvantaged. (4) Education might be the "only" way to improve their disadvantaged situation. Finally, according to the research results, some suggestions would be provided for psychology professionals.