Children and youth are among the most vulnerable to the devastating effects of disaster due to the physical, cognitive, and social factors related to their developmental life stage. Yet children and youth also have the capacity to be resilient and act as powerful catalysts for change in their own lives and wider communities following disaster. Specific factors that contribute to resilience in children and youth, however, remain relatively unexplored. This article examines factors associated with high levels of resilience in 100 children and youth aged 5- to 18-years old who experienced the 2016 Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfire. A mixed-methods design was employed combining quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was obtained from the Children and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28) which measured individual, caregiver, and context factors influencing resilience processes among the participants. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews to gain further insight into the disaster experiences of children and youth. Quantitative findings reveal higher than average levels of resilience among the participants compared to normative scores. Qualitative findings suggest high levels of resilience were associated with both caregiver factors (specifically physical caregiving), and individual factors (primarily peer support). We discuss how physical caregiving and peer support during and after the wildfire helped mitigate the negative effects of disaster, thus bolstering children and youth's resilience. Implications for understanding the specific social-ecological factors that facilitate and support resiliency processes and overall recovery of children and youth following disaster are also discussed.

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Social-Ecological Factors Associated With Higher Levels of Resilience in Children and Youth After Disaster: The Importance of Caregiver and Peer Support.

Race relations in New Orleans have often been narrowed to Black and white, especially pre-Katrina. According to the 2000 census, the city was about 67% African American, 27% white, 2% Asian, and 3% “Hispanic.” In a city with a deep history of racial tensions between Black and white, other people of color—and especially recent immigrants—often went unmentioned in discussions of city demographics. The city’s world famous culture—whether in the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians and secondline parades, or in music like jazz and bounce—is also famously rooted in specifically African cultures. Even in media coverage of the city post-Katrina, the story of immigrant experiences has remained mostly invisible. When these stories have been told, they have often fit into the old stereotypes of “model minorities” (as in the case of the Vietnamese recovery) or of low-wage workers stealing jobs (as in the case of news reports on the city’s new Latino population). However, the stories of these other New Orleanians offer an important lens through which to view the overall struggle over the city’s recovery. And the work of grassroots activists from these communities, who strived to not only work for justice for their friends and neighbors, but also to build broad multi-racial alliances, provides an inspiring example for people in other cities who are waging similar fights.

Immigrant Struggles in New Orleans Post-Katrina

Climate change is experienced locally and globally, and communities and societies must address the subsequent consequences. The impacts of climate change have changed, and will continue, to change society's relationship with the environment. This chapter investigates the societal adaptation to climate change through a social development perspective that considers the intersections between the social, economic, and environmental dimensions that affect human wellbeing. Climate change adaptation is considered using an integrated approach for transforming systems that create injustices and inequities at a societal level that directly affect individual and community wellbeing. Extreme weather events, climate change impacts, vulnerability to climate risks, neoliberalism and climate denial, environmental and climate justice, and transformation are considered. Adaptation to climate change requires a holistic approach that considers all aspects of society and the environment.

Societal adaptation to climate change

The 2013 flood resulted in devastating impacts for immigrant children, youth, and families in Alberta, Canada. This article presents the findings of the Alberta Resilient Communities (ARC) Project, a collaborative research initiative that aimed to better understand the social, economic, health, cultural, spiritual, and personal factors that contribute to resiliency among children and youth. The study findings indicate that immigrant children and youth resilience is tied to four main themes: 1) Constructive parental responses; 2) Effective school support; 3) Active involvement in/with community; and 4) Connections between disasters and the environment. Community influencer participants revealed flood recovery challenges experienced by immigrant families that affected their settlement and integration at the community level. Major themes include: (1) Loss of documentation; (2) Provision of temporary housing and accommodation; and (3) Rethinking diversity in disaster management. The study findings demonstrate that immigrants faced significant socio-economic impacts, trauma, job loss, and housing instability as a result of the flood and its aftermath. Challenges such as limited social ties within and beyond the immigrant community, limited official language fluency, and immigration status contributed to their vulnerability. Immigrant children and youth with positive support from their immigrant parents were found to be more resilient, integrated, and engaged in the community. Recommendations for disaster and emergency management agencies to address diversity factors such as immigration status, language, age, and culture that shape long-term disaster recovery experience are provided. Schools, immigrant parents, and community connections were found to play a key role in fostering immigrant child and youth resilience post-disaster.

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Julia Tran

Papers

Impacts of the 2013 Flood on Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families in Alberta, Canada