Citation

O'Connell E, Abbott RP, White RS. Disasters 2017; 41(4): 803-827.

Affiliation

Director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12227

PMID

28133773

Abstract

A number of studies have examined emotional and belief responses following a disaster, yet there has been limited comparative analysis of responses to disasters in different places. This paper reviews the results of 366 questionnaires that evaluated key emotional and belief concepts in Haiti after the earthquake on 12 January 2010 (n=212) and in Indonesia after the earthquake in Yogyakarta on 27 May 2006 (n=154). The results indicate significant differences between the responses in the two settings, particularly in relation to feelings of impunity, self-blame for the disaster, regret about pre-earthquake behaviour, and a sense of justice in the world. Furthermore, the impacts of age, education, and gender on responses also were different in the two case study sites. Overall, the results suggest that understanding the cultural, religious, and social contexts of different disaster locales is important in comprehending the emotions and beliefs that manifest themselves in the wake of a major disaster.

© 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

Language: en

Keywords

Haiti; Indonesia; beliefs; disaster responses; earthquake; emotions; psychology; religion