Research is increasingly uncovering the many ways that individuals affected by disasters change their environmental views in response to their direct experience of such catastrophic events. There is a growing body of research that focuses on adults’ environmental views, revealing that they often remain complacent toward environmental problems even after experiencing a disaster. However, very little research examines whether and to what extent children and youth’s environmental views shift and change after experiencing a disaster. This article fills this gap by specifically focusing on the environmental views and practices of 83 children and youth between the ages of 5 and 17 years who experienced the 2013 Southern Alberta Flood, the costliest flood disaster in Canadian history. Findings suggest that disaster catalyzes a process of reflexivity in children and youth. Experiencing the flood prompted children and youth to think more about the environment than prior to the flood; contemplate larger environmental issues, such as climate change, as the root cause of the locally experienced flood; and take action, as well as call others to action, to ameliorate climate and environmental problems in their own lives and communities. We discuss the implications these findings have for environmental and disaster education, policies, and practices.

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Meat production and consumption is hotly debated in many parts of the world, in part because of ongoing animal welfare concerns. Drawing on several contending positions about the role of human agency in social practices, coupled with a sociology of emotion, we empirically identify a range of perspectives on the role of emotions in social practices. Drawing on a narrative inquiry method with cow-calf producers in Alberta, Canada, we seek to clarify how emotions can play a role in the evolution of farm animal care. Results suggest a narrative of 'emotional agency' where primary and secondary emotions are a catalyst for challenging, re-directing, and changing norms associated with farm animal welfare.

ObjectiveThis study investigated how a flooding disaster impacted family cohesion and resilience.BackgroundDisasters present challenges for families, often threatening family cohesion. Although there is extensive research on the impacts of disasters on mental health at the individual level, less is known about how family units recover from disasters, and how parental relationship dynamics and parent–child dynamics influence family functioning during and after such traumatic events.MethodQualitative face‐to‐face interviews were conducted 1 year after the 2013 southern Alberta flood with 105 parents of children ages 17 years and under.ResultsFindings reveal that families who experienced more loss were not necessarily more negatively impacted overall. Some families reported the flood caused them to grow further apart, whereas for others it brought them closer together. Those who reported that the flood brought them closer together demonstrated the following three main social skills: (a) communication, (b) conflict resolution, and (c) coping. Findings also reveal that families have higher levels of cohesiveness and resilience post‐disaster when they exhibit these important skills.ConclusionThis research concludes that coming together as a family unit created a supportive space for families to process and reduce the stress generated by the flood event. Families who demonstrate and practice communication, conflict resolution, and coping in the face of challenging events like disasters are more cohesive and resilient.ImplicationsUnderstanding how key social skills influence family members' functioning post‐disaster in terms of cohesion and resilience provides important insight into strategies, services, and resources that can be adopted and utilized to support families in disaster contexts.

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