Resilience is futile

Diprose, Kristina

doi:10.3898/136266215814379736

Cited by 52 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The emphasis placed on resilience in policy responses to societal risks has been the subject of extensive criticism. Diprose (2014) argues that a focus on resilience encourages people to live with insecurity and undermines the collective struggle for social change. In her view, the climate change adaptation discourse is dominated by discovering how storms are to be withstood because adversity is presumed to be inevitable.…”

Section: Resilience To Extreme Weather and Climate Change Risks: Concmentioning

confidence: 99%

The resilience paradox: flooding experience, coping and climate change mitigation intentions

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of extreme weather events across the globe and these events are likely to have significant mental health implications. The mental health literature broadly characterises negative emotional reactions to extreme weather experiences as undesirable impacts on wellbeing. Yet, other research in psychology suggests that negative emotional responses to extreme weather are an important motivation for personal action on climate change. This article addresses the intersection of mental health and functional perspectives on negative emotions, with a specific focus on the potential that reduced negative emotional responses to extreme weather may also translate to diminished motivation to undertake climate change mitigation actionswhich we term the 'resilience paradox'. Using survey data gathered in the aftermath of severe flooding across the UK in winter 2013/2014, we present new evidence indicating that self-appraised coping ability moderates the link between flooding experience and negative emotions and thereby attenuates the indirect link between flooding experience and climate change mitigation intentions. We conclude that support for flood victims should extend beyond addressing emotional, physical and financial stresses to include acknowledgement of the involvement of climate change and communication of the need for action to combat future climate risks. Key policy insights. Psychological resilience to flooding and other extreme weather events can translate to diminished motivation to mitigate climate change. Negative emotional reactions need to occur at an optimal level to enable people to respond appropriately to climate risks.. Flood victims' subjective appraisal of their ability to cope does not necessarily encompass consideration of the role played by climate change. Therefore, support for victims of extreme weather should include explicit acknowledgement of the involvement of climate change and the need for action to mitigate future climate risks.

show abstract

Section: Resilience To Extreme Weather and Climate Change Risks: Concmentioning

confidence: 99%

The resilience paradox: flooding experience, coping and climate change mitigation intentions

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The common use of the concept of resilience, in particular in public policy, has though been criticised (Diprose, 2015) for promoting resilience as a proactive adjustment of people to situations that are inherently unjust, thus failing to grasp the need in contexts of inequality to transform social and economic relations. Katz (2004) argues for a distinction between reworking (acting to redistribute power and resources), resilience (taking steps to maintain supportive relationships, pursuing education) and resistance (providing alternatives that are critical of the status quo).…”

Section: Resilience and Resistancementioning

confidence: 99%

Agency, resilience and innovation in overcoming educational failure

Hemson

2018

PiE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study seeks to understand how a group of boys in a Durban township achieved exceptional educational results despite the severe financial, social and educational constraints they faced. Their high school typified the worst failings of the South African educational system, but they achieved academic success in the matriculation and at university. Using resilience theory as a framework, it seeks to explore the strategies employed by the group and assesses the nature of their resilience. The group formed from a recognition that they were failing in their education. They responded by developing both individual and collective strategies to guide their learning. The strategies consisted of individual study, the debating of problems in their group, using whatever extra classes were available, locating material resources and taking on tutoring and teaching roles. The study draws on a series of interviews, focus group discussion and documentary evidence over the period 2011 to 2018. A thematic analysis of the data identifies four key themes: (1) Education and society have failed us (2) Responding to failure, we develop strategies and we appropriate resources (3) "Learning is within our blood" and (4) Our success. The only possible advantage the group enjoyed over their peers was that their families valued their education. In the process they developed confidence in their deep understanding of the subjects they studied and in their own intellectual capacity. It is argued that the principles they developed hold within them the potential for ongoing transformation of the systems that disadvantaged them. The significance of this study is that it demonstrates the need for officials, principals and teachers to value and support the capacity of young people in African contexts to achieve the fullest grasp of disciplinary knowledge.

show abstract

“…A challenge to ourselves and our colleagues is, as Diprose (2015) suggests, to be aware of/sensitive to the degree to which an uncritical adoption of the term resilience implies resignation to draining conditions, resignation to disadvantage rather than resistance to inequities. An over-emphasis, assumption of, and reliance on, individual strengths may overshadow the social and structural inequalities that initiate and perpetuate the experience of stress (Bottrell, 2009;Garrett, 2016;Thoits, 2010).…”

Section: He Asksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We understand, for instance, the social determinants of health, and the challenges to a holistic comprehension of wellbeing from expedient alliances between scientific thinking and political agendas (Beddoe & Joy, 2017;Healy, 2015). Our bi-focal lens enables us to embrace research literature from social work and allied disciplines that re-balance a focus from "just" trauma and individual coping, towards an appreciation of complex, intersecting influences that include the causes of the adversities as well as their impact (Bonanno et al, 2011;Bottrell, 2009;Diprose, 2015).…”

Section: He Asksmentioning

confidence: 99%