The 921 earthquake: A study of the effects of Taiwanese cultural factors on resilience (China)

This study examined the effects of cultural factors, namely social support networks and spirituality, on the resilience and posttraumatic growth of people who experienced natural disasters. Using a symbolic interactionist theoretical perspective, a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design was employed for this study. In the quantitative investigation, 640 participants completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). The hypotheses tested were: (1) scores on the PTGI will vary with household membership; (2) those participants who report continuous religious affiliation will have a significantly higher score on the PTGI than others; (3) under conditions of repeated exposure to natural disasters, scores on the PTGI will vary with household membership; and (4) under conditions of repeated exposure to natural disasters, those participants who report continuous religious affiliation will have a significantly higher score on the PTGI than those who report no religious affiliation. In the qualitative sample, 28 participants participated in interviews that explored four research questions: (1) how do you view the contribution of social support networks? (2) how do you view the contribution of spirituality? (3) how does repeated exposure to natural disasters affect your coping styles? and (4) what changes have you experienced as a result of the 921 Earthquake?; In the quantitative findings, Hypothesis 2 was supported---indicating that spirituality can be an important component of posttraumatic growth. Qualitative research findings indicate that Hakka spirit was the key cultural attribute influencing resilience. Hakka spirit is a lifestyle, a set of beliefs, a history of ancestry, and the essence of a unique culture that has been developed over time. This study also found that natural disasters can have significant, rather immediate impact on cultural systems. Participants reported that how families lived together changed as a result of this particular disaster---in turn changing how social support networks function. This finding points out the necessity of constructing social work interventions using relevant, field-based cultural knowledge. Distinguishing the culture under investigation (e.g. individualist vs. collectivist cultures) and micro-cultures must be considered as a fundamental element in the design and implementation of future disaster research.