Precarity and patriarchal bargain: women’s experiences in post-disaster recovery housing after the 2011 Van earthquake

Abstract

In this paper, we frame women’s experiences in post-disaster recovery housing to highlight the differential distribution of their vulnerabilities. While studies have reported women’s resilience in their new residence, their social vulnerability is often exacerbated in post-disaster recovery housing as they disproportionately shoulder the familial responsibilities with limited resources. We collected and analyzed 350 face-to-face interviews with women survivors living in the post-disaster recovery housing after the 2011 Van earthquake. Using Butler’s concept of precarity, we argue that under the prevailing patriarchal system, the physical location and the configuration of the new residence, and women’s familial status continue to differentially pose challenges for displaced women and worsen their vulnerabilities even years after their relocation. We found that while some women experienced positive changes, they continue to bargain with patriarchy, underlining the oppressiveness of the patriarchal system

Keywords:

• Disaster
• displacement
• earthquake
• gender
• patriarchal bargain
• precarity
• Türkiye (Turkey)

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Rick Hekeler and Professor Desirée Ciambrone for their invaluable suggestions and help with copyediting.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Research Fund of the Van Yuzuncu Yil University. Project Number: [SBA-2016-5458].

Notes on contributors

Mehmet Şeremet

Dr Mehmet Şeremet, the first author has a PhD from Plymouth University on GIS education in the UK and Turkey. His current post is that of Reader in Human Geography at Van Yuzuncu Yil University in Turkey. He has published several papers in UK-oriented journals including JGHE, IRGEE, Geojournal and, Geography. His recent research includes critical subjects in Human Geography such as ecofeminism, gender and sustainability, feminist geography, critical GIS.

Voon Chin Phua

Voon Chin Phua is Professor of Sociology at Gettysburg College. His research interests include issues related to gender, sexualities, and identities. His works have appeared in Annals of Tourism Research, Men and Masculinities, Sex Roles, Archives of Sexual Behaviors, and Sexualities.

Emine Cihangir

Dr. Emine Cihangir, the third author, is an academic in the Tourism Department at Van Yuzuncu Yil in Turkey. In addition to her Bachelors and Masters degrees, she has a PhD in Corporate Professional Management from Marmara University in Istanbul. She has professional experience in hotel management and has published papers on several aspects of gendering and tourism in Turkey.

Ezgi Bayram-Öz

Mrs. Ezgi Bayram, who is continue to her PhD on the field of Tourism and her research area of interest is mainly related to ecofeminism, political ecology, and ecotourism.

Ramazan Okudum

Dr. Ramazan Okudum who has PhD on Human Geography. His main research is related to organic farming, rural culture and space and policy.

Faruk Alaeddinoğlu

Faruk Alaeddinoglu, is a Professor in Human Geographers, his recent research has focussed on behavioural geography, urban geography and tourism geographies.