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Abstract
We examine the political and personal effects of disaster volunteerism with participants of the New Orleans Rebirth Movement (NORM) using four waves of pre- and postsurveys and qualitative analysis of participant journals. Significant increases are found in internal political efficacy, desire to be active in politics, and value placed on social justice issues, but disaster volunteerism also dramatically increases cynicism and emotional distress. Nearly every NORM participant in the study experienced emotional stress, and 1-in-5 self-medicated as a coping strategy upon one's return. Disaster volunteerism holds the potential to rapidly accelerate social justice consciousness and activism, even among those already inclined to be active, but the cost is high. Further research on this unique and increasingly popular type of community-based learning is needed.
Acknowledgments
An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Western Political Science Association, March 19−22, Vancouver, B.C. Funding for this project was provided by the Carnegie Foundation Faculty Fellowship, administered by the California Campus Compact. Funding was also provided by Project Pericles. The authors thank Michael Cahill and Ian Breckenridge-Jackson for their superior research assistance.
Notes
The term “rebirth” has multiple meanings in this context—physical rebuilding, spiritual rejuvenation. “Rebirth” is a common New Orleans term that appears on bumper stickers and t-shirts, and the Rebirth Brass Band is the most popular such band in the city.
“Mucking” a house refers to removing waterlogged furniture, appliances, and other belongings, and “gutting” a house describes the process of removing damaged ceilings, walls, and floors to ready the house for rebuilding.
We define “disaster zone” as any location where the physical remnants of a disaster are present. The abundance of abandoned, flooded houses and blocks and blocks of “empty” lots dotted by foundations and stairs leading to nowhere mean that New Orleans fits the definition of “disaster zone” many years after Hurricane Katrina and the human-caused flooding of the city.
Something as simple as introduction of the first bike lane in New Orleans (on busy St. Claude Street) is a reflection of the influence of NORM participants who lobbied for this long overdue safety measure.
In response to the mass closure of public housing in New Orleans, Richard Baker (R-Baton Rouge) stated, “We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did.”
Political efficacy measures, “I consider myself to be well qualified to participate in politics”; “I feel that I have a pretty good understanding of the important political issues facing the country”; “I feel that I could do as good a job in public office as other people”; “I think that I am better informed about politics and government than other people”; “Public officials don't care much about what people like me think”; “People like me don't have any say about what the government does”; “Sometimes politics and government seem so complicated that a person like me can't understand what's going on.”
The following questions were asked on the postsurvey: Have you experienced an increase or decrease in any of the following attitudes, beliefs, or desires as a result of your recent trip to New Orleans?: desire to be active in politics; desire to help others; desire to be active in issues of social justice.
Participants were asked, “Did your recent trip to New Orleans change your personal values or life goals?”
It is worth mentioning that NORM participants garnered the reputation of being politically active on campus. Two NORM participants went on to become student body president, and many NORM participants have served as student senators, representatives, and club leaders. It is beyond the scope of this study to determine whether this rash of activism is the result of NORM.
The following close-ended questions were asked on the postsurvey: Have you experienced an increase or decrease in any of the following attitudes, beliefs, or desires as a result of your recent trip to New Orleans? : Trust in government; Belief that racism is a major issue in the United States; Cynicism.
“Alternative spring breaks” are becoming increasingly popular (Montanari Citation2010). Many colleges and universities sent student groups to assist with flooding in the Midwest in 2008, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 flooding in Nashville, and other natural disasters in recent years.