Abstract
Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST) is a criminology theory that explains how strains, and negative emotions that result from these strains, can push an individual to engage in maladaptive coping mechanisms. Strains are negative situations and circumstances that individuals tend to be averted by. Such strains can surface during periods of exogenous shocks, such as disasters, that can disrupt an individual’s wellbeing, day-to-day living, and ensuing interactions with others in the community. I conducted a secondary data, thematic analysis on 45 interview transcripts to understand the types of strains and responses that were expressed during the 2010-11 Brisbane floods. These transcripts were obtained through informal data sharing from the original Australian Community Capacity Study (Wave 4) that investigated the 2010-11 Brisbane floods. Interviewees were from the flood-affected suburbs of Chelmer, Tennyson, and Goodna, in South-East Queensland. Preliminary themes include “disempowering flood victims/survivors when offering help”, “latent strains in recovery period”, and “shared trauma and collective coping improves community relationships that in turn reduce anticipated strain”, as types of strains, responses, and coping mechanisms that were present across the dataset.
Presenters
Suaditya C MohanStudent, Doctorate in the School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Agnew's General Strain Theory, Disasters, Floods, Thematic Analysis, Secondary Data
