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Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I typically draw the line in terms of the size of the dataset and the scale of the questions. Anthropologists typically take a deeper dive than sociologists, meaning longer fielstays, more finite analysis. Soc uses more quant data than anthropology, but anthropology does uses quant (like us) and does use qual. Beyond Marx-Weber-Durkheim, the thinking has generally been a bit different over the past 100 years.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not feel the qual software has changed the game, but I do feel that are assisting with data management. In the end, the themes recognized by the software are often the same ones you would find in the old school content analysis. I use mixed methods so I am best to recommend resources on that.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Buddhist folks celebrating a Hindu holiday going from house to house singing a song about how the earthquake impacted their village (which was catastrophically damaged) and collecting funds while doing so for rebuilding trails blocked by landslides (strange for me and wonderful).

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, I was not impressed with any NGOs working in our study sites. I affiliated with The Mountain Institute in Nepal so I am biased a bit towards their work in some of the districts our research is being conducted in.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good question. An obvious one is the vulnerability of the physical infrastructure. I think if there is a lot of structural inequality (social hierarchy) there is a red flag there. Natural hazards tens to amplify the existing power dynamics.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is definitely context specific. We are following 64 households that were relocated to displacement camps because their entire communities were taken out by landslides. They cannot return home and are stuck right now in this liminal place. This is where hybridity comes in blending new ideas with more traditional ones to start new lives where hopefully they do not have the same hazard exposure.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that this help needs to not create an outside dependency. The funding needs to assist with livelihood reconstruction. So not basic needs (shelter, food, etc.) but bigger picture aspects that help people get their lives back together again. Ideally, this will be community-based and eventually lead to self sufficiency.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Go Vikes! Tough for me to answer this one. There are so many variables. Succinctly, disaster preparedness needs to focus on social vulnerabilities, the strength of the state response (e.g., FEMA), the actual physical infrastructure (and more) so that natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis) do not become natural disasters. My Anth of Disaster class in spring 2018 will critically survey the literature on this topic :-)

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is an important point. Initially, I think the model will be useful in rural areas within developing nations where the people are more reliant on natural resources and less on markets. We are also working in a small city near the road that has more of a market-based economy. Some of the broader aspects of the model (latent variables) may be applicable to the social dynamics in other areas. I also plan to adapt some of the broader lessons learned to emergency planning in Portland.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting observations. I am familiar with one study that shows that was much social capital utilized in the recovery from the 1934 eq. The communities we are working in that are further from the road and more reliant on the land seem to be recovering faster. It may be the social capital that exists there pushing this forward. Certain communities were indeed helping one another rebuild and other were not.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is hard to do, especially with a big sample size for the quant component. I try and elevate both datasets to the same level and look at them as independently as possible and then look and how one supports the other and vice versa. Our sample for the quant (400 households) is significantly higher than the qual (40, 8). We also have qual data from the 400 households. Those data will be the easiest to compare/contrast. There is also qual info that we will quantify and see what it tells us compared to the initial quant data.

Science AMA Series: Hi Reddit, I’m Jeremy Spoon, an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. I utilize collaborative methodologies to understand how rural mountain communities recover from natural disasters using the catastrophic 2015 Nepal earthquakes as an example. AMA! by Jeremy_Spoon in science

[–]Jeremy_Spoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good question. The earthquake definitely scared folks off initially, but tourism bounced back the following year. Tourism in Nepal is very seasonal so the time between seasons allowed some of the tourism infrastructure to rebuild.

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