Patterns and Predictors of Psychological Coping and Adjustment among Riverbank Displacees in an Llrban Environment: A Case Study of Squatters in Bangladesh By David Hutton A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Faculty of Graduate Studies University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Bibliothèque nationale l*l ffa¿lonatt-iurarv du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wêllington Street 395, rue Wellingrton OttawaON K1A0N4 Otùau¡a ON KrA 0N4 Caneda Canada You ñla Volre ¡élétooæ Out ñl€ l,loùs ¡ólátw The authorhas granted anon- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electroDic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiI¡n, de reproduction surpapier ou sur format électronique. 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Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Abstract 5 Acknort'ledgements 7 Chapter I Introduction Chapter II 15 Flooding and Riverbank Erosion in Banglad"rh 15 Poverty and Natural Disaster Relationships in Bangladesh 15 Dispiacement and Resettlement Patterns 79 Chapter Iii 26 Disasters and Psychological Vulnerability 26 Displacement and Psychological Vulnerability 32 Chapter IV 42 PsychologrcaJ Coping 42 Coping in the Context of Involuntary Disptacement in Bangladesh 45 Chapter V 52 Theoretical Considerations 52 Research Objectives and Hypotheses 57 Chapter VI 60 Research Methodology 60 Sample and Sampling Procedure 60 Sample of Displaced Persons 62 Sample of Non-Displaced Persons 66 Apparatus 72 Chapter VII 92 Patterns in Coping and Adaptation: Survey Findings 92 Demographic Background 94 Psychologi cal Distress 94 Riverbank Erosion and Displacement 98 Perceptron of Riverbank Erosion Hazard 101 Socioecononric Marginalization LM Occupational Status 704 Daily Earnings and Living Conditions 1.07 Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh 2 Perception of Hardship 111 Social Support 774 Personal Control 720 Psychological Coping and Adjushnent Processes 723 Coping Checklist 124 Self-Reported Coping Responses 126 Psychological Coping and SRQ Scores 127 Summary 130 Chapter VIII 133 Factors Affecting Displacement and Resettlement Adaptation Processes 133 Socio-cultural Consequences of Resettlement 737 Socioe conomi c Adju stment and Marginalization 143 Gender 148 Education 156 Age 1& Psychological Coping Processes 177 Summary 180 Chapter IX 782 Conclusions and lmplications r82 lmplications to Understanding Psychological Impacts and Coping Strategies _ 183 Policy and Disaster Management and Decision-Making Implications: An interdisciplinary Perspective 188 Poverty and Marginalization: Integrating Human Development into Disaster Management Policv 793 Cor-rceptual and Research Implications 200 References 208 Appendix A 237 Displacee Questionnaire 237 Appendix B 238 Non-Displ acee Questionnaire 238 Appendix C 239 Bengali Displacee Questionnaire 239 Appendix D 240 Bengali Non-Displacee Questionnaire 240 Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh List of Tables Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by Status and Tract 70 Table 2: Distribution of SRQ Cases by Status annd Tract 96 Table 3: Dstribution of SRQ Cases by Status and Age 96 Table 4:Distribution of SRQ Cases l¡y Tract and Gender 97 Table 5: Distribution of Displacement Frequenry and Duration by Tract 99 Table 6: Drstribution of Duration of Displacement by Tract 100 Table 7: Dstribution of SRQ Cases by Displacement Variables 101 Table 8: Distribution of Riverine Hazard Awareness 702 Table 9: Dstribution of Occupation Type by Status and Gender 105 Table 10:Distribution of Household Income by Status and Tract 108 Tabie 11: Distribution of Living Amenities by Status and Tract 109 Table 12: Distribution of Displacee Economic Conditions by Land Orn nership- 110 Table 13: Distribution of SRQ Cases by Household lncome and Amenities- 111 Table 14:Distribution of Perception of Hardship by Status and Tract 172 Table 15: Distribution of SRQ Cases by Perception of Hazard 113 Table 16: Distribution Of Sociai Indicators by Status and Gender 116 Table 17: Distribution of SRQ Cases by Status and Social Indicator 118 Ta'ble l-8: Distribution of Personal Control by Status and Cender 727 Table 19: Distribution of SRQ Cases by Perception of Personal Control L22 Table 20: Distribution of Dispositional Coping by Status and Gender 725 Table 21: Distribution of Self-Report Copíng Responses by Status and Gender- 726 Table 22:Distribution of Coping Behaviors by Status and Gender 127 Table 23: Patterns in SRQ Cases by Coping Frequenry 128 Table 24: Distribution of Economic Adjustment by Length of Residence 747 Table 25: Significance of Perception of Hardship by Status and Gender 153 Table 26: Distribution of Level of Education by Status and Gender 158 Table 27:Disbibution of Level of Education and Economic Adaptatíon 159 Table 28: Distribution of Economic Adaptation Indicators by Age 766 Table 29: Distribution of Socaial Adaptation Indicators by Age t67 Table 30:Distribution of Health and Age 168 Table 31: Distribution of Self-Efficary Perceptions by Gender and Age L73 Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh 4 List of Figures Figure 1: Location of Serajganj and Sha¡aikandi Headquarters, Serajganj and Bogra Districts 67 Figure 2: Location of Serajganj Urban Squatter Settlement Sample A¡eas 65 Figure 3: Location of Shariakandi Rural Sample Areas 68 Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh Abstract This study is designed to examine the impact of riverine hazards and displacement upon displacees, both maies and females, in Bangladesh. The specific objectives of the study are to: (a) determine the magnitude of psvchologicai distress associated with riverine hazards and displacement in Bangladesh, (b) examine patterns and predictors related to the economic, social, and psychological adaptation of male and female displacees, and (c) identify pattems of psychological coping corunon to displaced persons. Research was conducted during the 1998 flood season in Bangiadesh. Subiects consisted of 238 displacees randomly sampled from four squatter settlements in the city of Serajganj in Bangladesh. A comparison group of 223 demographically comparative non-displacees was drawn from three rural villages in the thana (sub-district) of Shariakandi. Structured intervier,r's rvere conducted at the respondents' households over a six week period using lrained universitv students. The findings show that the constant threat of riverbank erosion has contributed to the development of a distinct set of characteristics related to disaster-induced displacement in Bangladesh. Although frequent dísplacement is common among the floodpiain residents,less than one-fifth of the displacees had perceived riverbank erosion to be a serious problem and just one-tenth believed they rt'ould eventually be permanently displaced. Although displacees exhibit significantly higher level of distress than non- displacees, this is related primarily to socioeconomic deprivation rather than displacement per se. The commonly hypothesized factors such as loss of land Coping and adaptation in Bangladesh 6 and frequency and duration of displacement are not found to have a significant association with distress levels. Among both displacees and non-displacees, chronic survival concerns, daily hunger, and marginal living conditions rvere predictive factors of psydrological distress. The need to integrate disaster management within a social, cultural and psychological context is emphasized. Popular development and psychological theory usually associates low personal control rvith maladaptive passiviW and dependency. In this study, displacees have more often responded to their difficulties with active problem-solving efforts, with fatalism being among the least utilized forms of coping. It appears that low aspirations and self-efficacy