‘Cultural capital’ refers to the way people understand and know the world, and how they act within it. It includes ethnicity, habits, language, stories, traditions, spirituality, heritage, symbols, mannerisms, preferences, attitudes, orientations, identities, norms, values, and the process and end products of cultural and artistic pursuits.(1–3).
This page is part of the pilot Guide to Recovery Capitals (ReCap). It is a work in progress, and your feedback is most welcome up until March 31st 2021. Find out more about the guide and the ReCap project:
Below, you will find outlines of ‘what we know’ from evidence about the role of cultural capital in disaster recovery, including how it can affect wellbeing and interact with other recovery capitals. These statements summarise academic evidence, but they do not represent the entire evidence base. You can find original evidence sources in the reference list below.
You will also find prompts to consider when applying this knowledge to disaster recovery support efforts.
The recovery capitals are deeply interrelated – look out for the little icons which highlight points of relevance to the other capitals.
WHAT WE KNOW
Cultural norms and attitudes towards disasters, loss, support and community shape people’s experiences of recovery. People may experience grief over loss of community members (13), animals (14,15) and the natural environment (12,16) – for example, Aboriginal peoples may experience the loss of a particular tree as a family loss (12) – and culture influences these experiences, their expression, and how others respond to them (17,18).
It is important to validate the effects of a variety of relationship losses. What strategies should interventions provide to cope with this?
If appropriate, create spaces for memorials and anniversary events in which people can acknowledge and reflect on their losses.
What attitudes (e.g. taboo topics) exist within affected communities that may affect recovery? Consider the implications of these when providing support.
WHAT WE KNOW
Cultural norms and attitudes towards marginalised groups (e.g. LGBTIQ people (9,10), sex workers (11), Indigenous peoples (12)) can have negative impacts on experiences of disaster and recovery through stigma, discrimination and lack of appropriate support.
What diversity training do staff require to help them ensure their work is culturally inclusive and appropriate? How can this be provided? Collaborate with a range of groups and organisations to design recovery approaches that are appropriate for all diverse members of affected communities.
WHAT WE KNOW
Gender norms influence experiences of disaster and recovery in many ways. This includes influencing decisions made during emergencies (e.g. different social expectations of women and men) (4–6), how people behave afterwards and whether this is accepted (including violence and aggression) (7,8), and whether people seek support (8).
Embed an understanding of gender into support services in disaster contexts (e.g. through education of recovery workers).
How available and accessible are appropriate family services (including family violence practitioners)?
WHAT WE KNOW
Cultural factors that enable some communities to fare relatively well in recovery include: cultural cohesion, common narratives of shared history, sense of collective identity, shared meaning-making and cultural strategies (23,24). In particular, the shared histories and close ties that characterise many migrant and Indigenous communities have the potential to support resilience (12,17,23). However, external forces during recovery may degrade this cultural capital or inhibits its use in recovery (1,12,17).
What are the core cultural features of the affected communities? Involve community members in reflecting on this to guide recovery priorities.
WHAT WE KNOW
The knowledge, values and cultural practices of Indigenous peoples around the world can be highly valuable in disaster preparedness, response and recovery (17,21,22). However, this value is often not fully recognised or drawn upon in mainstream emergency management (12), in part because it can conflict with or be undermined by top-down, national or state-wide approaches (17,21).
In Australia, there is growing interest in cultural burning as a bushfire risk reduction strategy, yet Aboriginal voices have largely been ignored in broader discussions of resilience and recovery, despite the depth of knowledge within Aboriginal communities about strength, resilience and living with Country (12,22).
Establish formal mechanisms and authentic relationships for ongoing contribution of Indigenous peoples in recovery decision-making.
How can recovery be enhanced by listening to Indigenous people’s voices and deep knowledge of resilience, healing and how to live with Country?
WHAT WE KNOW
Cultural and spiritual meanings are often attached to nature, such that changes to the natural environment following disasters have implications for mental health and wellbeing (16,19). For Aboriginal peoples these experiences can be particularly profound due to the deep connections between land, culture, history, colonisation and identity (12,20).
Restore local features that enable people to connect to the natural environment (such as walks and parks), and initiate diverse opportunities to enable people to engage with the spiritual and cultural significance of nature in their lives.
Recovery approaches should be respectful of the history, culture, strengths and circumstances of affected Indigenous communities, including deep connectedness to the land. This involves enabling each community to lead their own recovery; developing respectful, trusted relationships and collaborations; and considering the significance of connection to Country, trauma, healing and resilience.
The pilot ReCap guide was released in July 2020 for piloting and is a work in progress. Your feedback is most welcome up until March 31st 2021.
Please get in touch with any comments or enquiries.
This resource has been developed through the Recovery Capitals (ReCap) project, which is an Australia-Aotearoa New Zealand collaboration. The ReCap project is being undertaken by the University of Melbourne and Massey University in New Zealand, with the support of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre. Australian Red Cross is the lead partner organisation. Illustrations by Oslo Davis. ReCap logo by Alana Pirrone and Oslo Davis.