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A Study on Community Satisfaction with the Community Empowerment Project in post-Morakot Permanent Housing Communities

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posted on 2023-05-25, 06:28 authored by Jang, L, Douglas Paton
Community Empowerment Program aim to equip local people and community organizations with the skills required to be self-reliant and eventually develop a sustainable community (in post-disaster contexts). This study evaluated the current situation of a resettlement program, including adaptation of Aboriginal community members. Data were collected from 5 counties and 11 newly-formed permanent housing communities. The study applied a mixed research method. A total of 909 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Group and individual interviews were conducted with 26 social workers and 26 community leaders. Study results indicate that females’ level of life adaptation is significantly higher than males. Compared with other tribes, the "Tsou" have adapted relatively well. Community members who have moved into permanent housing within 12 months (of Typhoon Morakot) seem to adapt better than their counterparts who did not. Participants from Taitung “Jialan” community seem to adapt better than their counterparts. For the community satisfactory section, female participants have a significantly higher mean than the males. Again, "Tsou" did better compared to their other Aboriginal counterparts. Participants who moved in "within 12 months" report to have the highest degree of community satisfactory. Participants from Pingtung “Chang Zhi Bai He” community reported the least degree of community satisfaction. Surprisingly, for those who have moved into the permanent housing for only 12 months or less, their reported degree of life adaptation and community satisfaction are significantly higher than most of their counterparts. This finding may suggest that other factors such as gender, ethnicity, locations of permanent housing, and culture are more influential than the length of living in the newly-formed community. In terms of community participation, female participants have a significant higher score than their counterparts. Participants from "Paiwan" participate more in community affairs. Participants who have moved into the newly-formed community between "13-18 months" report to have the highest score in community participation. Participants from the qualitative study suggest that the following factors may enhance the effectiveness of the Community Empowerment Program; providing appropriate training to the workers, wisely applying the administrative power of local government at the township levels, respecting local leader as experts of local culture and community issues, respecting community organizations own ways of operation, constructing a shared vision among community organizations and initiating collaboration among them. Suggestions: 1. establishing partnership among advisory teams, community empowerment stations, and community member involvement. The advisory team provides technical assistance, community empowerment stations act as a communication bridge between government and local community, and community members lead the direction of community empowerment projects. 2. Training small business in disaster-prone areas. Providing technical assistance to and having budget available for small businesses so they can quickly recover from damages caused by disasters. Thus, small business can continue providing job opportunities for disaster survivors. Furthermore, it can initiate the recovery of local economy.

History

Commissioning body

Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwain, R.O.C.

Pagination

393

Department/School

School of Psychological Sciences

Publisher

Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwain, R.O.C.

Place of publication

Taiwain

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in human society

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    University Of Tasmania

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