Gender and drought: experiences of Australian women in the drought of the 1990s.
A unique collaborative, sociological study undertaken during 1995-7, explored the social construction of drought as a disaster, looking at farm families in two Australian states: Queensland (beef producers) and New South Wales (sheep/wheat producers). A decision was made to interview the women and men separately to test our hypothesis that there would be gender issues in any analysis of a disaster, but particularly one which has had so much long-term impact on individuals, families and communities, such as drought. Interviews were conducted with over 100 individuals male and female. We conclude that drought as a disaster is a gendered experience. The paper draws on the narratives of some women involved in the study to identify 'themes of difference' which confirm the necessity to maintain gender as a variable in all studies of the social impacts of disaster.
Stehlik
D
D
Central Queensland University. d.stehlik@cqu.edu.au
Lawrence
G
G
Gray
I
I
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000383:Agriculture; D002648:Child; D003657:Decision Making; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009517:New South Wales; D011793:Queensland; D012737:Sex Factors; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*