2022 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 1-20
Xiaolin Village in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City was damaged by the Morakot Typhoon on August 8, 2009. This study evaluates the medium-to-long-term psychological recovery of the residents in the affected area. It assesses the psychological impact of the disaster on the community and analyzes the recovery process based on the subjective experiences shared by the residents. The study utilizes ethnography and encompasses a literature review, data analysis, participant observations, and interviews. It traces the process of reconstruction and psychological recovery through the opinion voiced by residents: their “dance group, culture, and industry” resulted in the reconstruction of their livelihoods and psychological recovery. Erikson’s (1976) conception of collective trauma partly exemplifies the psychological impact of the disaster on the Xiaolin community, as the mutual connections of residents were destroyed. At the same time, conflicts about their homeland emerged, and they confronted the loss of their other identities because their role as survivors was overestimated. Therefore, it does not suffice to investigate the traumatic symptoms triggered in individuals in the aftermath of a disaster. In conclusion, the affected groups must also regenerate community functions in a manner appropriate to their culture and undertake activities proactively to create a future lifestyle as a group.
