RESILIENCE & POWER: EXPLAINING ADAPTIVE RESPONSES IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA

Scholars of socio-ecological resilience are seeking approaches to understand the articulations of structure, power, and agency in adaptations toward resilience. A framework is presented here, which guides analysis of structure... [ view full abstract ]

Scholars of socio-ecological resilience are seeking approaches to understand the articulations of structure, power, and agency in adaptations toward resilience. A framework is presented here, which guides analysis of structure and agency through different forms of power. The framework is applied to a case study of a fishery-dependent, Louisiana town, which was rebuilt and re-imagined following over a decade of natural, technological, and economic shocks and disturbances. Data collection involved policy and document review and field research, consisting of observations and semi-structured interviews. Findings demonstrated how the town’s adaptations toward resilience were produced by power operating through the legislated rights and responsibilities of the Port, differential capacity of stratified groups, and systemic aspects of generalized values, norms, and preferences. The power framework is relevant for planning community adaptations toward resilience. However, questions regarding the relationship between resilience and sustainability remain.