1 research outputs found
“I base my life on sadness”: Apparently paradoxical sources of resilience among young Haitians
Haitian expressions of resilience also hold deep knowledge of human vulnerability. This longitudinal, qualitative study with
young Haitians from urban shantytowns combines ethnographic and participatory methods to explore the complexities
behind such idioms. Artistic and creative products made by or with the youth facilitated interviews, focus group discussions, and workshops. Through the life stories of participants and rich ethnographic material, this study presents locally
situated idioms of resilience (and distress). By including local social ecology, the idioms were framed as historically and
culturally rooted, thus shaping contextual, pragmatic, and gendered coping strategies grounded in embodied experiences
of vulnerability and resistance. The study adds essential insights into Haitian resilience, revealing the local logics behind
seemingly paradoxical statements. By drafting a conceptual framework for further studies on idioms of resilience, the
study also makes a theoretical contribution to international resilience research