Research topic
Trauma and gender in natural disasters and conflict contexts: A comparative study of Aceh, Indonesia and the Deep South Thailand
Research outline
Natural disasters and violent conflicts leave more than visible destruction and death in their wake, particularly in the developing world. Alisa is studying trauma and its affects impacted by poverty and gender, on top of natural disasters and violent conflict occurring at the same time.
I am specifically interested in understanding how people have been affected by simultaneous natural disasters and violent conflicts in Aceh, Indonesia and the Deep South of Thailand.
My research is investigating how people in these sites, from different ethnic groups and age constructs, have experienced trauma. Studying trauma from a sociological perspective is core to this research. I hope the outcomes will broaden the perspective of decision-making regarding public disaster prevention, as well as inform future activities by national institutions and organizations that deal with trauma impacted communities.
Research questions
- What role does gender play in the trauma brought on by natural disasters occurring on top of violent conflict; and
- How do different ethnic groups and age constructs experience trauma.
Supervisory team
Professor Stewart Lockie
Dr Theresa Petray
Research outputs
- The benefits of this research study are expected to reduce the future number of vulnerable people in areas where natural disasters and conflict occur.
- The research will describe difficulties that arise for peoples and their way of life through the impacts of human emotion such as trauma.
Research grants
Office of the Higher Education Commission, Thai government
Australian National University
James Cook University
Conference paper
Hasamoh, A. (2008). Regionalism and inter-ethnic relations: The case of the Acehnese in Indonesia. Are We Up to the Challenge?: Current Crises and the Asian Intellectual Community. The Work of the 2005/2006 API Fellows (pp. 196-205). Tokyo: The Nippon Foundation.
Teaching experience
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand