In praise of dependencies: dispersed dependencies and displacement

• Published in: Disasters Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 44 - 62
• Main Authors: Easton‐Calabria, Evan, Herson, Maurice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Attitudes; Dependence; Dependency; Dependency, Psychological; Disasters; dispersed dependencies; Dispersion; Displaced persons; Displacement; Human dignity; Humanitarian aid; humanitarian assistance; Humanitarianism; Humans; Independence; Mental disorders; Mental health; Praise; refugee self‐reliance; refugees; Refugees - psychology; Relief Work - organization & administration; resilience; refugees; dependency; humanitarian assistance; dispersed dependencies; displacement; refugee self-reliance; resilience
• ISSN: 0361-3666; 1467-7717
• DOI: 10.1111/disa.12366

Reconceiving or reframing the humanitarian consequences of displacement in terms of ‘dispersed dependencies’, a term drawn from the field of mental health, sheds light on the disruptive experience of displacement and on affected individuals’ relations with other displaced people, hosts, states and humanitarian actors. Dependency for a person is neither a problem nor abnormal; independence is in effect about having a viable set of dispersed dependencies. This description, when applied in the context of disaster or displacement, challenges some humanitarian attitudes and offers some positive directions for humanitarian actors who seek to engage in assistance that is sustainable, contextual, and focused on human choice and dignity.