Gender and Buddhism in the Wake of the Tsunami

Abstract

In December 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit the shores of 13 countries, and more than 280,000 people lost their lives. In Thailand, about 10,000 people died or are missing, and approximately 8,500 people were injured. The exact number of how many died will never be known. This chapter deals, from a gender perspective, with the significance of Buddhism in the post-Tsunami recovery process in small fishing communities in Southern Thailand. It explores local adaptation strategies. The chapter is based on findings from a long-term anthropological project carried out in coastal villages in Phang Nga, the worst-hit province in Thailand. In Phang Nga, 69 villages were affected by the Tsunami, and some were totally destroyed. Many of those who survived lost their homes, families, friends, and neighbors. After the Tsunami, the intact Buddhist temples became important places of refuge and hubs around which everything functioned. The ethnographic accounts presented in the chapter are based on in-depth interviews, life stories, and participant observation. The chapter contains the experiences of Buddhist monks, nuns, and laypeople of the catastrophe and provides instances where Buddhism has been important in the recovery process.