Involuntary Relocation Research Articles

Linking Natural Resource Dependence to Sustainable Household Wellbeing: A Case Study in Western China

To reduce the threat of natural disasters, protect natural resources, and promote human wellbeing, Shaanxi Province, China has implemented the largest disaster resettlement project since 2011. It has moved 2.4 million people in three prefectures over 10 years. Using survey data from southern Shaanxi, China, this article measures sustainable household wellbeing (SHWB) and natural resource dependence in the context of disaster resettlement. It explores the differences in SHWB and natural resource dependence across different groups and relocation characteristics. To specifically analyze the effects of natural resource dependence on SHWB, ordinary least square (OLS) regression models were used to investigate their relationship. The results show that natural resource dependence shows significant positive correlation with SHWB. Meanwhile, the food dependence, energy dependence, and income dependence of relocated households show significant positive correlation with SHWB. Additionally, the SHWB of relocated households, voluntary relocation households, and centralized relocation households is significantly lower than local households, involuntary relocation households, and scattered relocation households. These findings have broader implications for rural communities in China and other developing countries, and are crucial for rural households to change the heavy dependence on natural resources and improve their wellbeing.

The making of dispensable subjects in the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia: the relocation of the Gich community as an example

The Simien Mountains National Park’s (SMNP) exoneration from the List of World Heritage Endangered is the recent story of the park. It is in September 2017 that the park has restored its place in UNESCO. Significant and sustainable reduction of human population within the park was one of the four basic standards set by the UNESCO World Heritage Commission in order to undo their decision. To fulfill UNESCO’s standard, the local government undertook relocations but inconsistently. By employing anthropological insights, this paper narrates the tale of the relocated Gich and Arkwazeye communities in the SMNP. The research used in-depth interview, discourse analysis and household surveys. Contrary to local government’s discourse on compensations, the Gich community suffered both socially and economically as a result of involuntary relocation. All the problems attached to this community are the result of the government’s non-participatory relocation plan which thus has created a dispensable subject. The Arkwazeye community, on the other hand, is experiencing a relatively stable life as they have maintained all social assets they have created as a community. The paper, therefore, recommends to the local government to individually take care of the lives of the Gich community.

Residential Environments for Older Persons: A Comprehensive Literature Review (2005-2022).

Independent noninstitutional and institutional residential long-term care environments for older persons have been the subject of significant empirical and qualitative research in the 2005-2022 period. A comprehensive review of this literature is reported, summarizing recent advancements in this rapidly expanding body of knowledge. This comprehensive review conceptually structures the recent literature on environment and aging to provide conceptual clarity and identify current and future trends. Each source reviewed was classified as one of the five types-opinion piece/essay, cross-sectional empirical investigation, nonrandomized comparative investigation, randomized study, and policy review essay-within eight content categories: community-based aging in place; residentialism; nature, landscape, and biophilia; dementia special care units; voluntary/involuntary relocation; infection control/COVID-19, safety/environmental stress; ecological and cost-effective best practices; and recent design trends and prognostications. Among the findings embodied in the 204 literature sources reviewed, all-private room long-term care residential units are generally safer and provide greater privacy and personal autonomy to residents, the deleterious impacts of involuntary relocation continue, family engagement in policy making and daily routines has increased, multigenerational independent living alternatives are increasing, the therapeutic role of nature and landscape is increasingly well-documented, ecological sustainability has increased in priority, and infection control measures are of high priority in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Discussion of the results of this comprehensive review sets the stage for further research and design advancements on this subject in light of the rapid aging of societies around the globe.

Moving our care home: A qualitative study of the views and experiences of residents, relatives and staff.

Involuntary relocation when care homes close can be detrimental to residents' health and well-being and is associated with increased mortality. There is little formal evidence to support whether planning can mitigate the impact of such moves. This study aimed to understand the experiences of a whole care home relocation where staff and residents relocated together using existing published guidance. A longitudinal qualitative research study using individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews was conducted between August 2018 and August 2019. Baseline interviews were conducted 6-8weeks after relocation with follow-up interviews 10-12months later. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using framework analysis. 27 interviews were conducted; 19 baseline interviews (4 residents, 7 family members, 8staff) and 8 follow-up interviews (2 residents, 2 family members, 4staff). Participants' feelings about the relocation were mixed: some reported apprehension before the move but others excitement. Residents and families felt variably involved in planning the move, whereas staff expressed lack of involvement. Time, family support and continuity of care helped participants settle in. The new environment shaped participants' experiences and abilities to adjust, especially the lack of a homely feeling with the new home, the larger size and changes in staff organisation and management. Despite implementation of existing guidance, relocation was still challenging for residents, staff and family members. Future relocations should increase involvement of staff in the planning and design of the home; offer continuous support to those involved; and ensure continuity of care and management style.

Residents' and Family Perspectives of Involuntary Healthcare Facility Closure and Relocation

AbstractOlder adults who receive care in a healthcare facility certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services receive services mandated and regulated by state and federal policy to ensure that basic quality and safety standards are met. Termination of certification due to ongoing care deficiencies results in the involuntary relocation of residents receiving Medicare or Medicaid services to another healthcare facility. If a facility ultimately closes, all residents are displaced. Facility decertification happens infrequently, but when it does occur, it affects both residents and their families. Few studies have examined resident input and the role that family plays in the relocation process. The purpose of this study was to explore residents' and families' perceptions of the relocation process and its effect on residents' health and wellbeing. The study sample included 27 residents and 93 family members from two facilities that lost their certification. Semi‐structured, audio‐recorded interviews conducted with participants either in‐person or by telephone focused on perceptions of relocation processes, relocation challenges and stressors, and physical and mental effects on residents. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an open coding process to identify common themes and patterns in the data. Four interrelated, overarching themes emerged from the analysis: 1) awareness of need to relocate; 2) notification of need to relocate; 3) involvement in relocation decisions; and 4) relocation stressors. Neither residents nor families were satisfied with the relocation process and offered multiple suggestions to guide policy and practice to improve their involuntary relocation experiences.

Fernando Botero and the theme of violence in Colombian art

The subject of this research is the theme of violence in Colombia in the works of the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, mainly of the XX century. Attention is given to determination of the prerequisites for the emergence of the theme of violence in his painting. For this purpose, analysis is conducted on the indirect presence of this theme in Botero’s works since the very beginning of his career to paintings of mature and later periods. It is demonstrated that the artist approached the reflection of the theme of violence from different perspectives, depicting massacres, tortures, death, and involuntary relocation. The article employs the method based on iconographic analysis of the artist’s works, as well as artistic and stylistic analysis. The scientific novelty lies in examination of the topic relevant to the culture and history of the Latin American country, revealed in the works of Fernando Botero, who distanced himself from comprehension of art as resistance throughout his entire career. The author concludes that the Botero’s paintings may be called a form of depicting the slaughterous history of the country, without adherence of the painter to any political or party ideology. The manner used by Botero in the series “Violence in Colombia” is identical the artist resorts to throughout his career, which leads to distortion and caricaturing of the artistic form, in combination with the tragedy of storylines, which aggravates the dramatic character of the chosen themes. The works of Botero of the late XX century are of invaluable cultural value for Colombia.

The Power to Stay: Climate, Cocoa, and the Politics of Displacement

Displacement due to environmental hazards such as sea-level rise and extreme weather has long been a prominent theme of climate adaptation and migration research. Although the relationship between climate adaptation and displacement is typically associated with the involuntary relocation of human bodies and livelihoods, in this article I offer an alternative perspective. Through an examination of recent trends in the Indonesian cocoa sector, I argue that fixing labor and capital in place—often in the form of smallholder producers—has emerged as a core strategy for corporate entities to manage the threat of their own economic displacement. Although this strategy enables corporate entities to maintain cocoa production in the face of economic and environmental disruption, the associated loss of smallholder mobility, constrained livelihood options, and new forms of financial dependency increase smallholder vulnerability to economic and environmental impacts associated with climate change. This work highlights emerging tensions between climate adaptation, displacement, and agrarian change while raising new questions concerning who and what is displaced and how in the context of climate adaptation in the Global South.

Experiences With Involuntary Nursing Home Relocation: The Staff Perspective.

Although involuntary nursing home closures for operational and care-related reasons occur infrequently, few studies have examined the centrality of the actions of staff to facilitate residents' relocation adjustment. We interviewed 18 administrators and 43 staff working at 27 facilities about the relocation process for residents from two facilities that lost their Medicare and State Medicaid certification due to ongoing care deficiencies. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes throughout each aspect of the relocation process: (a) staff expectations were not met, (b) barriers/challenges were persistent, and (c) resident/family involvement was minimal. We offer proactive participant-derived recommendations for policy and practice to strengthen involuntary relocation processes to ensure a cooperative work environment and residents' well-being, regardless of the cause for involuntary closure.

92 Relocation in Care Homes (RICH) Study: The Experience of Different Stakeholders

Abstract Introduction In the UK, care homes in unsuitable older buildings are closing. Involuntary relocation is associated with increased mortality and negative emotions among residents. Extensive planning can mitigate this. The aim was to understand the experience of a planned relocation between two care homes. Methods In the UK, care homes in unsuitable older buildings are closing. Involuntary relocation is associated with increased mortality and negative emotions among residents. Extensive planning can mitigate this. The aim was to understand the experience of a planned relocation between two care homes. Results Seven themes were identified and organised under three stages: pre-move (communication and involvement; preparation for the move; and attitudes towards the move), day-of-the-move (organisation of the move), and post-move (environmental change and impact; staff organisation and management; and settling in). Family and staff members reported that the pre-move information provided was inconsistent and staff did not feel involved in the planning and design process. Pre-move visits and staff and family support were beneficial for residents’ preparation for the move. All participants expressed sadness about the closure, and reported apprehension about moving. The moving day felt disorganised and stressful to staff who had to spread between the two homes. Post-move, the new care home was perceived by many participants as a ‘hotel’ rather than a home. Its larger size and confusing layout impacted negatively on residents and staff. New staff and changes in management structure were perceived by the different stakeholders to cause increased staff workload. Residents adjusted variably to the new home, with family support and staff continuity of care proving to be facilitators. Conclusions Despite extensive planning, relocation and adjustment was challenging. Recommendations for future relocations include: increasing involvement of staff in the planning and design of the home; ensuring consistent communication and organising staff rotas to maintain continuity of care.

Impact of gentrification on the refugee community

Any development project of a neighbourhood that leads to the forceful and involuntary relocation of existing residents is unjust and contrary to God's desire for life in its fullness and human flourishing. This paper looks at the lived experiences of African refugees in the socially and spatially polarised South African cities as they attempt to find space for themselves and for their businesses in order to survive. The paper provides insights on the notion of plurality and urban public space by taking into consideration the practice of gentrification in South Africa vis-a-vis the wellbeing of displaced communities. From the analysis of data gathered, gentrification accentuates socio-spatial polarisation and residential segregation in major South African cities, which calls for the need to de-gentrify urban cities for the sake of holistic community transformation. This is evidenced in the hopelessness and the helplessness of displaced communities as well as the quality of life they lead. De-gentrifying the previously gentrified space could lead to the transformation that communities need. The way gentrification is practiced in South Africa does not promote social cohesion or lead to holistic transformation. Rather, it reinforces social exclusion and holds back people's hope for improved wellbeing.

AGING IN COMMUNITY: A LEGAL MAPPING ANALYSIS OF MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ZONING BYLAWS

Accessory-dwelling units (ADUs) are one alternative housing arrangement that enable older adults to remain in the home despite functional decline. Functional decline increases with age making older adults more susceptible to loosing independent housing. Involuntary relocation to institutional care can result in a decline of functional health, reduced life satisfaction, impairment of psychological well-being and increased mortality rate. The majority of older Americans (93%) wish to remain in their home for as long as possible. ADUs function to maintain, stimulate and support an older adult as a means to prevent relocation to an institution. The modified environment coupled with adaptable features maintains and supports activities of daily living (ADL) within a familiar place. Under Massachusetts law MGL c. 40A, the state gives authority to cities and towns to adopt ordinances and bylaws to regulate the use of land, buildings and structures. Restrictive zoning laws limit the ability to construct health-promoting built-environments to age-in-community. All 351 Massachusetts municipalities Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) zoning bylaws were coded using the ADU Friendliness Score. Once scored, the 351 municipalities were placed into four categories based off their ADU score; the four categories are poor (0-24), fair (25-49), good (50-74), and excellent (75-100). Eighty-nine municipalities (25%) are in the poor category; thirty municipalities (8.5%) are in the fair category; one hundred and eighty-five municipalities (53%) are in the good category; forty-seven municipalities (13.5%) are in the excellent category. These findings contributed to a model ADU bylaw specific for aging Americans for municipalities to adopt.

STAFF PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLUNTARY NURSING HOME CLOSURE AND RELOCATION PROCESSES

Involuntary nursing home closures happens infrequently, but when they do occur, they impact residents, their family, and facility staff. During the transition, residents’ care needs are of primary concern, yet few studies have examined the centrality of the actions of staff to residents’ relocation adjustment. This paper examined staff perceptions of the involuntary relocation process for 132 residents after a facility lost its Medicaid certification because of low quality performance. Interviews were conducted with 34 staff (e.g., administrators, nurses, social workers) from 21 receiving facilities. Using content analysis, we identified challenges that hindered relocation and affected resident/family experiences. Receiving facility staff perceived undue distress and hardship on residents and family members because of inadequate notification about the situation. Limited, untimely, and poor communication led to residents being uninformed or unprepared for moving. The efficiency and effectiveness of the resident discharge process was also viewed as unacceptable. Minimal documentation in residents’ charts hampered the coordination of resident moves. Receiving facility staff offered recommendations for decertified facilities and receiving facilities to improve the relocation experience including the need for open communication, thoughtful and early engagement in the process, and transparent and timely interactions. Findings suggest that staff are well-positioned for active involvement in the relocation process and should facilitate deliberate and strategic planning, decision-making, and communication with residents and their relatives. Resident-centered policies are needed to improve the involuntary relocation process and give voice to remaining/receiving staff, both of whom are integral to residents’ support system.

Travel Satisfaction vs. Life Satisfaction: A Weighted Decision-Making Approach

Numerous studies have found that travel mode choice is related to mode-specific attitudes as well as travel-related satisfaction. While choosing a travel mode that is congruent with attitudes towards that mode (i.e., consonance) brings about travel satisfaction, travel-related satisfaction can result in the choice of a travel mode which is not necessarily consistent with (all) attitudes (i.e., dissonance). However, few studies have analyzed the extent to which consonance and dissonance affect or are affected by the overall travel-related satisfaction. This paper aims at understanding whether respondents with a positive attitude towards a certain mode will actually use the mode, and whether consonant travelers are more satisfied with their trips and travel-related situations compared to their dissonant counterparts. Additionally, research in this area is dominated by the use of quantitative methods, leading to a lack of understanding of the complexity of subjective factors such as attitudes and values. In this study, with a retrospective mixed method approach, 1977 (in the quantitative section) and 19 (in the qualitative section) employees who have experienced an involuntary relocation of their workplace have been examined vis-à-vis their travel-related values and attitudes, corresponding choices, and satisfaction. Results from our quantitative analyses indicate that first, the relocation of the workplace was associated with increased public transit use and travel satisfaction; and second, surprisingly, the share of dissonant active mode users was relatively high compared to other modes (except bus). Our qualitative analyses revealed that individuals do not necessarily use the most positively valued travel mode due to lack of accessibility and competences, but also due to having preferences for other travel-related elements such as travel route. Furthermore, travel mode consonance (or dissonance) and travel satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) are not necessarily positively related because (i) individuals attribute different weights to their travel-related attitudes and values, and (ii) satisfaction in other life domains can make a travel dissatisfaction bearable or even favorable.

A Scoping Review: Characteristics and Outcomes of Residents Who Experience Involuntary Relocation.

Relocation to a residential care facility has been described as the most significant relocation affecting older adults, yet subsequent relocations, like in the case of a facility closure, have received minimal attention in the scholarly research literature. This paper reviews the published literature on involuntary relocation, focusing on the experiences of residents, families, and staff and the effects of involuntary relocation on nursing home residents' health. We conducted a scoping review to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting on involuntary relocation of nursing home residents. A total of 28 quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method articles met inclusion criteria. Researchers mostly relied on longitudinal designs and quantitative indicators of functional health, cognitive status, psychological and emotional well-being, environment, and relocation context to examine residents' mortality risk and health outcomes associated with involuntary relocation. Inclusion of qualitative and mixed-method approaches was infrequent, as were indicators of social engagement and perceptions of relocation. Residents' awareness of and preparation for involuntary relocation positively influenced their health and well-being. Family involvement was frequently hindered by communication challenges with facilities. Staff expressed concern about residents, experienced increased workload demands, and acknowledged challenges with planning and communication. Based on the collective findings, we propose a conceptual model of critical factors at play during relocation for consideration for guiding future research and developing provisions to current policies guiding relocation processes. Facilities and policymakers need to consider procedures that enhance planning efforts and decision-making among this vulnerable population and their families.

Changing contexts, critical moments and transitions: interim outcomes for children and young people living through involuntary relocation

The aim of this article is to understand how involuntary relocation – in the context of transformational regeneration – affects children and young people’s (CYP) interim outcomes through its impacts on residential contexts, and its intersections with their transitions and critical moments. Findings are based on a longitudinal qualitative study of 13 families’ (comprising 32 CYP) lives as they relocated from high rise flats to different housing and neighbourhoods over three years. Relocation altered two key contexts directly, home and neighbourhood, and may have indirectly altered the other contexts – peers, school and family. However, we found there were as many non-relocation related factors as relocation factors associated with outcomes, and a number of significant critical moments affecting CYP’s lives. Whilst relocation can seem the ‘big thing’ from the point of view of practitioners and researchers, from the perspective of CYP, it can seem a small part of the much bigger picture of change in their lives.

Consequences of Forced Residential Relocation: Early Impacts of Urban Renewal Strategies on Forced Relocatees’ Housing Opportunities and Socioeconomic Outcomes

Policymakers have actively pursued urban renewal and dispersal programs to deconcentrate poverty in urban neighborhoods. Relocation strategies lead to new housing opportunities and may encourage employment opportunities for relocated residents if resourceful contacts and job information become more easily available after the move. This study provides an innovative evaluation of the early impacts of involuntary relocation programs in the Netherlands on the housing careers, earnings and employment rates of forced relocatees. It establishes a quasi-experimental design by employing unique longitudinal individual-level population registry data from Statistics Netherlands: forced relocatees are tracked and matched to a control group consisting of similar residents that were not forced to move. A difference-in-difference design shows that forced relocatees are living in less deprived neighborhoods after the move. However, we find no conclusive evidence that this upgrade in housing leads to more socioeconomic opportunities for the forced relocatees.

Lessons learnt from long term impact of 2004 tsunami relocation: A case study of selected relocation settlements in Akmeemana Divisional Secretary Division in Galle District, Sri Lanka

Abstract This paper examines the long term impact of relocation on tsunami affected families who were resettled far from the city of Galle, Sri Lanka due to re-imposed buffer zone regulations. The study adopted a longitudinal study design where the researcher collected qualitative data from selected families for a period of ten years by using in-depth interviews from four settlements in the Akmeemana Divisional Secretariat (Green Village, Salzberg, China Charity and Tea Garden). It is evident from the analysis that relocation has been merely considered to be a donation of a house to a family displaced by the tsunami than having considered relocation as a process when planning and implementing these projects. Thirteen years after involuntarily relocating families into unplanned settlements some of them have been forced to move back in to the buffer zone as they were not able to successfully cope with various stresses and risks generated by involuntary relocation. As a consequence, the host community were encouraged to purchase or rent these houses vacated by tsunami beneficiaries for a reasonable sum. The researcher concludes by stressing the importance of people centric policy guidelines for the sustainable relocation of disaster induced displacement in Sri Lanka.

How to move home from a stress-resistance theoretical perspective

The stress-resistance model of voluntary residential mobility is a unifying framework for predicting residents' decisions to move from the old home, to search for potential new homes, and to choose a new home. Primarily reviewed in this study are theoretical applications of residential stress including its special form of consumption disequilibrium, and residential resistance in observed voluntary and involuntary relocation decisions. Secondarily reviewed are practical applications in diagnosing unwise mobility decisions. After answering criticisms of the framework in the second section, the third section begins with a thorough method for evaluating homes' utilitarian and economic attributes. The fourth section theorises the initial voluntary decision to move in the residential relocation process. A residential search for a new home is assumed to follow this decision. The choice of a new home is the focus of the sixth section, and analogously to the fifth section, observed choices are compared with theoretically-best ones.

Involuntary disaster relocation and its impact on children: a case study in Galle, Sri Lanka

Abstract The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami prompted a relocation process of an unprecedented scale in Sri Lanka, relocating thousands beyond the government imposed coastal buffer zone. Amidst the relocatees were thousands of children whom were exposed to multiple risks and stresses. These impacts caused by relocation remain largely unexplored. This paper investigates the impact of involuntary relocation, experienced by children relocated to Cinnamon Garden settlement and Tea Garden settlement of Galle district, Sri Lake. The paper focuses on (a) what are the impacts children experienced due to forced relocation?, (b) What is the nature of those impacts?, (c) What is the possibility of using a risk model to identify these impacts? Case studies were conducted with a purposively selected sample of individuals whom were relocated as children. The findings suggests that children suffered from social impacts such as disruption of social relationships failing to develop new social networks, decline in education levels and victimized to bullying and discrimination. The study successfully employed the Michael Cernea’s (2000) impoverishments risks and reconstruction to identify key negative and positive impacts of forced relocation, initiating the development of a risk model that can specifically identify the impact of relocation on children.

Voluntary or involuntary relocation of underserved settlers in the city of Colombo as a Flood Risk Reduction Strategy: A Case Study of Three Relocation Projects

This paper examines the long term outcomes of involuntary or voluntary relocation by citing three relocation projects that commenced in 1990’s Colombo, Sri Lanka. Poor and marginalized families living in unauthorized underserved settlements in flood prone areas around Colombo were relocated as a flood risk reduction strategy to rebuild their lives in secure locations. The Sri Lankan experience suggests that relocation projects have been guided by project specific guidelines as opposed to common guidelines which have produced both successes and failures. These outcomes, no doubt, stress the need for having specific guidelines for the three main stages of the relocation process: prior to displacement (pre-relocation), immediately after relocation and two years after relocation. This paper stresses the need to formulate people centric relocation policy guidelines based on the household surveys in select relocation settlements and key informant interviews with government officials and community leaders. Thereafter the implementation of such policies should be considered as a relocation process with emphasis on securing their livelihoods which in turn will assist them to move out of poverty.