Reproducing the Gender Order in the Wake of Disasters. Revisiting a Case Study on a Mudslide Disaster in Austria

Abstract

While disasters are considered a rupture of the established gender order, they rarely result in its profound change. This paper contributes to a proper understanding of its perpetuation. It suggests to take a disaster as a framework for action that is symbolically shaped by gender expectations. Within this framework, the gender order is reproduced through practices that affirm and reinforce these expectations and, thus, impede the gender-neutralising potential of a practical deviation from these expectations. This is illustrated by revisiting 20 guided interviews from a case study on a mudslide disaster in Austria.