[[alternative]]The Family Cohesion Study of 921 Earthquake Temporal House

[[abstract]]On September 21, 1999, a magnitude of 7.3 earthquake in Taiwan killed at least 2,444 people and caused 50 people missing, 708 people brutally injured 51,378 houses fully collapsed, and 53,522 houses severely damaged. The total cost of loss is estimated about 1,303 million NT (Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Executive Yuan, 2000). When such a tragedy strikes unexpectedly, many families suddenly become homeless and have to move into the temporal houses. Under certain restrictions and limits, the residents not only have to face the loss of their dearest ones, adjust to the new pressures, but also earn livings in the already severely damaged area and find a way to plan for their future. Even till today, two years after the terrible trembler, with government and charities’ aids, there are still many families living in temporal houses. Especially the expanding stage family, where its members are mostly dependents and minors, the parents experience a lot of pressures and difficulties in bringing up and educating their children. After the once-in-a-decade disaster, living in the temporal houses might bring changes in these families. What changes occur in family cohesion? What factors influence and cause the effects? Hoping that through this research and discussion, the welfare organizations, educational authorities, and legislatives can seek more ways to help improve and support the temporal house families. This research is based on phenomenology and interviews on seven expanding stage families inhabited at Nantou County. All of the children are still under eighteen. The data collected is from December 15th, 2001 to May 11th, 2002. The results present changes in family cohesion in a variety ways after the earthquake. After the tragedy, the couples’ family cohesion can be separated into two categories—changed and unchanged. Then the categories can be specifically divided into five different patterns—1.becoming closer, 2.transforming from being close to distant, 3. transforming from being distant to close, 4.becoming further apart, 5. unchanging. In describing the parents and children’s relationships, it is overall regarded as giving and receiving and can be divided in to two parts. Parents to children, children’s reactions and changes are portraying love and responsibilities, no concerns nor abilities, no feelings of changing, realizations and considerations, anxious and wanting love, and childish behavior. Siblings do have more quarrels and arguments regarding sharing limited living spaces. Family’s changes in cohesion are mostly based on the couples’ relationships. If they think that their living styles have not changed, then their family cohesion is less likely changed. Through this research, factors such as economic pressure, abilities to utilize resources, conscious relating to the earthquakes, communications and sharing show great effects on the family cohesion. Especially economic pressure mainly and obviously affects their living expenses, shortage of budgets, physical and mental health, and sense of insecurities. If the families living in the temporal houses can be more resourceful, acquire more positive concepts about earthquakes, and learn to communicate between each family member, the outcome will bring more than just strong family cohesion. Hoping that through this research, my suggestions and advices to temporal houses, schools, government can help bring more families closer together and give some suggestions for future research.