Japan, the Sustainable Society: The Artisanal Ethos, Ordinary Virtues, and Everyday Life in the Age of Limits

Abstract

attempted to shield the children from the potential trauma of the inevitable flooding. They made the storm preparations seem like a ‘‘fun adventure’’ (p. 65). Spouses did disagree about the level of risk of the flood, with the husbands being less concerned than their wives about the potential destructiveness of the flood. Confusion and tension are part of the storm preparation and evacuation process. However, the mothers seemed to maintain control of their homes and children during the storm preparation, with little assistance from their spouses or others. This is quite an endeavor that the mothers seemed equipped to handle. Most of the families evacuated once the flooding began. Many of the mothers considered themselves the ‘‘lead parent’’ (p. 85) during the evacuation process, with the husbands and children simply following the mothers’ directives. Only two of the 36 families were forced to evacuate to the George R. Brown (GRB) Convention Center where the disaster shelter was in place. Though the fabricated stories of rape and other violence in the Superdome in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina had long been debunked, these mothers wanted to avoid GRB at all costs due to these stories. Fortunately, these families had the finances to stay in hotels or to rent properties. Though diversity was one of the primary reasons for wanting their children to attend Bayou Oaks Elementary School, fear of those living in poverty and fear of people of color seemed to motivate them to avoid GRB at all costs. This was a striking contrast between exposure to diversity and experiencing diversity. Only a handful of the participants in this study decided to relocate after the Hurricane Harvey flood. This meant that families would either rebuild their homes or raze them. Dealing with the contractors fell on the shoulders of the mothers in most instances. The families that stayed weighed the pros and cons of that decision, with most finding the amenities of Bayou Oaks and its schools incentive enough to stay. Volunteers were numerous for help with cleanup, but getting back into their homes could take a year or more. Family impacts of the flood were not as dramatic as one might expect. This was due to the mothers’ ability to curate their families during the process of the flood and the subsequent rehabbing of their homes. Yet nearly all of the mothers related mental or physical health issues related to Harvey. Some children had trauma related to the flood, and therapy was sought out in many instances. Kimbro states that the mothers put themselves last, so they sometimes didn’t care for their health as they should have. Kimbro’s book has a clear and significant thesis. She uses a sound qualitative methodology, and her interview questions are comprehensive and ultimately informative. The book is well-organized, and the writing is clear. Kimbro shows much passion and compassion for the subject matter. She is empathetic to the mothers’ stories. I do believe that the husbands’ role has been minimalized. This has nothing to do with Kimbro’s research, as she has only the mothers’ interviews to go by, but it runs counter to my research on impoverished people in the Midwest, where the husbands were very much involved in storm preparation, evacuation, and relocation. This book adds to the literature on flooded communities, and the perspective of the mothers is valuable.