The psychological literature on immigrants has identified numerous challenges of resettlement. Research on acculturation indicates that adaptive functioning is characterized as a bicultural prospect in which individuals balance their heritage and the dominant culture within the receiving society. This conceptualization of positive adaptation typically relegates culture to a broad-based and static property circumscribed within ethnicity, neglecting diverse cultural representations and the way specific mechanisms affect the process of adaptation. The current research sought immigrants’ subjective accounts of resilience. The aim of this study was to identify specific markers of significant adversity and corollary positive adaptation that intersect with diverse mechanisms of culture to develop a theory of cultural adaptation. A constructivist grounded theory approach was implemented in data collection and analysis. Eighteen first-generation immigrants, who represented a range of cultural backgrounds and geographic regions, each participated in one semi-structured interview. The overarching theme that emerged from data analysis, Belonging, was found to explicate the meaning of resilience for immigrants in terms of their cultural adaptation. Belonging indicated a process by which immigrants gained a sense of identification with and inclusion in Canadian society. Immigrants’ perception of Belonging was affected by two mid-level themes, Forming Attachments and Feeling Acceptance. Forming Attachments was contextually driven and highlighted a personal process of developing cultural attachments. The advancement of attachments, interpersonally, occupationally and to the larger sociocultural environment, was meaningful to recovery and had implications for Belonging. The second mid-level theme identified a reciprocal process of acceptance that revealed a struggle to accept cultural changes as well as the significance of feeling accepted as an equal member of society. Taken together, Forming Attachments and Feeling Acceptance had a significant effect on immigrants’ sense of Belonging and were contextualized within a range of cultural domains. This study highlights the dynamic role of culture in immigrant adaptation and contributes to both research and health care professionals by offering a framework of immigrant resilience that may promote healthy forms of functioning.

The purpose of these studies was to examine moderation processes for the influence of early maternal parenting practices on young children’s prosocial outcomes. Data for both studies were drawn from the Kids, Families, and Places study. Observational measures of mothers’ parenting practices and children’s cooperation outcomes were collected in the home, and both mothers and fathers reported on their children’s prosocial conduct. Study 1 was a longitudinal analysis of the interaction between maternal sensitivity after birth (Time 1) and children’s joint attention (JA) skills (Time 2, 18 months later) on children’s cooperation skills at 18 months. Findings indicated that children’s concurrent Responding to JA (RJA) was associated with cooperation and early maternal sensitivity moderated this relationship. Children high in RJA showed good cooperation irrespective of maternal sensitivity. However, low RJA was associated with high cooperation in the presence of high maternal sensitivity. Study 2 used person-oriented analyses to examine patterns of maternal parenting associated with young children’s concurrent prosocial behaviour across socioeconomic contexts. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 profiles of parenting: Positive (14%), Negative (36%), and Combined (moderate levels of both positive and negative practices; 50%). Mothers from low-income families and those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods were more likely to  belong to the Negative or the Combined profiles.  Moderation analyses indicated the protective influence of the Combined profile of parenting for children residing in impoverished socioeconomic contexts. In the context of low family SES and high neighbourhood disadvantage, children were rated as more prosocial if mothers use a combined style of parenting. A protective-enhancing effect was found, in which these high-risk children were actually rated better than those children who did not live in such adversity. Together, results highlight the importance of studying the association between parenting and prosocial outcomes within an ecological and contextual framework, with interactions amongst both child-level and distal factors, for understanding individual differences in prosocial development.

The purpose of these studies was to examine moderation processes for the influence of early maternal parenting practices on young children’s prosocial outcomes. Data for both studies were drawn from the Kids, Families, and Places study. Observational measures of mothers’ parenting practices and children’s cooperation outcomes were collected in the home, and both mothers and fathers reported on their children’s prosocial conduct. Study 1 was a longitudinal analysis of the interaction between maternal sensitivity after birth (Time 1) and children’s joint attention (JA) skills (Time 2, 18 months later) on children’s cooperation skills at 18 months. Findings indicated that children’s concurrent Responding to JA (RJA) was associated with cooperation and early maternal sensitivity moderated this relationship. Children high in RJA showed good cooperation irrespective of maternal sensitivity. However, low RJA was associated with high cooperation in the presence of high maternal sensitivity. Study 2 used person-oriented analyses to examine patterns of maternal parenting associated with young children’s concurrent prosocial behaviour across socioeconomic contexts. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 profiles of parenting: Positive (14%), Negative (36%), and Combined (moderate levels of both positive and negative practices; 50%). Mothers from low-income families and those living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods were more likely to  belong to the Negative or the Combined profiles.  Moderation analyses indicated the protective influence of the Combined profile of parenting for children residing in impoverished socioeconomic contexts. In the context of low family SES and high neighbourhood disadvantage, children were rated as more prosocial if mothers use a combined style of parenting. A protective-enhancing effect was found, in which these high-risk children were actually rated better than those children who did not live in such adversity. Together, results highlight the importance of studying the association between parenting and prosocial outcomes within an ecological and contextual framework, with interactions amongst both child-level and distal factors, for understanding individual differences in prosocial development.

There is a need to explore how Indigenous knowledge(s) relates to Anishinaabe ongoing resilience. I do this by telling the story of my home and privileging Anishinaabe Gikeedaasiwin, which means Anishinaabe knowledge. This study investigates socio-cultural knowledge(s) of the Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior region in Northern Ontario by using storytelling as a culturally specific research method. A multi-layered reflexivity approach combined with grounded theory act as the basis for a discussion of Anishinaabe ontology and epistemology. The sociology of knowledge provides the framework for critiques of modernist hegemonic knowledge. This study offers a nuanced view of Anishinaabe ways of knowing by considering Anishinaabe writers Patrick McGuire Sr. and Norval Morriseau. Arising from these stories are conceptual thematic understandings which included: The land and relationships to the land are foundational. Eshkakimikwe Giikeedaasiwin – Relational understandings and this is land based knowledge; The relationship between land, spirit and the Anishinaabe - Kiimiingona manda Giikeedaasiwin are part of the original instructions given to the Anishinaabe: There are multiple realities which are accessible by physical and spiritual means. Manidoo Waabiwin – seeing in a spirit way and Kiimiingona manda Giikeedaasiwin are part of the original instructions given to the Anishinaabe are evident; There are cycles of life and the land is sustaining to people. Muskiki Aki means medicine land which provides life; Anishinaabe values of responsibility and obligation are recognized. Gnawaaminjigewin is the responsibility to look, to see, to witness; There is a need to maintain and continue relationships in the world. Bzindamowin is learning by listening and the relational practice of a good life, Mino Bimaadiziwin; and Anishinaabe values relating to transformation, renewal, reciprocity and sharing to maintain life. Manitou Minjimendamowin means spirit memory, teachings on how to live life and Bzindamowin, that is learning by listening, is reflected. This study argued that exploring the survival and resurgence of Anishinaabe knowledge(s) can set different directions for the social renewal and transformation of Anishinaabe societies. This is an important understanding in any future development and social change, and especially resource development directly involving the land.

In this thesis, we consider the problem of diffusing information resiliently in networks that contain misbehaving nodes. Previous strategies to achieve resilient information diffusion typically require the normal nodes to hold some global information, such as the topology of the network and the identities of non-neighboring nodes. However, these assumptions are not suitable for large-scale networks and this necessitates our study of resilient algorithms based on only local information. We propose a consensus algorithm where, at each time-step, each normal node removes the extreme values in its neighborhood and updates its value as a weighted average of its own value and the remaining values. We show that traditional topological metrics (such as connectivity of the network) fail to capture such dynamics. Thus, we introduce a topological property termed as network robustness and show that this concept, together with its variants, is the key property to characterize the behavior of a class of resilient algorithms that use purely local information. We then investigate the robustness properties of complex networks. Specifically, we consider common random graph models for complex networks, including the preferential attachment model, the Erdos-Renyi model, and the geometric random graph model, and compare the metrics of connectivity and robustness in these models. While connectivity and robustness are greatly different in general (i.e., there exist graphs which are highly connected but with poor robustness), we show that the notions of robustness and connectivity are equivalent in the preferential attachment model, cannot be very different in the geometric random graph model, and share the same threshold functions in the Erdos-Renyi model, which gives us more insight about the structure of complex networks. Finally, we provide a construction method for robust graphs.

Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated coastal areas of several countries in South East Asia, there has been renewed interest in disaster recovery operations. Although governments and aid organizations have increasingly focused on improving living conditions and reducing vulnerability to future disaster events during the recovery period, there has been limited understanding of what effective disaster recovery entails, and a lack of empirical assessments of longer-term recovery initiatives. Researchers, governments and aid organizations alike have increasingly identified the need for a systematic, independent, and replicable framework and approach for monitoring, evaluating and measuring the longer-term relief and recovery operations of major disaster events. Within this context, the research contends that a conceptualization of effective disaster recovery, referred to as ‘resilient disaster recovery’, should be built upon the holistic concepts of vulnerability, resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Using the resilient disaster recovery framework, the research aimed to develop an evaluative strategy to holistically and critically assess disaster recovery efforts. Using a case study of the 2006 Yogyakarta, Indonesia earthquake event, the research examined one long-term recovery effort in order to develop and test the usefulness and applicability of the resilient disaster recovery conceptualization and assessment framework. The research results further contributed to disaster recovery knowledge and academic literature through a refined conceptualization of resilient disaster recovery and further understanding of recovery as a process. The research used qualitative research approaches to examine the opinions and experiences of impacted individuals, households, and communities, as well as key government, academic and humanitarian stakeholders, in order to understand their perceptions of the long-term recovery process. Using the resilient disaster recovery approach, the research found that the recovery programming after the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake contributed to reductions in visible manifestations of vulnerability, although the root causes of vulnerability were not addressed, and many villagers suffer from ongoing lack of access to assets and resources. While some aspects of resilience were improved, particularly through earthquake-resistant housing structures, resilience in other forms remained the same or decreased. Furthermore, livelihood initiatives did not appear to be successful due to a lack of a holistic approach that matched the skill and capital levels of impacted populations. Using the evidence from the 2006 Yogyakarta recovery effort, the research furthered knowledge and understanding of disaster recovery as a complex and highly dynamic process. The roles of a variety of actors and stakeholders were explored, particularly highlighting the role of civil society and the private sector in facilitating response and recovery. Furthermore, issues of conflict, the context and characteristics of place and scale, and the impact of disasters on income equality were explored. Through this research, an improved understanding of disaster resilient recovery and long-term recovery processes has been highlighted in order to facilitate improved and resilient recovery for future disaster events.

Protected areas are considered to be the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation strategies and are valued sources of human well-being and ecosystem services. Yet they are not immune to the unprecedented impacts being felt worldwide. As an example, increased human activity, including development, transport of invasive species, and contributions to climate change, are transforming protected areas within the Laurentian Great Lakes into new and novel ecosystems. It is in this context of uncertainty that I explored the practice of managing for resilience. Canada’s first national marine conservation area, Fathom Five National Marine Park in Lake Huron, functioned as the study area. Besides profound and complex ecosystem change, Fathom Five is also experiencing governance challenges in the form of tangled responsibilities and issues of legitimacy. The resilience-based approach recommended elements that strengthened the capacity of the park to cope with and recover from disturbance and maintain its defining structures, functions, and feedbacks. This included a reduction of vulnerabilities (e.g., limit exposure to coastal fragmentation, manage disturbance regimes, and maintain functional and response diversity), an increase in adaptability (e.g., need to foster social learning, innovation, and improved governance structures), and an ability to navigate change (e.g., better express desired state, identify thresholds, and influence transformations), within established management practices. More specifically, methods to make spatial planning and monitoring more operational and resilience-based, were developed. For spatial planning, the decision-support tool Marxan with Zones was utilized and demonstrated how themes of representivity, replication, and connectivity could be applied in a resilience-based zoning context. For monitoring, a multivariate distance-based control chart method was developed to detect a decrease in resilience of the parks coastal wetland fish communities. Although an increase in variability was observed, a regime shift was not reported during the years investigated (2005-2012). In summary, the thesis provided an original contribution to science by examining the uncertainties and complexities facing a freshwater protected area and reframing practical conservation solutions through a resilience lens.

Understanding recent decades of coral community change has been hindered by a shortage of long-term monitoring and a lack of tools that provide a lasting record of benthic reef communities. To increase our understanding of Caribbean coral reef dynamics, this dissertation research developed and used innovative technologies involving landscape mosaic images and 3D reef models, to analyze a novel 40 year dataset of coral community health from Andros Island, Bahamas. Historical data from Andros Island (1968-2000) were provided as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the University of Miami and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport. Long-term monitoring at Andros Island revealed that reef decline was a-typical over recent decades. Coral mortality and disease increased significantly between 1970 and 2000, whereas macroalgal cover did not. To complement studies of coral mortality and disease, the resilience and resistance of individual coral species at Andros were measured from 1972 to 2008. Of the 24 species studied, only three (Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea cavernosa, and Porites astreoides) were resistant to recent disturbance histories, whereas Porites porites was resilient. Further studies using 3D models explored relationships between coral population dynamics and spatial patterns of coral species. Results indicated that the arrangement of dominant coral species and the processes of recruitment, growth, and mortality were non-random over time. In summary, the application of mosaic images and 3D reef models to a previously un-published long-term coral health dataset led to improved understanding of factors controlling past reef communities.

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The aim of this thesis is to examine the resilience and vulnerability of Taranaki communities to volcanic hazards, and to propose a strategy to ensure the safety and longevity of Taranaki residents in the event of an eruption. Mt Taranaki is a dormant volcano that is surrounded by a ring plain populated by over 100,000 people. The volcano has had an average eruptive cycle of 330 years, with the last eruption dated at ~1755 AD. Hazards include ash fall, lahars, debris avalanches and pyroclastic density currents. Inglewood, Stratford and Opunake are the largest population centres located in moderate to high hazard zones, and for this reason were chosen as the study communities. Resilience is defined as the capacity to respond to a hazard event by physically and psychologically recovering, adapting to, or changing to similar or better conditions than those experienced before the event. Vulnerability is defined to be people�s incapacity to cope with a hazardous event as a result of their personal characteristics. A person�s vulnerability and resilience is influenced by demographic variables, socio-cognitive variables and preparedness. Inglewood, Stratford and Opunake adults have good self-efficacy and action-coping use, fair risk perceptions, outcome expectancy and response efficacy, but poor understanding of event timing relative to eruption probability, critical awareness, preparedness and information-seeking intentions and preparedness levels. Preparedness is found to be influenced by residents� intentions to prepare, which in turn are influenced by critical awareness, action-coping and outcome expectancy. Taranaki students have a fair awareness of hazard and knowledge of correct response behaviours to various hazards. Preparedness, in terms of preparedness measures undertaken, emergency plans made and emergency practices in place, is low. Students who have participated in hazard-education programmes have a better knowledge of response behaviours, lower levels of hazard-related fear, and reported higher level of preparedness. Spatial analyses, carried out to determine the geographic distribution of at-risk groups within the study communities, showed that the areas most at-risk tend to be those with the highest population densities. The spatial analysis was not as beneficial as expected, due to small data sets, but did provide some results to be considered as a basis for further research. Effective public education can be achieved when delivered to a set of guidelines, such as providing information regularly through multiple media and sources, ensuring consistent messages, targeting information to at-risk groups and monitoring programme effectiveness. Community capacity building projects decrease aspects of vulnerability and build resilience by working at a local scale and targeting at-risk groups. Psychological preparedness education helps citizens to mentally prepare for an event and should be a component of all projects. The proposed strategy calls for (a) forming partnerships with relevant stakeholders to assist with public education, research, and funding, (b) further research into the characteristics of Taranaki communities and effective public education campaigns, (c) the development and implementation of a public education schedule and projects that build community capacity, and d) long-term planning, periodic revision of programmes and consistent public engagement.