Current Research
Becca's PhD research uses systems thinking to explore disaster vulnerability, drawing on critical disaster studies and complexity theories. Her current PhD project is a qualitative case study, which uses interviews and a scenario-based game to better understand perceptions of disaster vulnerability in Southwest Florida.
With over 1350 miles of coastline and 89% of the population living in coastal cities, Florida residents are likely to experience the devastating effects of coastal hazards in their lifetime. Displacement is one of the most harmful impacts of disasters (Lewis et al., 2012; Butter et al., 2021), and it is an increasing risk due to rising temperatures in the Gulf Coast (Khater et al., 2022). This PhD research explores the driving forces which enable disaster vulnerability, as well as the perceptions of residents concerning their capacity to manage coastal risks. Using systems thinking to better understand the root causes and intersectionality of disaster vulnerability, the qualitative research targets feedback from homeowners and professionals (ie. political representatives, city planners, engineers, etc) through semi-structured interviews and a discussion-based game (focus group).
Her PhD project uses systems thinking to better understand the root causes and intersectionality of disaster vulnerability in a qualitative case study of Southwest Florida (USA). Her research uses
as well as the perceptions of residents concerning their capacity to manage coastal risks. Using systems thinking to better understand the root causes and intersectionality of disaster vulnerability, the qualitative research targets feedback from homeowners in Southwest Florida and professionals (ie. political representatives, city planners, engineers, etc) through semi-structured interviews and a discussion-based game (focus group).
uses a scenario games to explore the complexity of climate adaptation, including social vulnerabilities and the deeper held values and beliefs which are difficult to measure in traditional risk calculations. The scenarios are designed to engage local residents in an exploration of the topic of managed retreat and their vulnerabilities and capacities within this approach in Southwest Florida (USA).