A Qualitative Analysis on the Effect of the February 6 Earthquake Disaster on Family and Social Relations

Disasters affect not only the individuals exposed to them but also all the socio-ecological systems they come into contact with. The family system and the surrounding social relations are sources of social capital that play an important role in being prepared for and resilient to disasters by providing a sense of belonging, trust and social support. While resilience to disasters increases in proportion to the social networks possessed, disasters also affect and change the family system in multidimensional aspects. The psychological, social and economic changes experienced within the family system due to disasters transform the roles, responsibilities and identities of family members and necessitate the development of various relational strategies. In this study, the family as a socio-ecological system is addressed from a relational sociological perspective, and both the changes in family relations due to disaster and the effects of family and social networks on the process of rebuilding life in the post-disaster process are investigated. Within the scope of the study, qualitative interviews were conducted with 8 couples (8 women and 8 men) residing in Osmaniye province, one of the provinces affected by the Kahramanmaras, Turkey earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023. The findings of the study indicate that social networks, especially those consisting of family, close relatives, and acquaintances, emerged as an important source of social capital that affects resilience after the earthquake disaster. The study also reveals that during the disaster, social actors in different positions within the family, such as children and spouses , try to control the uncertainty and chaos situation by taking on new social roles, responsibilities and positions.