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Coping with blackouts: A practice theory approach to household preparedness
Author(s) -
Heidenstrøm Nina,
Kvarnlöf Linda
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of contingencies and crisis management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.007
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1468-5973
pISSN - 0966-0879
DOI - 10.1111/1468-5973.12191
Subject(s) - preparedness , coping (psychology) , perspective (graphical) , public relations , everyday life , practice theory , sociology , business , political science , psychology , social science , computer science , artificial intelligence , psychiatry , law
The article focuses on how rural households cope with blackouts caused by winter storms. We approach household preparedness using a practice theory perspective, and argue that preparedness is mundanely preformed as part of everyday practices. The data material consists of at home visits to 14 households from Norway and Sweden. The results demonstrate that households cope with blackouts by activating and mobilising competences, meanings and materials belonging to different practices, and that this is an ongoing process to ensure the continuation of everyday life during disruption. The article concludes by arguing for the need to bring forward studies on informal preparedness activities , in a research field where household preparedness tends to be framed using a top‐down perspective on crisis management.