Families in Australia 2011: Sticking together in good and tough times

Abstract

Difficult and challenging events bring issues of family, community and national resilience into sharp focus. The early months of 2011 were especially tough for many Australians—and others beyond our shores. For all nations, but perhaps especially so for developing ones, disasters have, by definition,profound and enduring impacts. Understandably,the many pressures that families face in times of crisis have tended to dominate popular concern. It is all too easy, however, to overlook the strengths of families, which are reflected in their responses to such challenges and the willingness of their members to assist in times of need. It is also easy to lose sight of the fact that disasters do not displace the ongoing, more commonplace pressures that families face.