After the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, intergenerational differences in the view of earthquake and making sense of the consequences of earthquake: The case of Osmaniye

This study aimed to investigate the frameworks through which earthquake victims from different generations make sense of a major disaster they experienced, especially fate, how they coped with the devastating consequences of the earthquake, and how the framework they adopted when looking at disasters can be evaluated in terms of social resilience and fragility. In this context, theoretical and conceptual discussions on risk culture and social resilience/fragility against disasters were utilized, and a field study was conducted in Osmaniye province in 2024. The findings obtained in the field study conducted in Osmaniye after the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes are as follows: It was concluded that the participants did not have any disaster plans before the earthquake. The older age group perceives the earthquake as fate. It can be said that there are differences of opinion between generations. The findings pointed to vulnerabilities, especially in older age groups, in the level of understanding of risk culture and disaster resilience. It can be concluded that change is important within the framework of different age groups in terms of social resilience to disasters.