Recent research on federal disaster aid distribution reveals stark racial and economic inequalities. Importantly, the very individuals and groups disadvantaged by FEMA funding—non-White, low-income households—are also the populations most likely to exhibit distrust toward the state. How does distrust shape the disaster recovery process in a low-income, rural, predominantly Black context? Using semi-structured interviews coupled with ethnographic observations in Marion County, SC, I find that the disaster recovery process is hindered by legal estrangement. To combat distrust and exclusion, emergent groups use the tactic of displacing trust away from disaster recovery officials back onto emergent groups in order to initiate and sustain residents’ engagement with the formal disaster recovery process. While existing theories argue that distrust leads to withdrawal from services, I show that emergent groups during disaster recovery intervene such that applicants persist in applying for aid despite their distrust. These strategies point to an important paradox about mitigating legal estrangement. Emergent disaster recovery groups assist applicants without improving trust toward disaster recovery officials, and sometimes in solidarity with applicant distrust. Broadly, the efforts of emergent groups reveal that institutional intermediaries can play a key brokering role in helping structurally excluded populations pursue state assistance amidst distrust.

中文翻译：

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流离失所的信任：在灾难恢复期间破坏法律疏远

最近对联邦救灾援助分配的研究揭示了明显的种族和经济不平等。重要的是，那些因 FEMA 资金而处于不利地位的个人和群体——非白人、低收入家庭——也是最有可能对国家表现出不信任的人群。不信任如何影响低收入、农村、以黑人为主的环境中的灾难恢复过程？通过在南卡罗来纳州马里恩县进行半结构化访谈和民族志观察，我发现灾难恢复过程受到法律疏远的阻碍。为了消除不信任和排斥，新兴团体采用将信任从灾后恢复官员转移到新兴团体的策略，以启动和维持居民对正式灾难恢复过程的参与。虽然现有理论认为不信任会导致退出服务，但我表明，灾难恢复期间的新兴群体会进行干预，使得申请人尽管不信任仍坚持申请援助。这些策略指出了关于减轻法律疏远的一个重要悖论。紧急灾难恢复小组在没有提高对灾难恢复官员的信任的情况下帮助申请人，有时还与申请人的不信任相呼应。从广义上讲，新兴团体的努力表明，机构中介机构可以在帮助结构性排斥人群在不信任的情况下寻求国家援助方面发挥关键的中介作用。这些策略指出了关于减轻法律疏远的一个重要悖论。紧急灾难恢复小组在没有提高对灾难恢复官员的信任的情况下帮助申请人，有时还与申请人的不信任相呼应。从广义上讲，新兴团体的努力表明，机构中介机构可以在帮助结构性排斥人群在不信任的情况下寻求国家援助方面发挥关键的中介作用。这些策略指出了关于减轻法律疏远的一个重要悖论。紧急灾难恢复小组在没有提高对灾难恢复官员的信任的情况下帮助申请人，有时还与申请人的不信任相呼应。从广义上讲，新兴团体的努力表明，机构中介机构可以在帮助结构性排斥人群在不信任的情况下寻求国家援助方面发挥关键的中介作用。