Lacking agency?

This too was another post on my other former blog. It's more topical than the other things I write about but I hope you'll appreciate it just the same.

I had a very interesting conversation with someone who is an expert of sorts in Disaster Studies. I sought to get his take on the situation in One Bridge and how the residents cope. What I got however, was advice to not study this because there is nothing that persons residing in informal settlements can do to cope. I was surprised by his reaction. My surprise continued when he also advised me not to speak to the residents but to approach the issue from purely an administration perspective i.e. find out why the government does nothing about the issue of informal settlements even though they are aware of the problem and the corresponding effects.
I politely listened. I was left momentarily wondering what is the real issue here? Mark you what I just noted is only a snippet of the "advice"he gave me. In short I was told I was doing nothing that hadn't been done already. But if that really is the case, why then is there no literature or formal discourse on how informal settlers cope with the issues associated with their status?

I was actually surprised at his notion that all of these persons lack agency in their situation and just sat and allowed things to happen to them. It is common knowledge that Jamaicans never sit and just let thing happen to them. They adapt and invent. So in a way, a wise person whose advice I consult many times (who has done a significant amount of work in related areas) held true. Someone needs to look at the problem from the opposite end of the spectrum. We are too quick to write persons off and not understand issues from the perspective of the actual people they affect. And even if it has been asked, it has been barely recorded in a manner which would satisfy the need for such information.

Every story has two sides. Having one, now I will search for the other.

Keep thinking
-Nakeeta