Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences

First Advisor

Anna Erwin

Second Advisor

Milena Melo

Third Advisor

Alexis Racelis

Abstract

This research assesses how farmworkers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas use everyday practices to build resilience and adapt to changes in their lives. I apply two interconnected theories, White’s (2017, 2019) framework of collective agency and community resilience and Castro and Sen’s (2022) framework of everyday adaptation actions, to study these practices. I conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with Latino farmworkers and professionals who work with local farmworker organizations in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas. Interview transcripts were analyzed to determine if and how Latino farmworkers in the RGV can work towards community resilience and implement everyday adaptations. Results show that a lack of trust among Latino farmworkers in the LRGV decreases their capacity to work together towards community resilience and collective efforts to adapt to climate change. Results also show that while local organizations wanted to support farmworkers in their efforts, farmworker interviewees were largely unaware of their presence and services. Together, these findings demonstrate the need for community-based organizations, a key component to community resilience and adaptation, to increase efforts to support farmworker populations in the LRGV.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Angel Velazquez. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3292477819

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