Social Capital and Community Resilience

Despite the ubiquity of disaster and the increasing toll in human lives and financial costs, much research and policy remain focused on physical infrastructure–centered approaches to such events. Governmental organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, United States Federal Emergency...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American behavioral scientist (Beverly Hills) Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 254 - 269
Main Authors: Aldrich, Daniel P., Meyer, Michelle A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2015
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:
Community
Cultural Capital
Decision makers
Decision making
Definitions
Department of Homeland Security
Development Programs
Disaster management
Disaster recovery
Disaster Relief
Disasters
Emergencies
Emergency preparedness
Government agencies
Group Decision Making
humans
Infrastructure
issues and policy
Measurement
Mortality
National Security
NGOs
Nongovernmental organizations
Public policy
Resilience
Social Capital
Social networks
Studies
United Kingdom
United States
United States Agency for International Development
United States of America
United Kingdom > UK
United States > US
United States
United Kingdom
mortality
community resilience
social capital
disaster recovery
public policy
disaster
ISSN:0002-7642, 1552-3381, 1552-3381
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Despite the ubiquity of disaster and the increasing toll in human lives and financial costs, much research and policy remain focused on physical infrastructure–centered approaches to such events. Governmental organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Agency for International Development, and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development continue to spend heavily on hardening levees, raising existing homes, and repairing damaged facilities despite evidence that social, not physical, infrastructure drives resilience. This article highlights the critical role of social capital and networks in disaster survival and recovery and lays out recent literature and evidence on the topic. We look at definitions of social capital, measurement and proxies, types of social capital, and mechanisms and application. The article concludes with concrete policy recommendations for disaster managers, government decision makers, and nongovernmental organizations for increasing resilience to catastrophe through strengthening social infrastructure at the community level.
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ISSN:0002-7642
1552-3381
1552-3381
DOI:10.1177/0002764214550299