Community disaster resilience : the role of social capital -

Abstract

The generation and mobilization of social capital plays a significant role in the process of building community disaster resilience. This thesis examines the literature about resilience, community resilience, social capital, and the relationship between social capital and community resilience. Using an explanatory literature review method, 100 scholarly articles published between 2000 and 2016 were utilized. The purpose of the research is to aggregate a growing body of literature, provide conceptual clarity and identify practical recommendations for communities seeking to bolster their resilience against hazards. The notion of community resilience represents an important paradigm change in the field of disaster management because it emphasizes an approach that places communities and individuals at the center of the decision-making process, therefore undermining state-centered approaches. Recent small, medium and large-scale disasters have proven that community members play an integral role in preparing, responding, and recovering from emergency situations. Looking at community resilience from a social capital perspective shows how communities that are socially connected are more likely to recover from disasters quicker than communities that are socially stagnated. In the period following a disaster, the first responders are usually family, friends and neighbors. During the course of a disaster response, community members and local organizations are ideally positioned to access and procure human and financial resources that are already embedded in the community. With state budgets shrinking and slow response times, community resources have proven to be important actors in all stages of the disaster cycle.