The Primacy of Social Capital for Community Resilience

<p>Hurricanes. Floods. Wildfires. Tornados. Earthquakes. Droughts. Blizzards. Ice storms. Infectious disease outbreaks. Pandemics.</p> <p>Industrial accidents. Chemical spills. Structural collapse. Transportation accidents. Grid failure. Water contamination.</p> <p>Large-scale layoffs. Factory closures. Recession. Hyperinflation. Civil unrest. Mob violence. Mass shootings. Terrorism.</p> <p>Whether natural or man-made, communities everywhere, at some point, experience these adverse, often traumatic situations. If it seems like we are experiencing more community disasters and traumatic events than ever before, it is probably because we are. The data on natural disasters in the United States, at least, demonstrates a steady upward trend over time (see https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/natural-disaster-sta...). Data shows an increase in mass shootings and gun deaths in the United States over the last several years.</p> <p>Natural and man-made disasters and other adverse events put enormous strain on communities. In some cases, these adverse events can tear a community apart to the point where it never fully recovers. In other cases, we see communities bouncing back, stronger than ever.</p> <p>This ability to respond and recover from disruption, from crisis situations, is called community resilience. Like the idea of individual resiliency, “community resilience is a measure of the sustained ability of a community to utilize available resources to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations” (RAND Corporation). Magis (2010) similarly defines it as “the existence, development and engagement of community resources by community members to thrive in an environment characterized by change, uncertainty, unpredictability and surprise” (p. 402).</p> <p>Thriving in unpredictable environments.</p> <p>Communities responding and recovering through difficult and even traumatic crises requires resources of various kinds. But the most important resource is arguably the least tangible—it is [...]</p>