A critical appraisal of individual social capital in crisis response

Abstract

While there is still a vast body of scholarly research in crisis and disaster management that considers social capital an asset for lessening negative impacts from crises, this paper investigates an underexplored aspect of social capital-its microlevel positive and negative instances in the crisis response-a quite neglected phase of the crisis management cycle when it comes to studying the role of social capital. To underline social capital's doubleedged aspects, this paper draws from the handful of studies that focus on individual social capital in crisis response, to systematize their findings according to bonding, bridging, and linking social capital and positive and negative impacts. In addition, the paper considers these findings to analyze the 2011 Utøya terrorist attack in Norway, to uncover new positive and negative effects of individual social capital, thus contributing to pushing the research agenda toward a more critical appraisal of individual social capital.

Role of social capital in response to and recovery from the first wave of COVID-19 in Thailand: a qualitative study

“…Savings were limited and the support from the central government took several days or even months to arrive. In this situation, it was surprising that many reported their dependents as the source of moral support which, in times of crisis, is no less important than material support and provided by a strong relational structure such as family 43…”

The moderating role of Covid-19-related support on urban livelihood capitals: Evidence from suburban Accra

“…Social capital typically encompasses networks and the social channels that support the flow of essential resources to sustain and support livelihoods in crisis situations ( Carney et al, 1999 ; DFID, 1999 ; Morsut et al, 2022 ). However, scholars have noted that health pandemics impede social capital accumulation due to reduced social communication, community networks and interpersonal relationships, especially in low-income settings ( Makridis & Wu, 2021 ; Wong & Kohler, 2020 ).…”

Research Trends in Resilience and Vulnerability Studies

“…Social capital is generally considered to be positive in reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience, primarily when relationships exist before hazard events occur [22]. As an example, there is evidence that social capital can be a factor in encouraging populations to heed warnings and evacuate in the event of a hurricane threat [23].…”

“…As an example, there is evidence that social capital can be a factor in encouraging populations to heed warnings and evacuate in the event of a hurricane threat [23]. There is the potential that social capital may be negative and increase vulnerability, as in a terrorist attack when a terrorist may pose as a police officer or rely on cellphone use to detect potential victims [22].…”