Post-disaster recovery and sociocultural change: Rethinking social capital development for the new social fabric

Abstract

The post-disaster period is critical for reducing vulnerability and building resilience. Social capital plays an important role in generating and maintaining risk reducing behaviour and a rich evidence base demonstrating its contribution to the recovery process exists. Yet, so far little distinction has been made between the different types of social capital, despite important variations of outcomes. To address this gap, this article examines the evolving roles of specific forms of social capital on the long-term post-disaster recovery process. We explore the disaster recovery process on the active volcanic island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, marked by rapid and intense post-disaster demographic change following the beginning of the eruption in 1995. We explore the challenges of the shift from a relatively homogenous to a relatively diverse population for building a resilient society. Our investigation illustrates the complexity of the recovery process and the coexistence of conflicting objectives which, if poorly managed, can create new forms of vulnerability and impede the sustainability of the development process. We argue that not all forms of social capital development are beneficial for the long-term recovery process. In a diversifying society, bonding social capital may have perverse effect while bridging and linking social capital may be key for building social cohesion, a key contributor to sustainable development. We argue that measures for redevelopment should be sensitive to the long-term effects of different forms of social capital, in particular their consequences for building social cohesion, a key contributor to sustainable recovery in a dynamically changing society.

The role of social capital on proactive and reactive resilience of organizations post-disaster

“…The enabling role of social capital in building individual and community resilience postdisaster has been recognized in previous studies [3,51,72,94], but the relationship between social capital and organizational resilience is under-researched [20]. Doerfel, Lai, and Chewning [28] argued that in the face of unprecedented crisis, firms can rely on established relationships to help with recovery.…”

“…We test this proposition in the post-quake context of Wenchuan County in the Sichuan Province of China, arguing that social capital facilitates recovery, with faster recovery linked to stronger social capital [3]. In the disaster risk reduction literature, it is widely acknowledged that social capital plays a critical role in reducing disaster risk and facilitates recovery at the community level [72]. Particularly, Aldrich [2] argues that social capital is, "the strongest and most robust predictor of recovery after a catastrophe".…”

Apart but not Alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbour support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…Assistance through these routes may be inconsistent and insufficient to address complex social needs. Neighbour support can amplify and effect existing social divisions in that it serves to reinforce existing patterns of privilege, or exclude disadvantaged groups from access to resources ( Ganapati, 2013 ; and Monteil et al ., 2020 ). The responsibility for supporting neighbours often falls disproportionately on those already engaged in other forms of unpaid, obligated care, and can thereby replicate existing patterns of social division.…”

Membangun Masyarakat Tangguh Bencana Melalui Sosialisasi dan Edukasi Modal Sosial Di Kabupaten Klaten

“…Modal sosial (social capital) merupakan ciri-ciri organisasi sosial, seperti jaringan, norma dan kepercayaan sosial yang memfasilitasi koordinasi dan kerja sama yang saling menguntungkan (Putnam, 1993). Modal sosial dibangun dari budaya dan kebiasaan masyarakat maupun dari bentuk-bentuk kerikatan lainnya sehingga membentuk jaringan sosial yang kuat (Hsueh, 2019;Karunarathne & Lee, 2019;Monteil, Simmons, & Hicks, 2020). Keberadaan jaringan sosial atau komunitas yang kuat dalam suatu masyarakat dapat meningkatkan ketahanan dan daya lenting (resillience) masyarakat dalam menghadapi bencana (Story et al, 2020).…”