Social Capital, Place Meanings, and Perceived Resilience to Climate Change*

Abstract

This research analyzes individuals' perceived resilience to changing climatic conditions. Specifically, we suggest individual resilience is composed of an awareness of localized risks created because of climate change, a willingness to learn about, and plan for, the potential impacts of altered environmental conditions, and general appraisals of personal adaptive capacities. We hypothesize that resilience is influenced by the characteristics of individuals' social networks and also by their social‐psychological dependence on local environments. Using data collected in three resource‐associated communities within the southeastern United States, our analysis suggests bonding ties may limit individuals' willingness to seek new information about the potential impacts of climate change. Conversely, the data suggest the use of a diverse array of bridging ties is positively associated with information‐seeking behavior. The data also support our hypothesis that individuals' social psychological dependencies on the local environment influences their perceived resilience to changing climatic conditions. By gaining a clearer understanding of how individuals' social networks and social‐psychological dependencies affect their perceived ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, decision makers can focus on policy solutions that increase adaptive capacities and build social resilience.

Barriers and Bridges to U.S. Forest Service—Community Relationships: Results from Two Pilot Tests of a Rapid Social Capital Assessment Protocol

“…For example, in both study communities, the agency infrequently used local newspapers to convey information from the agency. Similar findings have also been noted in previous mixed-methods case studies of community/agency relationships [36,37]. The agency could use local news outlets to communicate a whole host of economic and non-economic benefits and opportunities that nearby Forest Service lands provide for local communities.…”

Conceptualizing the Science-Practice Interface: Lessons from a Collaborative Network on the Front-Line of Climate Change

“…We already know, for example, that community decision makers in rural Alaska are limited in the capacity they have available to pursue these activities (Loring et al, 2016). At the same time, the high level of bonding ties among decision makers and scientists may pose network constraints, such as reduced social energy to create bridging ties, the suppression of new ideas, reduced willingness to seek new information on climate impacts, and reduced resiliency to abrupt change (Newig et al, 2010;Smith et al, 2012). Additional insights into the network structure, functions, and potential barriers to communication may be revealed via disaggregation of individual roles.…”

Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change and the Use of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa

“…The success of various stakeholders concerned with improving rural livelihoods in the wake of climatic changes, hinges upon how the society builds its understanding of the problem, and not merely what the scientific community's technical knowledge provides [36,64]. Moreover, given that adaptation processes are primarily social and involve drawing on collective action (i.e., collective social resources) [65], capturing individual farmers' stock of social capital (proxied by their knowledge and awareness on climate change issues) might be an important input to the climate change adaptation policy process. This is possible, as Adger [15] underlined that the effective adaptation and pliability of an individual entity to the effects of climate change is not a self-contained process; rather, it is a social one involving the interdependence of agents through their interactions with each other [15,65].…”

“…Moreover, given that adaptation processes are primarily social and involve drawing on collective action (i.e., collective social resources) [65], capturing individual farmers' stock of social capital (proxied by their knowledge and awareness on climate change issues) might be an important input to the climate change adaptation policy process. This is possible, as Adger [15] underlined that the effective adaptation and pliability of an individual entity to the effects of climate change is not a self-contained process; rather, it is a social one involving the interdependence of agents through their interactions with each other [15,65]. The focus of adaptation policy in smallholder farming should, therefore, include inputs from a wide array of stakeholders, including the experiences and understanding of climatic variability and change in the different sectors of the farming community, in addition to the scientific evidence and expert knowledge available.…”