Community-Resilience-Strategy-2nd-Ed.pdf
Social Capital and Community Resilience “The community as a whole will benefit by the cooperation of all its parts, while the individual will find in his associations the advantages of the help, the sympathy, and the fellowship of his neighbours” L. J. Hanifan, 1916
Social networks have immense value. They facilitate access to physical and social resources in the everyday environment as well as in times of stress, particularly in an emergency. These ‘ties that bind us’ are often referred to as social capital. Like the term resilience, social capital has many meanings and definitions. This Strategy applies the definition supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where social capital is “networks together with the shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operations within or among groups”. A large body of evidence indicates that high levels of social capital is one of the most important attributes of resilient communities. This Strategy places particular emphasis on promoting opportunities to strengthen relationships with communities of similar and dissimilar interests. In research literature, this is referred to as social capital that “bridges” relationships based on some commonality and “links” relationships based on disparate interests. As a primary driver to enhancing resilience, the Team will promote opportunities that create and/or strengthen relationships that are non-existent or barely existent in communities of place and interest.
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The term Social Capital was first introduced nearly 100 years ago by L.J. Hanifan who stressed that community involvement was a critical component for successful schools. Despite Hanifan’s prescient observation of the role human connections play in the formation of a healthy community, the importance of social capital has only recently been recognised by practitioners within the Emergency Management sector. Improving social capital is at the core of the CR Team’s approach to enhancing resilience
Increase connectedness Support activities that create and strengthen relationships throughout diverse communities that build social capital. Increasing connectedness is the process of creating and strengthening relationships between individuals and organisations that result in stronger communities. The Resilience Team will support, but not lead, traditional, nonemergency related community development activities that improve social capital.
Foster cooperation Lead activities that foster trust, reciprocity and interdependence by facilitating opportunities to improve resilience. Fostering cooperation is the process of bringing diverse individuals, organisations and communities together for a common emergency-related purpose. The Resilience Team will work with stakeholders to create and/or facilitate outcomes that improve social capital and aid in the preparation for, response to and recovery from an emergency event.