Social capital and sociological resilience in megacities context

Abstract

Purpose

During the last few decades social resilience and social vulnerability have been two crucial sociological concepts for everyone involved in crisis and disaster management. The fundamental purpose in the present analysis is based on the consideration of resilience from a sociological perspective and the notion of social capital, its proper features, dynamics and processes within different groups of people involved in a disaster process.

Design/methodology/approach

All these social components could be evaluated as social indicators of vulnerability and resilience according to the sociological approach and its main theories about social capital and resilience, social and methodological implications. The operative context of this theoretical reflection has been constituted by megacities, considered as the “new” social space where, nowadays, major social relations and risk reduction actions take place through a collaborative pattern not based on a top down organizational model.

Findings

Attention is focused on the sociological findings as the importance of social cohesion, strengthening social relationships with particular consideration for the crucial role of social capital during all stages of the disaster process: prevention and preparedness, planning, warning communication, physical and psychological impacts, emergency and disaster response, recovery and reconstruction with the specific aim of enhancing social resilience and attempting to diminish social vulnerability.

Originality/value

The originality of this proposal in the field of disaster resilience is its use of the sociological approach and its theoretical characteristics and instruments, such as, for example, the definitions of social capital. The consideration for this topic will be future challenges to improve urban disaster risk reduction according to social relationship and its characteristics of interconnection and multidimensionality.

Citation

Lucini, B. (2013), "Social capital and sociological resilience in megacities context", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 58-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/17595901311299008