Measurement of Social Networks for Innovation within Community Disaster Resilience

Joanna Wilkin, Eloise Biggs and Andrew J Tatem
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Joanna Wilkin: WorldPop, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Eloise Biggs: Geography and Planning, UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia
Andrew J Tatem: WorldPop, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Disaster risk reduction (DRR) research has long recognised that social networks are a vital source of support during and after a shock. However, the quantification of this social support, primarily through its recognition as social capital, has proven problematic as there is no singular method for its measurement, invalidating the credibility of studies that try to correlate its effects with community disaster resilience. Within the wider resilience field, research that specifically utilises social networks as the focus of analysis is evolving. This paper provides a critical synthesis of how this developing discourse is filtering into community disaster resilience, reviewing empirical case studies from the Global South within DRR that use social network analysis and connectivity measurement. Our analysis of these studies indicates that a robust methodology utilising social network analysis is emerging, which offers opportunity for research cross-comparability. Our review also finds that without this bottom-up mapping, the implementation of top-down preparedness policy and procedures are likely to fail, resulting in the advocation of social network analysis as a critical methodology in future resilience research and policy planning.

Keywords: community disaster resilience; social networks; connectivity; disaster risk reduction; social network analysis; social network mapping; data; innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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