Social capital | Resilience Library

The Role of Social Capital in Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Thailand

Purpose

This study aims contribute to the existing evidence base on how social capital can be harnessed to strengthen disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Thailand. While social capital is generally recognised as an important means to building community resilience, there is still little knowledge about how it can be best utilised towards DRR efforts. The study is based on a literature review and field work carried out in three communities in Thailand.

Overview

The study finds that, despite the attachment and harmony that people feel towards their community, levels of social trust are low. This has implications not only for Thai communities’ abilities to respond to, and cope with, disasters, but also in their abilities to prosper and thrive as a nation.
Thai communities are built on strong family ties and on strong bonds with friends and neighbours. It is a society of very strong immediate networks, in that very few people lack a support network. However, this means that, for the minority that do lack social capital, life can be extremely difficult. As such, investments in social capital must ensure that they are broad-based and inclusive, with a focus on integrating marginalised populations, such as undocumented migrant communities or political and religious minorities.

Usage: Learning from experience

Audiences: National Society leadership, Technical staff

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IFRC_Social-Capital_Thailand_FINAL2.pdf

Of Norms, Networks, and Trust. The Role of Social Capital in Reinforcing Community Resilience

Of networks, norms, and trust_The role of social capital in reinforcing community resilience

Purpose

This study analyses the role of social capital in community resilience. The paper bases its analysis on recent literature and on case studies from nine communities in Nepal, China and Myanmar. The research included a household survey with 888 respondents, and workshops with communities and Red Cross branches.

Overview

Cognitive aspects of social capital such as social embeddedness, trust and propensity to civic engagement appear to be the critical foundation on which overall resilience depends. The case of Bingalar, a Myanmar village severely affected by the 2008 Cyclone Nargis, where villagers supported each other through the first days of hardship and recovery, illustrates how social capital can make a tremendous difference to resilience and overall outcomes.
Social capital is one of the key driving forces behind community resilience – the others being economic, human, physical and natural capital.
The study finds that existing IFRC tools can be used to assess structural aspects of social capital if they are properly understood and used. For instance, the baseline survey tool (part of the VCA toolkit) needs to be complemented with a component that can capture cognitive social capital.

Usage: Learning from experience

Audiences: Technical staff

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Of-Norms-Networks-and-Trust_The-Role-of-Social-Capital-in-Reinforcing-Community-Resilience.pdf

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