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Building Resilience: Social Capital in Post-Disaster Recovery Illustrated Edition
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Each year, natural disasters threaten the strength and stability of communities worldwide. Yet responses to the challenges of recovery vary greatly and in ways that aren’t explained by the magnitude of the catastrophe or the amount of aid provided by national governments or the international community. The difference between resilience and disrepair, as Daniel P. Aldrich shows, lies in the depth of communities’ social capital.
Building Resilience highlights the critical role of social capital in the ability of a community to withstand disaster and rebuild both the infrastructure and the ties that are at the foundation of any community. Aldrich examines the post-disaster responses of four distinct communities—Tokyo following the 1923 earthquake, Kobe after the 1995 earthquake, Tamil Nadu after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and New Orleans post-Katrina—and finds that those with robust social networks were better able to coordinate recovery. In addition to quickly disseminating information and financial and physical assistance, communities with an abundance of social capital were able to minimize the migration of people and valuable resources out of the area.
With governments increasingly overstretched and natural disasters likely to increase in frequency and intensity, a thorough understanding of what contributes to efficient reconstruction is more important than ever. Building Resilience underscores a critical component of an effective response.
- ISBN-100226012883
- ISBN-13978-0226012889
- EditionIllustrated
- PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press
- Publication dateAugust 22, 2012
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions0.6 x 5.9 x 9 inches
- Print length248 pages
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"What Daniel Aldrich does that is so important is to demonstrate systematically these good and bad effects of social capital, across a wide range of time and space, on an important and widespread phenomenon, disaster recovery" (Rick Weil, LSU)
Aldrich's analysis of the ways in which social capital tangibly impacted the success of communities in four quite different post-disaster settings provides important insights for policymakers in crafting responses to future disasters. Aldrich's conclusions that policymakers should view bolstering social capital as a crucial part of pre-disaster preparation and that social networks and ties are critical resources in post-disaster recovery are persuasive, and it would be a very good thing if policymakers took due heed of this book's arguments. (Thad Williamson, University of Richmond)
The strengths of the book are many. While advancing a broad argument that travels across time and space, Aldrich also personally conducted extensive research in Japan, India, and New Orleans. Drawing on an incredible array of data from his fieldwork and secondary research, he carefully tailors his measures of social capital in different ways in different geographical contexts. The book is a must-read for any social scientist who is interested in this topic. (Rieko Kage, Tokyo University)
The book is a valuable, and highly relevant, contribution to the debates surrounding the social capital concept. It focuses on events that have almost literally rocked the world in recent times and that, sadly, seem to be on the increase. And it provides thought provoking ideas for how we might better prepare societies for such events and for their aftermaths. Throwing money at the problem, principally to bring in construction contractors, provide food and erect emergency shelter, may be a start but it is not enough (Roger McCormick, LSE)
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Daniel P. Aldrich is associate professor of political science at Purdue University. He is the author of Site Fights: Divisive Facilities and Civil Society in Japan and the West.
Product details
- Publisher : University of Chicago Press; Illustrated edition (August 22, 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 248 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0226012883
- ISBN-13 : 978-0226012889
- Item Weight : 13.3 ounces
- Dimensions : 0.6 x 5.9 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #363 in Atmospheric Sciences (Books)
- #510 in Disaster Relief (Books)
- #528 in Public Policy (Books)
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About the author

Daniel P. Aldrich was born in upstate New York and spent his childhood (and much of his adult life) traveling and living abroad. While living in Tokyo, Japan, he began to wonder how Japan - the only country to suffer the effects of atomic weaponry - could have built up such an advanced nuclear power program. He wrote up his observations in the book SITE FIGHTS published by Cornell University Press. In 2005 he and his family had their home, car, and all of their material possessions in New Orleans destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and began studying what makes communities and neighborhoods more resilient. He published BUILDING RESILIENCE to share these insights on the role of friends, neighbors, and social cohesion after crisis. After Japan was hit by the devastating triple disasters of an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown, Aldrich wrote BLACK WAVE about the factors that helped people and communities bounce back.
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Is there social capital? What is social capital? How does a local government improve social capital options for all residents? Do only those already well-connected benefit?
Not an easy read, but the gems of information can be unearthed and polished. I'm still working on the polish.
Aldrich thoughtfully emphasizes the complexity of post-disaster recovery. Rather than dismiss the need for material-based assistance, he stresses the need to broaden the lens to include the social aspects of disaster recovery.
The term social capital is tricky as it can be overused and misinterpreted, but Aldrich is careful to describe and distinguish bonding, bridging and linking social capital. He further illustrates its "double-edged sword" by facilitating recovery for those in need, while excluding disenfranchised groups from obtaining support. He gives poignant examples of how those already on the outskirts of a society are more likely to suffer from a disaster because of their socioeconomic status, age, and gender. Then, after a disaster, these same groups can be systematically excluded from obtaining disaster recovery assistance due to their low levels of social capital.
Aldrich doesn't stop with these explanations though. My favorite parts of this book are when he clearly and logically defines what to do given this knowledge. There are important social and political implications here that are more than a little timely. Large-scale disasters seem to not only be on the rise, but increasingly devastating. Aldrich offers an entire chapter of discussion and ideas about how to support affected people and communities, particularly given the economic crunch many nations now face. At least one lesson learned from after the New Orleans disaster is that throwing money at disaster recovery is not guaranteed to solve any problems.
There are no easy or quick answers for communities facing these large-scale disasters, but Aldrich is on to something here and his argument of the importance of social capital in disaster recovery deserves closer attention.
What I found in Daniel's book was one of the most refreshing examples of academic literature I've seen in years. In addition to learning about resilience, I was captivated by the stories of natural disasters in different social and historical contexts. The book reminded me of John McPhee's geology books... so engaging that you forget you're learning about some rather complex concepts and interrelationships. I'd recommend it to ANY business leader or executive who wants to learn about what makes a community resilient, and I'd also recommend it to anyone who enjoys learning about the social context of natural disasters. The last time I had this much fun reading an academic book was Barabasi's "Linked".

