Collective efficacy, social capital and resilience: An inquiry into the relationship between social infrastructure and resilience after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

Not all communities are equally resilient. Not all communities have the ability to positively adapt to, withstand and recover from risk, adversity, and socioenvironmental shocks. This qualitative research of 155 in-depth semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of pertinent stakeholders, conducted over a period of 2 years, identifies how the complex relationships between social cohesion, trust, and equality can impact social capital and collective efficacy. This research also examines the ability of communities to withstand the deleterious impacts of structural violence and economic neoliberalization and to ultimately improve community resilience and well-being in the wake of disasters and humanitarian crises. The predominantly Vietnamese community of New Orleans East serves as a case example that illustrates the importance and centrality of collective efficacy and social capital in fostering resilient communities.