Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory for modelling community resilience to natural disasters

This paper advocates the use of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as a framework to analyse resilience at diverse scales. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory can be employed to (a) benchmark social resilience, (b) target the priority interventions required and (c) measure progress arising from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Natural hazards (Dordrecht) 2012, Vol.60 (2), p.381-408
Main Authors: Boon, Helen J., Cottrell, Alison, King, David, Stevenson, Robert B., Millar, Joanne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Civil Engineering
Climate change
Disaster prevention
Disasters
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Ecology
Emergency preparedness
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental impact
Environmental Management
Exact sciences and technology
Geophysics/Geodesy
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
Hydrogeology
Measurement
Natural disasters
Natural Hazards
Natural hazards: prediction, damages, etc
Original Paper
Theory
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Summary:This paper advocates the use of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as a framework to analyse resilience at diverse scales. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory can be employed to (a) benchmark social resilience, (b) target the priority interventions required and (c) measure progress arising from these interventions to enhance resilience to natural disasters. First, the paper explores resilience to natural disasters in the context of climatic change as building resilience is seen as a way to mitigate impacts of natural disasters. Second, concepts of resilience are systematically examined and documented, outlining resilience as a trait and resilience as a process. Third, issues arising in relation to the measurement of resilience are discussed. Fourth, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory is described and proffered to model and assess resilience at different scales. Fifth, studies are described which have supported the use of the bioecological systems theory for the study of resilience. Sixth, an example of the use of Bronfenbrenner’s theory is offered and the paper concludes with suggestions for future research using Bronfenbrenner’s theory.
ISSN:0921-030X
1573-0840
DOI:10.1007/s11069-011-0021-4