Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing the Relationship Between Social Vulnerability and Community Resilience to Hazards

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article contributes to the disaster literature by measuring and connecting two concepts that are highly related but whose relationship is rarely empirically evaluated: social vulnerability and community resilience. To do so, we measure community resilience and social vulnerability in counties across the United States and find a correlation between high levels of vulnerability and low levels of resilience, indicating that the most vulnerable counties also tend to be the least resilient. We also find regional differences in the distribution of community resilience and social vulnerability, with the West being particularly vulnerable while the Southeast is prone to low levels of resilience. By looking at both social vulnerability and community resilience, we are able to map communities’ social risks for harm from threats as well as their capacities for recovering and adapting in the aftermath of hazards. This provides a more complete portrait of the communities that might need the most assistance in emergency planning and response, as well as whether such interventions will need to be tailored toward reducing damage or finding the path to recovery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  • Adger, W. N. (1999). Social vulnerability to climate change and extremes in coastal Vietnam. World Development, 27, 249–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alwang, J., Siegel, P. B., & Jorgensen, S. L. (2001) Vulnerability: A view from different disciplines. Washington, DC: World Bank Social Protection Discussion Paper Series, No. 115.

  • Brooks, N., Adger, W. N., & Kelly, P. M. (2005). The determinants of vulnerability and adaptive capacity at the national level and the implications for adaptation. Global Environmental Change, 15, 151–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruneau, M., Chang, S. E., Eguchi, R. T., Lee, G. C., O’Rourke, T. D., Reinhorn, A. M., et al. (2003). A framework to quantitatively assess and enhance the seismic resilience of communities. Earthquake Spectra, 19, 733–752. doi:10.1193/1.1623497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coles, E., & Buckle, P. (2004). Developing community resilience as a foundation for effective disaster recovery. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 19, 6–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cutter, S. L. (1996). Vulnerability to environmental hazards. Progress in Human Geography, 20, 529–539. doi:10.1177/030913259602000407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutter, S. L., Barnes, L., Berry, M., Burton, C., Evans, E., Tate, E., et al. (2008). A place-based model for understanding community resilience to natural disasters. Global Environmental Change, 18, 598–606. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008.07.013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutter, S. L., Boruff, B. J., & Shirley, W. L. (2003). Social vulnerability to environmental hazards. Social Science Quarterly, 84, 242–261. doi:10.1111/1540-6237.8402002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutter, S. L., Mitchell, J. T., & Scott, M. S. (2000). Revealing the vulnerability of people and places: A case study of Georgetown County, South Carolina. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 90, 713–737. doi:10.1111/0004-5608.00219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dash, N., McCoy, B. G., & Herring, A. (2010). Class. In B. D. Phillips, D. S. K. Thomas, A. Fothergill, & L. Blinn-Pike (Eds.), Social vulnerability to disasters (pp. 75–100). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Oliveira Mendes, J. M. (2009). Social vulnerability indexes a planning tools: Beyond the preparedness paradigm. Journal of Risk Research, 12, 43–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enarson, E. (2010). Gender. In B. D. Phillips, D. S. K. Thomas, A. Fothergill, & L. Blinn-Pike (Eds.), Social vulnerability to disasters (pp. 123–154). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enarson, E., & Morrow, B. H. (1997). A gendered perspective: The voices of women. In W. G. Peacock, B. H. Morrow, & H. Gladwin (Eds.), Hurricane Andrew: Ethnicity, gender and the sociology of disasters (pp. 116–140). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ennis, S. R., Rios-Vargas, M., & Albert, N. G. (2011). The Hispanic population: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/2010-census-briefs.php. Accessed January 4, 2014.

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2012). Crime in the United States: Offense and population percent distribution by region, 2012. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/3tabledatadecoverviewpdf/table_3_crime_in_the_united_states_offense_and_population_distribution_by_region_2012.xls. Accessed January 8, 2014.

  • Fekete, A. (2009). Validation of a social vulnerability index in context to river floods in Germany. Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences, 9, 393–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunderson, L. H. (2000). Ecological resilience–in theory and application. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 31, 425–439. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.31.1.425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrigan, J., & Martin, P. (2002). Terrorism and the resilience of cities. Economics Policy Review, 8, 97–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute at the University of South Carolina. (2011). http://webra.cas.sc.edu/hvri/.

  • Hewitt, K. (1997). Regions of risk: A geographical introduction to disasters. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4, 1–23. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.04.110173.000245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kroll-Smith, S., & Couch, S. R. (1990). The real disaster is above ground: A mine fire and social conflict. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71, 543–562. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mardia, K. V., Kent, J. T., & Bibby, J. M. (1979). Multivariate analysis. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrow, B. H. (1999). Identifying and mapping community vulnerability. Disasters, 23, 1–18. doi:10.1111/1467-7717.00102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrow, B. H., & Peacock, W. G. (1997). Disasters and social change: Hurricane Andrew and the reshaping of Miami? In W. G. Peacock, B. H. Morrow, & H. Gladwin (Eds.), Hurricane Andrew: Ethnicity, gender and the sociology of disasters (pp. 116–140). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mustafa, D., Ahmed, S., Saroch, E., & Bell, H. (2011). Pinning down vulnerability: From narratives to numbers. Disasters, 35, 62–86. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01193.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, F. H., Stevens, S. P., Pfefferbaum, B., Wyche, K. F., & Pfefferbaum, R. L. (2008). Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41, 127–150. doi:10.1007/s10464-007-9156-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, T., Vines, P. L., Hoeffel, E. M. (2012). The American Indian and Alaska Native population: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/2010-census-briefs.php. Accessed January 8, 2014.

  • Passerini, E. (2010). The nature of human communities. In B. D. Phillips, D. S. K. Thomas, A. Fothergill, & L. Blinn-Pike (Eds.), Social vulnerability to disasters (pp. 155–186). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paton, D., & Johnston, D. (2001). Disasters and communities: Vulnerability, resilience and preparedness. Disaster Prevention and Management, 10, 270–277. doi:10.1108/EUM0000000005930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paton, D., Millar, M., & Johnston, D. (2001). Community resilience to volcanic hazard consequences. Natural Hazards, 24, 157–169. doi:10.1023/A:1011882106373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peacock, W. G., Morrow, B. H., & Gladwin, H. (Eds.). (1997). Hurricane Andrew: Ethnicity, gender and the sociology of disasters. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peduzzi, P., Dao, H., & Herold, C. (2002). Global risk and vulnerability index trends per year (GRAVITY), phase II: Development, analysis and results. Geneva: United Nations Development Programme and Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peduzzi, P., Dao, H., Herold, C., & Mouton, F. (2009). Assessing global exposure and vulnerability towards natural hazards: The disaster risk index. Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences, 9, 1149–1159. doi:10.5194/nhess-9-1149-2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peek, L. (2010). Age. In B. D. Phillips, D. S. K. Thomas, A. Fothergill, & L. Blinn-Pike (Eds.), Social vulnerability to disasters (pp. 155–186). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (2008). U.S. religious landscape survey. Religious affiliation: Diverse and dynamic. http://religions.pewforum.org/reports. Accessed 4 January 2014.

  • Phillips, B. D., Thomas, D. S. K., Fothergill, A., & Blinn-Pike, L. (2010). Social vulnerability to disasters. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prüss-Üstün, A., & Corvalán, C. (2006). Preventing disease through healthy environments: Towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi, S., Johnson, T. D., Hoeffel, E. M., & Drewery, M. P. (2011). The Black population: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/2010-census-briefs.php. Accessed January 5, 2014.

  • Rutter, M. (1987). Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 316–331. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1987.tb03541.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherrieb, K., Norris, F. H., & Galea, S. (2010). Measuring capacities for community resilience. Social Indicators Research, 99, 227–247. doi:10.1007/s11205-010-9576-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, T., & O’Neill, G. (2001). Households and families: 2000. 2000 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/. Accessed January 8, 2014.

  • Stretesky, P., & Hogan, M. J. (1998). Environmental justice: An analysis of superfund sites in Florida. Social Problems, 45, 268–287. doi:10.1525/sp.1998.45.2.03x0169m.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2014). State and county quickfacts: South Dakota. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/46000.html. Accessed January 8, 2014.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2013). Small area income and poverty estimates (SAIPE): 2012 highlights. http://www.census.gov/did/www/saipe/data/highlights/2012.html. Accessed January 8, 2014.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Profile America: Facts for features. American Indian and Alaska Native heritage month: November 2011. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff22.html. Accessed January 21, 2014.

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2007). County and city data book: 2007 (14th ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

  • Walker, B., & Salt, D. (2006). Resilience thinking: Sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Washington, DC: Island Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waller, L. A., & Gotway, C. A. (2004). Applied spatial statistics for public health data. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Weissman, J. (2013). The South is America’s high-school dropout factory: America’s educational attainment, mapped. The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/12/the-south-is-americas-high-school-dropout-factory/282480/. Accessed January 3, 2014.

  • Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., & Davis, I. (1994). At risk: Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability, and disasters. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sociology, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210027, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0027, USA

    Kelly Bergstrand & Brian Mayer

  2. Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions College of Medicine, University of Florida, 228 Buckman Drive, P.O. Box 117450, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7450, USA

    Babette Brumback

  3. Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Sciences, Brown University, 121 S. Main Street, Box G-S121-7, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    Yi Zhang

Authors
  1. Kelly Bergstrand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brian Mayer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Babette Brumback
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yi Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian Mayer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bergstrand, K., Mayer, B., Brumback, B. et al. Assessing the Relationship Between Social Vulnerability and Community Resilience to Hazards. Soc Indic Res 122, 391–409 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0698-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0698-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation