Forging Resilience Pathways: Mobilizing Community Capitals Through Governance and Collective Action
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Jayce Sudweeks
Location
Russell Union Ballroom
Type of Research
On-going
Session Format
Poster Presentation
College
College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
Department
Department of Public and Nonprofit Studies
Abstract
Current approaches to community resilience remain conceptually fragmented, emphasizing either static inventories of resources or abstract adaptive processes. Yet resilience has become increasingly vital as communities confront acute shocks such as hurricanes, wildfires, and economic crises, as well as chronic stressors including climate change, demographic shifts, and long-term economic decline. For residents, resilience determines whether essential services remain functional, livelihoods are protected, and social cohesion is preserved during periods of disruption. Despite its growing importance, existing models often separate what communities possess from how they act, limiting both theoretical clarity and practical intervention. In response, this project introduces the Situated Resilience Framework (SRF), an integrated, systems-based model that bridges asset-based and process-based perspectives by explaining how latent community resources are actively converted into collective action.
Drawing on community development, social-ecological systems theory, and disaster science, the SRF conceptualizes resilience as a dynamic cycle in which foundational community capitals, which includes social, human, financial, political, cultural, natural, and built, are mobilized through two interacting mechanisms: informal collective efficacy and formal governance. These mechanisms activate three core capacities: absorptive, adaptive, and transformative, enabling communities to withstand acute shocks, adjust to ongoing stressors, or pursue systemic change. The framework further situates resilience within historical, socio-spatial, and political contexts that shape vulnerability, power, and opportunity. Achieved well-being is treated not only as an outcome but also as a reinforcing input that strengthens future resilience.
This poster presents the conceptual architecture of the SRF and demonstrates its application as a practical diagnostic tool for explaining why communities with similar resources experience divergent outcomes. By linking assets, agency, and context, the framework offers actionable insights for designing more equitable and sustainable resilience strategies.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Woodard, Taylor and Ayittah, Selina, "Forging Resilience Pathways: Mobilizing Community Capitals Through Governance and Collective Action" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 23.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/23
Forging Resilience Pathways: Mobilizing Community Capitals Through Governance and Collective Action
Russell Union Ballroom
Current approaches to community resilience remain conceptually fragmented, emphasizing either static inventories of resources or abstract adaptive processes. Yet resilience has become increasingly vital as communities confront acute shocks such as hurricanes, wildfires, and economic crises, as well as chronic stressors including climate change, demographic shifts, and long-term economic decline. For residents, resilience determines whether essential services remain functional, livelihoods are protected, and social cohesion is preserved during periods of disruption. Despite its growing importance, existing models often separate what communities possess from how they act, limiting both theoretical clarity and practical intervention. In response, this project introduces the Situated Resilience Framework (SRF), an integrated, systems-based model that bridges asset-based and process-based perspectives by explaining how latent community resources are actively converted into collective action.
Drawing on community development, social-ecological systems theory, and disaster science, the SRF conceptualizes resilience as a dynamic cycle in which foundational community capitals, which includes social, human, financial, political, cultural, natural, and built, are mobilized through two interacting mechanisms: informal collective efficacy and formal governance. These mechanisms activate three core capacities: absorptive, adaptive, and transformative, enabling communities to withstand acute shocks, adjust to ongoing stressors, or pursue systemic change. The framework further situates resilience within historical, socio-spatial, and political contexts that shape vulnerability, power, and opportunity. Achieved well-being is treated not only as an outcome but also as a reinforcing input that strengthens future resilience.
This poster presents the conceptual architecture of the SRF and demonstrates its application as a practical diagnostic tool for explaining why communities with similar resources experience divergent outcomes. By linking assets, agency, and context, the framework offers actionable insights for designing more equitable and sustainable resilience strategies.
