Social Capital (SC) is a commonly used concept in disaster response studies.
SC is characterized by regional attributes, and its effectiveness can vary depending on the different characteristics of communities. In rapidly urbanizing developing countries like China, the massive migration from rural to urban areas has led to the emergence of new ‘transitional communities.’ However, there is a lack of research on how SC’s role changes when these different types of communities face disasters. This study, using a qualitative approach, focuses on the effectiveness of SC in urban, transitional, and rural communities in flood-affected areas of Henan Province, China. It found that immediately after a disaster, bonding SC plays a crucial role in all communities. Over time, linking SC gradually becomes more effective. However, the effectiveness of SC varies by community type, and not all communities exhibit similar effects. Urban communities, due to their geographical advantages, can receive more external assistance but tend to experience a dilution of bonding SC post-disaster. Transitional communities, characterized by complexity and instability, show low effectiveness of SC due to confused community management and fragmented resident relations. Rural communities, with close internal connections, benefited from both bonding SC and linking SC with local governments, but their remote locations and inconvenient transportation limit external support.
View full abstract