No abstract

No abstract

Resilience, of individuals, is a well-established concept in the psychology/ mental health literatures, but has been little explored in relation to communities. Related theory in the community development and social impact assessment literature provides insight into qualities and assets of communities that enable them to develop effectively or to adapt to major changes. This article reports the components of community and individual resilience identified through a participatory action research study within a rural Australian community. These are social networks and support; positive outlook; learning; early experiences; environment and lifestyle; infrastructure and support services; sense of purpose; diverse and innovative economy; embracing differences; beliefs; and leadership.

The concept of resilience has attracted much attention in recent times. However, there remains a distinct knowledge gap with respect to the social aspects of resilience. This paper describes six attributes of social resilience identified through case study research. Research was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers who worked in partnership with representatives from five key government and non-government agencies from the Wet Tropics region in North Queensland, Australia. Research findings move understanding of social resilience, which is an emerging area of interest within natural resource management, from a set of assumptions to an evidence base.