Exploring roles of social networks in influencing levels of social capital, coping strategies and resilience among displaced persons affected by flooding in Ivory Park, South Africa

Abstract

Flooding is a recurring catastrophe that puts people's lives and communities in danger around the world. In Ivory Park, a deprived township and informal settlement outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, people have been repeatedly displaced due to flooding. This study explored roles of social networks and social capital in shaping coping strategies and resilience among these displaced persons. By addressing the empirical knowledge gap in this study that there is insufficient data on the assessment of the levels of social capital and underlying factors that influence variations in these levels in Ivory Park, there is a need to assess these capacities of social capital that the Ivory Park community has collectively. The study found out that there are different types of social networks like familial and friendship networks within this community however, there is scarcity of communal networks that are specifically suitable for assisting people collectively during climate induced disasters. Drawing on qualitative approach where semi structured interviews were utilised to collect data, the study provides valuable insights that due to weak social ties in this community, it is a challenge for community members to utilize their connections to access resources and construct solutions to environmental threat challenges. As a matter of fact, levels of social capital needed to build resilient systems are low. While other forms of social networks exist, the study’s findings challenge the romantic idea that poor communities build strong and resilient communities.