Resilience Theory Paper

Resilience is about being independent, standing on your own two feet or taking back the power.

There are varieties of definitions in regards with resilience based on different perspectives (Arrington et al., 2000). For instance, from a developmental perspective, resilience can be defined as positive and successful outcomes despite challenging situations (Masten, 2007; Windle, 2010). Resilience can also be defined as recovery to normal functioning from adversity or coping well under currently risk conditions (Masten, 2007; Windle, 2010). However, not every language has the word “resilience”. For example, a phrase, “the ability to cope with adversity” (Ungar et al.,

There are numerous points of view on resiliency, as non‑governmental associations (NGOs) perceive that individuals ' capacity to better withstand and recuperate from calamities is basic to maintaining improvement. NGOs, contributors and worldwide reaction groups are attempting to characterize resiliency in their terms. CRS characterizes resiliency as "the capacity of people, communities and institutions to advance integral human development in the face of shocks, cycles and trends" (2014, p.2). The vulnerable individuals themselves best characterize strength and resiliency. What vulnerable individuals accept helps most to their versatility limit is discriminating to current dialogs on resiliency. Contributors and NGOs may have their own meaning of the term; however, an understanding of what it really means to individuals looking to make their community resilient is crucial to outlining successful Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and recovery activities in development, risk reaction and catastrophe recuperation programs (CRS, 2014). The danger of not utilizing the

Resilience, fundamentally, is the ability to bounce back from hardship and the phenomenon of overcoming stress or adversity, for example: personal crises, poverty, mental illness and trauma (Occupational Health & Wellbeing, 2012). This skill can help individuals overcome the most difficult of situations (Occupational Health & Wellbeing, 2012). Resilience theorists generally agree that the presence of protective factors can reduce the effects of exposure to adversity. The more protective factors (or “assets”) available, the more resilient a person will be. Protective factors are conditions or attributes that help people deal more effectively with stressful events and eliminate risk. On the contrary, risk factors are attributes or characteristics

This book is written by Peter Newman, while Timothy Beatley, and heather Boyer were the coauthors. Together they examined the idea of a resilient city in 2009. The book defined resilient as lasting, making it through a crisis, something that requires inner strength and resolve, and having strong physical infrastructure and built environment. The book later states that the main roadblock in the way of resilience is fear, and throughout the book they give many examples where fear lead to a cities downfall. They also suggest that because of our resources depleting rapidly we should really be acting now in order to make a change in order to save what is left of them.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from life’s daily challenges it’s about being strong and having the ability to respond positively to what life throws at us. We may find ourselves in many challenging and stressful situations throughout life however having the skills needed to cope and deal with them helps us have an effective response to all negative situations.

Resilience is a term that is often applied to those who have faced hardship and viewed the experience in a positive light as an opportunity to grow and change for the better (Wagnild & Collins, 2009). The definition however seems to vary from place to place. Ungar et al. (2008) stated “definitions of resilience are ambiguous when viewed across cultures" (p.174) which is why the understanding of resilience may be difficult to capture (as cited in Windle, Bennett & Noyes, 2011). Although the literature agrees on several common themes about resilience there are many varying opinions on how to define the concept or the attributing factors. Earvolino-Ramirez (2007) and

Although the role of disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti did act as a catalyst for transformation, it was somewhat limited. To some extent, the question of scale comes in place when transformation at one particular level or a sector of operations support resilience at another scale (Pelling & Manuel-Navarrete 2011). Put it differently, the problems associated with being scale-dependent is the issue of linking the discrete levels down from formal institutional hierarchies to informal systems like community activism and contemporary social networks (Prager 2010). In some cases, resilience can also result to the desire of only reinforcing status quo by responding to disruptions outside of the social ladder (Cretney 2014). Similarly,

In terms of ranking a city’s resiliency, in many cases, the city of Phoenix, Arizona may be ranked by many as one of the least resilient regions in the country. This desert metropolis, currently home to just under four and a half million people, is relatively young by city standards. Only growing to its size within the last decade or two, this region is new to urban lifestyles, and its growth patterns reflect the suburban housing boom that has gripped the nation in the past few decades. As ranked by the Resilience Capacity Index, Phoenix ranks 233rd among all U.S. metropolitan regions in terms of its resiliency, with a score of -0.16 ("Resilience Capacity Index"). Phoenix is an interesting topic when discussing

It is also very evident through literature that resilience is a process and not an outcome. A community must take steps in order to build and ensure their resilience in the event of a disaster. Throughout all of the research it is also evident that the eight levers found in the review by Chandra et al. all the tools that set the framework for a community’s

A resilient community is one that can withstand a sudden disaster, without taking significant losses, normal life interruption, or a substantial amount of outside help (1999). Let the local community be responsible for knowing which kinds of hazards they are most vulnerable to, and recognize which resources they need the most, all while keeping up a state of general preparedness for the hazards they don’t typically encounter (Mileti 2001). Naturally, measures will vary from place to place depending on the environment, economy and social factors that affect how a population would handle a disaster. Let mitigation practices be a part of everyday life, and not just needed or reviewed before, during or after a hazard has passed. It should incorporated into any big event, development plans, building codes and more. These places and businesses are essential to local economies, so they should be protected to preserve it. Overtime time, these sustainable economies will not only preserve the quality of living for the whole community, but would make sure the next generation of future stakeholders will have a sustainable economy to thrive in as well (1999). No one can predict the future and know what could be cost beneficial for an area now, and detrimental to it later. For example, nuclear power plants for a community may have seemed like a great idea in the present, but then decades later prove to be hazardous to thousands.

1. How do “effortful control” and “affiliativeness” relate to positive outcomes in children and how do they relate to the “theory of resiliency?” Are these approaches sufficient?

The American Psychological Association (2014) defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.” (American Psychological Association, 2014, pg.1) Resilience Theory uses the definition of resilience in the context of the lives of clients by explaining although people may face adversity in their lives it is still possible to overcome that adversity to achieve success and personal gains. Resilience Theory describes how clients “use protective factors to assist in a self- righting process over the life course to fare well in the face of adversity.” (Hutchison, 2015, pg.9)

When I heard a term called resilience, I have no idea about it and think that it is not related to me. After I had a lecture with a topic resilience. I realize it is necessary and I need to face many adversity in my life. Also, I remember something happened in my past are shown my resilience level. I would like to share the story in my life to show the factors which are indicated in the last part can show resilience level.

First of all, I would like to define what resilience is. Major scholars believe it is the process to recover from trauma, or the ability to respond to adversity. According to Sergeant and Laws-Chapman (2012), resilience refers to “the ability to adapt to adverse conditions while maintaining a sense of purpose, balance, and positive mental and