Presenters:

Erica Kuligowski, Sociologist, NIST

Liesel Ritchie, Sociologist, Natural Hazards Center, 

UC Boulder

Chapter 2:

The Social Context for 

Community Resilience
Background and Purpose Statements

• Hazard events can damage the built environment making it difficult 

for communities to function

• Social and economic functions drive requirements for the built 

environment

• Therefore, we need to understand the social environment as we 

plan for the built
Understanding the Social Environment

Figure adapted from John Plodinec, CARRI

Framework 

focus is here
Who are the Community Members 

and What Do They Need?
What Structure is in Place to Meet 

These Needs?

Family and Kinship

Economic

Government

Health Care

Education

Community Service Organizations

Religious/Other Belief Systems

Media

• Definition

• Function of each institution

• Ways in which they are 

organized to serve these 

functions

• Needs met by each institution
Health Care

• Examples of functions:

– Health services, workers

– Functioning information system

– Equitable access to essential medical products, 

vaccines, and technologies

• Different types of health services

• Needs met: survival; safety and security
Community Service Organizations

• Examples of functions: 

– Assist in meeting basic needs 

– Provide emotional and mental health support

– Enhance quality of life 

• Types of CSOs: civic, social and recreational clubs, 

senior citizen associations, youth programs

• Needs met: survival; safety and security; belonging; 

growth and achievement
How Can Social Institutions Depend 

on One Another?

• Government and economics: The longer it takes 

businesses to recover, the higher the potential for 

loss of local taxes (e.g., sales taxes)

• Healthcare, education, economic, government, 

media AND family/kinship: Each social institution 

needs staff and/or employees (e.g., doctors, nurses, 

medical technicians, billing, as examples for health 

care) to function

• Government, media and family/kinship: The media 

serves as an intermediary between the government 

and the members of a community
Social Context to Plan for Community 

Resilience of the Built Environment

• Establish requirements for social institutions by 

asking the following:

– Who are the members of the community and what are 

their needs?

– What are the social institutions within the community? 

What are the functions of these institutions? What 

services are provided? What needs do they meet? 

– How do the institutions rely on one another?

• Identify links between social institutions and the 

built environment 
Example Links between Health Care 

and the Built Environment 

Table 2-10: Health Care: Examples of Purposes with Links to the Built Environment

Buildings Transportation Water/ 

wastewater

Power/ 

energy

Communication

Purpose (or 

function) 

within Health 

Care

Place for 

emergency, 

short- and 

long-term 

health needs 

(physical and 

mental) 

Storage of 

equipment,

records

Provide access 

to and from the 

facility for 

patients, staff

Allow for safe 

use of health 

care facility, 

use of 

medical 

equipment, 

fire protection

Allow for use 

of facility, 

including 

technology, 

equipment, 

lights,

appliances

Communicate 

within and 

outside of facility 

Access 

information/ 

resources (e.g., 

medical records)
Table 2-10: Health Care: Examples of Purposes with Links to the Built Environment

Buildings Transportation Water/ 

wastewater

Power/ 

energy

Communication

How purpose 

is actualized 

through the 

built 

environment 

(examples)

•Hospitals

•Clinics

•Mental health 

facilities

•Centers

•Hospices

•Assisted 

living facilities

•Nursing 

homes

•Pharmacies

Roads/ bridges, 

Vehicles -

buses – public, 

subways, 

personal 

vehicles

Pipelines, 

pumps/ 

stations, 

valves, fire 

hydrants, 

water and 

wastewater 

treatment 

facilities, 

storage tanks

Generation 

facilities, 

grids, 

substations, 

lines, 

pipelines

Internet, 

emergency 

communication 

system, phones 

(voice and text), 

email

Example Links between Health Care 

and the Built Environment, cont. 
Additional Considerations

• Social vulnerabilities are an important part of this process

• We can learn from one another 

• Engagement with community decision-makers and 

members is key to implementation
Social Aspects Breakout

• Thank you for your attention. We want your 

feedback on the following: 

– Chapter organization/approach

– Social institutions and their functions

– Dependencies of the institutions on one another

– Links to the built environment

– Examples from communities – setting priorities and 

engaging the public in the process