ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of historic understandings of community and the role that strong networks and social capital play in improving a community’s ability to mitigate and respond to disasters. The chapter explores the effects that disasters have on communities-from pulling communities closer together and fostering positive policy change in the “therapeutic community” effect to destroying community ties and deepening existing conflict in the “corrosive community” effect. The chapter also reviews the goals of sustainable development and notes barriers and incentives for action toward a community’s common good. This chapter suggests that disaster professionals must be involved in the work of community building if they are to be successful at fostering long-term disaster resiliency.
