ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an ecological case study of early intervention to illuminate the dynamics of resilience not just within the microsystem but at exosystemic and macrosystemic levels. A case study of a city in Northern Ireland at a point where the wider policy focus was on early intervention to support resilience facilitated the exploration of political and community dimensions of the subject. Given the documented relationship between social capital and community resilience, these dimensions are considered in relation to Szreter and Woolcock’s definition of social capital involving ‘bonding, bridging and linking’. This case study was underpinned by systematic data collection, utilising interviews and focus groups with key informants at different levels of the system. In the case-study area, resilience and connection were evident between neighbourhoods and across the sectarian divide where the bridging of social capital is enacted. The aspect of Szreter and Woolcock’s framework that was much less in evidence was the linking to the macrosystemic level and wider political structures of governance. The findings suggest that in a post agreement context, it is at this macrosystemic level of governance as well as with children, families and communities that resilience must be built.
