Abstract
This mixed-methods community-based participatory research project is set in the rural coastal community of Minamisanriku, Miyagi. Ten years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, this study investigates whether and to what extent social capital acts as an asset to drive economic growth, recovery, collaboration, and decision making for residents to address social and economic problems as they perceive them. The connection between reconstruction planning and recovery is also investigated. Primary data collection methods include a conceptual social capital mapping exercise (n = 200) to document resident bonding, bridging, and linking capital relationships (n = 1994), and semi-structured interviews (n = 70) to capture how residents with high linking capital do or do not utilize it. Participant observation and secondary data analysis contextualized resident maps and interviews. Overall, the study results suggest that the utility of social capital is highly sensitive to the cultural norms of social and power hierarchies, that it fortifies in group–out group dynamics, and enables residents to address immediate needs, but lacks the ability to enable residents to use the resources and information entrenched in their social networks and other structures effectively due to intermediating issues of unequal development of social and economic infrastructure across districts and other community disparities that emerge through the reconstruction process.
Highlights
2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, there is still much to do with community recovery
This study focuses on the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake by measuring resident social capital to illustrate and frame a discourse on the effects of disaster management and policy on recovery patterns with consideration for age, gender, location, relationships, strong and weak ties, as well as the social and economic conditions at the case site
As other capitals are scarce in the community, over-reliance on social capital creates social and political dynamics that fortify strong in group–out group behaviors
Summary
While major strides have been made in reconstructing communities affected by the. 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, there is still much to do with community recovery. In response to this large-scale disaster, the national government assisted in the reconstruction of affected communities. Policies had limited effects on withstanding social issues. Post-disaster, recovery difficulties in these rural communities result from both social and economic woes. Economic development and private development projects were sought after to accomplish recovery in Japan. The success of economic projects is mitigated by social problems, especially concerning limited resident input from affected communities and the types of projects sponsored by the government and private industry. Issues of aging, depopulation, and industrial decline have not slowed significantly enough to overcome the initial physical, human, and environmental losses from the disaster
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