Poverty, protests and pandemics: what can we learn from community resilience?

Rashid Ahmed,Abdulrazak Karriem,Jonathan Nell,Nceba Z Somhlaba,Yusuf Mohamed Sayed

doi:10.1177/00812463211047669

Abstract

For example, collective or community hope is more than the sense of individual hope of the members of a particular community. The destruction of property, theft and violence that occurred in South Africa, particularly in KZN and Gauteng in the week of 12 July 2021 had a significant impact on the national psyche. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of South African Journal of Psychology is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highlights

Resilience is best defined as the complex interaction of risk and protective processes, and that in the presence of adversity both negative or adaptive outcomes are possible (Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2004; Ungar & Theron, 2020)
The destruction of property, loss of lives, and violence that occurred could be understood as negative outcomes, while the activation of social support and networks, the cultivation of hope, and social action that emerged in response to these events, could be perceived as an adaptive outcome mitigating the situation of adversity
While the form of the events and their triggers may be specific, local, and perhaps unexpected, the conditions which account for their emergence, and in particular, the deep and structural inequality within and between countries, have been present for many decades. This was illuminated and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The causes for such events are rooted in the global neo-liberal agenda which is characterized by cutbacks on social welfare and social spending, an imposed austerity programme that affected the impoverished the most, and reducing of the state’s role in promoting and protecting the public good

Summary

Introduction

Resilience is best defined as the complex interaction of risk and protective processes, and that in the presence of adversity both negative or adaptive outcomes are possible (Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2004; Ungar & Theron, 2020). The destruction of property, loss of lives, and violence that occurred could be understood as negative outcomes, while the activation of social support and networks, the cultivation of hope, and social action that emerged in response to these events, could be perceived as an adaptive outcome mitigating the situation of adversity.

Results

Conclusion