Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

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, recover...

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Main Author: Kayleigh Ward
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/7/254
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author Kayleigh Ward
author_facet Kayleigh Ward
author_sort Kayleigh Ward
collection DOAJ
description 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 (<i>n</i> = 200) to document resident bonding, bridging, and linking capital relationships (<i>n</i> = 1994), and semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 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.
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spelling doaj.art-cf48da377e5344689fa80d764210f2642023-11-22T04:58:40ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602021-07-0110725410.3390/socsci10070254Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan EarthquakeKayleigh Ward0Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USAThis 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 (<i>n</i> = 200) to document resident bonding, bridging, and linking capital relationships (<i>n</i> = 1994), and semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/7/254social capitaldisaster studieslinking social capitaldecision makingsocial infrastructurereconstruction planning
spellingShingle Kayleigh Ward
Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
Social Sciences
social capital
disaster studies
linking social capital
decision making
social infrastructure
reconstruction planning
title Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
title_full Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
title_fullStr Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
title_short Effects of Reconstruction Planning on the Utility of Social Capital in Minamisanriku, Miyagi after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
title_sort effects of reconstruction planning on the utility of social capital in minamisanriku miyagi after the 2011 great east japan earthquake
topic social capital
disaster studies
linking social capital
decision making
social infrastructure
reconstruction planning
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/7/254
work_keys_str_mv AT kayleighward effectsofreconstructionplanningontheutilityofsocialcapitalinminamisanrikumiyagiafterthe2011greateastjapanearthquake