Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Creating Community After Disaster: Norm Formation In Post-Hurricane Mitch Resettlements, Ryan Alaniz

Ryan C. Alaniz

How does a group of displaced disaster survivors living in a resettlement develop into a community with common vision, trust, collective efficacy and participation? Path dependency theory provides the framework to track the social development of resettlements over time. Drawing on 932 household surveys, 34 interviews, and nine months of ethnography, it is found that initial key processes and the creation and maintenance of social structures shape long-term outcomes. In the case of two similar post-Hurricane Mitch resettlements in Honduras, the development of social norms created unique community cultures. These social structures set the tone for the long-term social development …