Patterns of Social Support and Trajectories of Household Recovery after Superstorm Sandy: Contrasting Influences of Bonding and Bridging Social Capital

Abstract

Understanding how vulnerability conditions are related to disruptions in social support and trajectories of recovery after disasters is important for promoting resilience. Based on household survey data from New Jersey counties impacted by Superstorm Sandy, a hierarchical clustering method was utilized to classify recovery trajectories as well as common patterns of social support reflecting contrasting dimensions of social capital over time. Residents with a higher level of home damage relied largely on institutional sources for material and information support over the course of recovery. Younger and higher-income residents had a higher proportion of informal sources, particularly for emotional support. Patterns of social support were associated with recovery trajectories when vulnerability and disaster impact were controlled, where institutional sources for material and informational support combined with informal sources for emotional support were associated with quicker recovery trajectories. Results provide implications for bonding and bridging forms of social capital in recovery and motivate research and investments for assessing and cultivating both informal relations and institutional networks from which postdisaster social support can be mobilized.