Network Structure and Substantive Dimensions of Improvised Social Support Ties Surrounding Households during Post-Disaster Recovery

Abstract

Informal social support plays a crucial role in post-disaster recovery, but are there systematic patterns of inequality in individuals’ mobilization of social support? This study examines the predictors of both the network structure and substantive dimensions of social support in order to understand how different people experience different forms of support. Survey data were collected from 390 tornado-affected households in the US state of Indiana. Personal network analysis and multilevel analysis of dyadic ties show that beyond disaster-specific contexts such as household damage and evacuation status, individual and social status factors played a role. In general, older females and those with low educational level reported receiving support from denser and longer-known ties centered around kin. Dimensions of social support were differentiated by both receivers’ and providers’ gender, with females having a larger number of multiplex ties (i.e., multiple support types from a single alter) and exchanging emotional support, in contrast to males providing tangible support and information. In addition, people known through social relationships were key links to outside community contacts. Theoretical and practical implications regarding social support in post-disaster recovery are discussed.