Critical perspectives on resilience

Abstract

This chapter aims to contribute to the critical discussion of the concept of resilience and its pertinence and usefulness to contexts of socioeconomic hardship. Starting from an approach that contrasts the poverty studies literature to the resilience approaches literature in the context of the debt crisis in Europe, it proposes to develop a distinct approach to social resilience research. The objective is to provide a framework to study the responses from individuals and families to socioeconomic shocks and the processes of survival and adaptation in contexts of hardship. This conceptualization is anchored in strong social foundations - covering the political, the institutional and the economical dimensions -, leading to a critical perspective focused on resilience as a social phenomenon shaped by social structure and the natural environment. This chapter draws on shared research findings, both in terms of empirical data and theoretical development.