Applications of Social Network Analysis for Building Community Disaster Resilience Workshop Summary (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Workshop participants discussed current work in SNA focused on characterizing networks; the theories, principles and research applicable to the design or strengthening of networks; the gaps in knowledge that prevent the application of SNA to the construction of networks; and research areas that could fill those gaps. Elements of a research agenda to support the design, development, and implementation of social networks for the specific purpose of strengthening community resilience against natural and human-made disasters would be discussed.
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were also discussed. Workshop participants considered how SNA could be used to make network ties between organizations more productive, and how SNA could be applied during and following a disaster to make improvisational responses -- those planned once needs and resources are identified -- more flexible.
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However, workshop participants noted that disjunctions exist between SNA theory and its application, and between the SNA research and emergency management communities. Workshop participants discussed how properly targeted research in networking theory, the social and resiliency sciences, and research translation, conducted in parallel with the development of SNA tools designed specifically for and with emergency management practitioners, could facilitate the adoption of SNA by the emergency management community.
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However, because connections among organizations are not fully understood, the status of the connections cannot be measured, nor can they be measured for change. Workshop participants stated that baseline data could provide measuring sticks for changes in networks, the characteristics that foster community resilience, and the magnitude of realized or potential stresses caused by a variety of stressors.
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Awareness of both the positive and negative issues associated with the use of networking technologies to support social networking, however, would benefit the emergency management community. RESEARCH THEMES Several research areas were identified by workshop participants as prerequisite to advancing the use of SNA for building community disaster resilience.
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For example, workshop participants repeatedly stressed how SNA could be more effective if the means of obtaining proprietary and personal data for SNA while preserving the privacy of individuals and institutions were developed. Such data as who within and between private sector organizations communicates with whom and what kinds of people receive certain medical treatment under certain circumstances provide real insights into the nature of networks and their members.
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The vocabulary of network-centric warfare is different from that used by social scientists, but the goals are similar: to understand and improve how information is sought and exchanged; and to develop action instruments that enable decision making. According to workshop participants, practitioners who collect, analyze, understand, model, and incorporate network data into their decision-making processes may be better poised to help their communities become more resilient.
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Workshop participants discussed the idea of developing regional collaboratives among local universities, agencies, and businesses. For example, local, state, and federal resources could be used to establish collaboratives to encourage thorough baseline expertise on regional social networks and adaptive capacities.
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