Date of Graduation

12-14-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

First Advisor

Prof. Brian Dowd-Uribe

Abstract

Social capital and its elements such as trust, reciprocity, and collective action have always been linked to a community’s resilience during and after natural disasters. Using a qualitative approach, I explore the role social capital played in the recovery of communities in the province of Leyte in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. I also examine whether trust was a key element in the role social capital played. Through surveys and interviews, I explore the ways in which trust and perceptions of it could be the materialization of certain values and practices in local Filipino culture which contributed to the resilience of a community. Results show that residents of Leyte province often associate the elements of social capital with values and practices characteristic of Filipino culture such as bayanihan, pakikisama, pakikipagkapwa, utang na loob, etc. It was these that offered opportunities for strengthened resilience and community interdependence. Findings show that a combination of social capital and its elements such as trust, along with local knowledge and Filipino cultural norms and values contribute to a higher level of resilience.

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