Multisystemic Resilience: Adaptation and Transformation in Contexts of ChangeMichael Ungar "Across diverse disciplines, the term resilience is appearing more and more often. However, while each discipline has developed theory and models to explain the resilience of the systems they study (e.g., a natural environment, a community post-disaster, the human mind, a computer network, or the economy), there is a lack of over-arching theory that describes: 1) whether the principles that underpin the resilience of one system are similar or different from the principles that govern resilience of other systems; 2) whether the resilience of one system affects the resilience of other co-occurring systems; and 3) whether a better understanding of resilience can inform the design of interventions, programs and policies that address "wicked" problems that are too complex to solve by changing one system at a time? In other words (and as only one example among many) are there similarities between how a person builds and sustains psychological resilience and how a forest, community or the business where he or she works remains successful and sustainable during periods of extreme adversity? Does psychological resilience in a human being influence the resilience of the forests (through a change in attitude towards conservation), community (through a healthy tolerance for differences) and businesses (by helping a workforce perform better) with which a person interacts? And finally, does this understanding of resilience help build better social and physical ecologies that support individual mental health, a sustainable environment and a successful economy at the same time?"-- |
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activities adaptive adversity analysis approach assessment associated behavior building capacity challenges child complex concept considered context contribute coping critical cultural developmental disaster dynamic early ecological ecological systems economic effects emerging engineering environment environmental et al example experience extremism factors Figure focus focused framework functioning global governance human impact important increase Indigenous individual influence institutions integrated interactions International interventions involved Journal justice learning living Masten means measure mental health multiple multisystemic natural networks organizational organizations outcomes parents person perspective positive potential practice Press prevention problems processes promote protective Psychology Psychopathology relationships requires resilience response result Retrieved risk role scales social Society specific strategies stress stressors structure sustainability term theory transformation transitional understanding Ungar University violent youth