Promoting innate human resilience
1. Control - individuals having the belief that they are in control of their lives and of the response to a particular crisis.
2. Coherence - having structures and processes in place that provide clarity and promote understanding, thereby decreasing uncertainty among individuals.
3. Connectedness - linked to the above two, supporting the 'social bonds' that form the basis of established relationships and social capital, which are so important in strengthening resilience.
The role that policymakers can play in promoting these core elements is likely to be found in plotting a course between overbearing state intervention and an indifferent neglect. The current debate raging about the role of behavioural economics in British public policy certainly provides food for thought in this context. Certainly something to explore further.
Michael Harvey
michael.harvey@demos.co.uk